Soybeans Collapse into the End of the Year

Market Overview - Soybean contracts fell by 13 to 16 cents at the close on New Year's Eve, with a national average cash bean price down by 15 ¼ cents to $9.64 3/4 [1] - Soymeal futures decreased by $1.50 to $2.90 per ton, while soy oil futures dropped by 77 to 88 points [1] Deliveries and Sales - There were 1,062 deliveries issued against January soybeans, with no deliveries for January soy meal and 7 issued for January bean oil [1] - Weekly soybean sales were reported at 1.056 million metric tons (MMT), which was 55.94% lower than the previous week and below trade expectations of 1.4 to 2.4 MMT, but up 7.9% from the same week last year [4] - Known sales to China through December 18 reached 6.5 MMT, compared to 3.5 MMT during the same period in the 2018/19 marketing year [4] Meal and Oil Sales - Meal sales were recorded at 299,131 metric tons, on the lower end of estimates between 200,000 and 500,000 metric tons [5] - Soy oil sales for 2025/26 totaled 49,197 metric tons, exceeding estimates of 0 to 24,000 metric tons, with net reductions of 23,500 metric tons for 2026/27 [5] Market Positioning - Managed money was reported at a net long of 110,403 contracts, a decrease of 37,375 contracts from the previous week [3]