SOYBEANS AND THE LA NINA EFFECT

The trading week started with November soybean futures surging to 15-month highs due to a frost/freeze in northeast China and Canada, and above all, the dryness in South America due to La Nina. The impact of the China freeze was a bit overblown because nearly one third of their bean crop has been harvested and the remaining crop in the field is thought to be mature enough so that this would not have much impact on yields. However, the dryness in key soybean growing areas in Mato Grosso, Brazil cannot be overlooked. .......more detail

Why We Watch the Price of Gold in All Currencies

A common flaw that we see the average investor make is to follow their investments measured in foreign currencies and at the same time forget to calculate their local exchange rate on those investments. This is a HUGE mistake as the fluctuation of an investor’s home currency has a massive impact on their returns.

Some investors know that the price of gold has been performing well in the past few years but let’s look at the charts to see how well gold has done for investors around the world....read more

10 Best iPhone Apps For Finance and Investing

Looking for the best iPhone Applications (Apps) for finance and investing?

Here on StockTradingToGo we’ve ranked the top 10 best finance and investing iPhone apps based on usability, functionality, overall “coolness”, and most importantly they have to be FREE. All of the apps featured below can be downloaded from the iTunes Store.

1. Chase Mobile – Download – Free app and a must have for any Chase customers. Find Chase branches, ATMs, or sign in to view your credit card bills and/or bank statements, make payments, transfer money, etc. Chase is our #1 favorite free banking app because of its new feature Chase QuickDeposit where you can take a picture of your checks and deposit them via your iPhone.......read more

This decade's investment: the agriculture play

Farmer Brown here again. One of my key longer-term themes for growth investing is and has been the Agriculture Play for a few years now. The global demographics, while seemingly moving at a glacial pace to the short-term thinkers, are simply undeniable over the intermediate to longer term....read more

Investors Flock to Gold and Silver on Recovery Worries

Investors worried about the global economic recovery pushed gold prices to fresh highs on Friday, marking the third time in a week the shiny metal set a new record. Silver also climbed to its highest price in thirty years.

Spot gold climbed above $1,282 an ounce in New York and London as a weakening dollar spurred demand from investors for wealth protection, while silver rose to $21.44 an ounce, its highest level since 1980.

Bullion, which usually moves inversely to the dollar, posted its biggest weekly gain since May as the greenback touched a five-week low against the euro.
Holdings in gold- backed exchange-traded products (ETP) reached a record this month as investors sought protection from financial turmoil and the prospect of slowing economic growth. ..read more

Corn: Low Yields, High Prices

FOR CORN FARMERS AND FUTURES traders, the "new normal" might already be old news.

As recently as late spring, analysts were saying the long-term outlook was for prices of $3 to $4 a bushel. That would be roughly 50% below the record highs set in 2008, but above the $2 to $3 that was the historical average before the latest boom in ethanol use.

Since then, a historic Russian heat wave has sparked concern about global grain supplies, and U.S. farmers have reported disappointing yields. Investors are increasingly taking notice, and corn futures have surged 58% since late June. They finished Friday at $5.1325 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade. While a short-term correction is likely, ultimately bulls could have enough ammo to keep bears at bay for months to come...read more

Why You Need to Own Gold

IF YOU WERE TO TRAVEL 100 years into the future, never to return to 2010, what would you pack for the trip: $1 million in cash or $1 million in gold?

If you're like most of Northern Trust's clients, you'd pick the gold, says Bob Browne, chief investment officer for the Chicago-based high-end bank. "I would guess 99% of clients say 'I'll take the gold,'" he says, adding that gold has proved its value over and over again in the past century—in the faces of political upheaval, world wars and the debasement of currencies.

The yellow metal, which last week hit an record high of $1,275 an ounce, has been drawing a lot of attention lately from affluent investors and their advisors. Long considered an asset that only a conspiracy theorist could love, gold has suddenly become a staple in the model portfolios of private bankers and other advisors to the rich. Many experts now recommend about 5% of your assets be put in gold, chiefly as insurance against a massive financial crisis. When other assets are falling, you can count on gold to perform.........read more

Kazakhstan's Jan-July commodities exports

Kazakhstan export of commodity increase from last year detail following below.

Export of commodity Jan-July 2010

Wheat = 3,018,2000 tons (+73.8% yoy)

Iron Ore = 9,682,000 tons (+36.6% yoy)

Coal = 17,046,400 tons (+24.8% yoy)

Oil products = 2,978,800 tons (+35.9% yoy)

Natural gas (mln cubic meters) = 11,015.2 (+5.6% yoy)

Ferro-alloys = 753,200 tons (+42% yoy)

Refined copper and alloys = 159,300 tons (-15.9% yoy)

Alumina = 104,200 tons (+40.1% yoy)

Zinc = 157,500 tons (-12.5% yoy)

Lead = 55,600 tons (+4.5% yoy)

U.S. Soybean crop bigger than expect by 1.5%

USDA release soybean 2010/11 crop production will 3.483 billion bushels , increase from 3.359 billion bushels last year (record) and more than trade estimates around 3.41 billion bushels.

Soybean yield average 44.7 bushel per acre in 2010/11 , rise from record 44 bushels per acre in 2009/10 and larger than estimates at 43.7 bushels per acre.

US soybean 2010/11 ending stock is 350 million bushels, decrease from 360 million in USDA August estimated but larger than trader forecast 303 million bushels.

Supply still bearish for soybean prices, CBOT soybean Nov can't break resistance at 1047 cent/bushel that increase probability of soybean price will decrease to trading range 1020-1000 cent/bushel.

Argentina’ s wheat planting 4.27 million hectars in 2010/11

Argentina’ s wheat production forecast by Buenos Aires Grains Exchange seen increase more than latest estimated. The sowing of Argentina wheat now complete, the exchange forecast planting area is 4.27 million hectares (10.55 million acres) up from previous estimated at 4.2 million hectares . The exchange expect production around 9.0 million and 10.5 million tons compare with USDA forecast (Aug) at 12 million tons. Dry Weather condition has been watch closely as it can affect 2010/11 crop in recent week.

The report from the Agriculture Research Institute shown high risk of dry condition on Argentina main wheat planting area. Buenos Aries where account for nearly half of total Argentina wheat production that receive rain fall only 28% from normal in August and Santa Fe No.3 wheat producer receive rain fall only 22% from normal , which this dry condition could be damage wheat crop and other.

NOAA (ENSO weekly update) reported

“La Niña condition are present across pacific ocean, Negative sea surface temperature anomalies persist across much of the Pacific Ocean and La Niña conditions are likely to continue through early 2011.”

La Niña condition increase risk to US and South American crop may affect from dry condition from September to early 2011 while wheat, soybean and corn will planting in that period of time.

Argentina Rainfall % from normal (Aug 10)

Buenos Aires 28%

Santa Fe 22%

Cordoba 6%

Entre Rios 60%

La Pampa 35%

India oil meal export August 2010

India's oilmeal export in August 2010 increase to 244,075 tons up 14% compared same time last year.

Related News:

India's Oilmeal Export Gains 14% In August 2010 - SEA

Oilmeal export jumps by 14 pc in August

Australian Wheat Crop forecasts 2010

The shortage of wheat supply around the world may lift interested of Australian wheat. The estimated of Australian wheat crop was increase to 22.25 million tons in 2010/11 from 21.66 million tons in 2009/10 and export may rise to 14 million tons from 13.87 million . (Data in table below)