Do I dare say the bottom is in for corn? In these extraordinary times, we have some extreme bullish news. We can start with Brazil, which's crop is facing a significant drought and no exports coming out of Ukraine, and now top it off with inflation and weather we have to contend with.
Yesterday's corn Export Sales were unimpressive at 5.% million bushels. However, I do anticipate the export market will pick up after this.
As we head into the dog days of summer, expect higher food prices as fast as your gasoline prices keep going higher and higher. In the overnight electronic session, the July corn is currently trading at 798 ½, which is 10 ¼ cents higher. The trading range has been 799 ¾ to 786 ¾.
We have an active cash market on the ethanol front while the futures continue to have zero. And we have production growing and supply shrinking as the US is a major player in the global ethanol market. And the House passes a bill to end restrictions on higher-ethanol fuels amid spiraling gas prices. This is just another signal of inflation hands over fists.
On the Crude oil front, the President will soon depart to Saudi Arabia to beg them to pump more oil. He has also opened the door to negotiating imports from two adversaries: Iran and Venezuela. Without US oil on American soil, we will see food prices skyrocket and will have more out-of-control inflation. When you see your 401 K diminish, it is time to make our stock market stable and change the current administration's energy policy.
We have the Baker Hughes Oil & Total Rig Count, which will be another telling story as refiners are running at 100%, and we still have product shortages. In the overnight electronic session, the August crude oil is currently trading at 11639, which is 120 points lower. The trading range has been 11897 to 11687.
On the natural gas front, the market is trading lower. The negative news of Freeport LNG working on getting online could not come as fast as the consumer is hoping for. This may seem a little bearish, but overall, it is bullish. And the heat wave should spur another rally which we could end up higher on the day heading into the long weekend if the stock market doesn't fall out of bed. In the overnight electronic session, the July natural gas is currently trading at 7.404, which is 0.060 lower. The trading range has been 7.588 to 7.220.