Corn Ends Quiet as Weekly U.S. Sales Disappoint Ahead of USDA Update

The market is balancing a weak weekly sales print against sizable commitments plus record October shipments.

Overview

Corn futures ended near unchanged Thursday, with front months fractionally lower and the national cash average at roughly $4.08.
USDA logged 377,598 MT in corn export sales for the holiday week of Jan. 1, a marketing‑year low and well under 0.7–1.5 MMT forecasts, though total commitments stand near 50.538 MMT, about 30% above last year.
Census data showed a record 6.564 MMT of corn shipped in October, while Brazil’s December exports reached 6.128 MMT, highlighting brisk global flows and stiff competition.
EIA reported ethanol output eased to 1.098 million barrels per day as stocks climbed to 22.652 million barrels, a holiday‑period pattern for corn demand signals.
With USDA’s WASDE and Crop Production reports due Monday, a Bloomberg survey pegs U.S. corn stocks around 1.985 billion bushels, implying a possible trim from prior estimates.