Grains market: Wheat finishes Friday's trade in the red, amplifying weekly declines
In the final week of July 2025, wheat futures on major U.S. exchanges experienced a mixed market trend, with slight recent declines noted.
CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade) Soft Red Winter (SRW) wheat futures for September 2025 recently dropped 8 cents to $5.38/bu but were roughly steady or up slightly earlier in the week, closing around $5.40–$5.41/bu before the drop.
KCBT (Kansas City Board of Trade) Hard Red Winter (HRW) wheat September futures decreased by a few cents to about $5.26/bu by July 25, though they had gained 3–5 cents earlier in the week before retreating.
MGEX (Minneapolis Grain Exchange) Hard Red Spring (HRS) wheat futures showed more volatility, declining about 11 cents to close near $5.85/bu, reflecting a weaker demand or yield outlook.
Regarding speculative fund net short positions, the latest data indicates a reduction in the spec fund net short position in CBT wheat futures and options as of July 22. However, the price declines and mixed trading suggest some profit-taking or repositioning after strong export sales.
On export sales, USDA reported a marketing-year-high wheat sales volume of 712,179 metric tons for the week ending July 17—exceeding estimates by a wide margin, representing a 44% increase from the previous week and more than double the same week last year. Key buyers included Indonesia (117,200 MT), Taiwan (92,100 MT), and Mexico (86,500 MT).
In summary, although wheat futures had modest gains earlier in the week supported by strong export sales, prices softened by July 25, possibly due to profit-taking and concerns about crop conditions. Export demand remains strong, providing some underlying support to prices.
Key points:
| Exchange | Wheat Type | Recent Price Action (late July 2025) | |----------|------------|------------------------------------------------| | CBOT | SRW | Around $5.38/bu, down 8 cents recently | | KCBT | HRW | Around $5.26/bu, down 2–3 cents | | MGEX | HRS | Around $5.85/bu, down 11 cents |
| Fundamental Data | Details | |-----------------------------|--------------------------------------------| | Export sales (week ending July 17) | 712,179 MT (record marketing-year volume) | | Major buyers | Indonesia 117,200 MT; Taiwan 92,100 MT; Mexico 86,500 MT |
A South Korean importer purchased a total of 85,200 MT of wheat from the US on Friday morning. It is important to note that all information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes.
[1] CBOT Wheat Closes Lower on Friday, Down 3 Cents [2] MGEX Wheat Closes Lower on Friday, Down 3/4 Cent [3] KCBT Wheat Closes Lower on Friday, Down 2 Cents [4] The Commitment of Traders Report Shows a Reduction in the Spec Fund Net Short Position in CBT Wheat Futures and Options [5] USDA's Export Sales Data Shows 8.984 MMT of Wheat Sold So Far for This Marketing Year, Above the Average Sales Pace of 37%
- Despite the record-breaking wheat sales volume reported by USDA, the price of CBOT Soft Red Winter wheat for September 2025 dropped 8 cents to $5.38/bu, indicating some profit-taking or repositioning after the strong export sales.
- Investors in the stock-market may find interest in the finance industry, as the mixed market trend in wheat futures suggests a volatile environment, with key factors including export sales and crop conditions influencing prices.
