Soybeans Starting the New Year with Weakness

Group 1 - Soybeans prices are experiencing a decline of 2 to 3 ½ cents, with January beans seeing 913 deliveries issued overnight [1] - The national average cash bean price has increased by 4 ¼ cents to $9.68, while soymeal futures are down by $2.90 to $3.10 per ton [1] - The USDA announced a payment of $30.88 per acre for soybeans under the Farm Bridge Assistance program [1] Group 2 - Export sales data for the week ending December 25 is expected to show soybean bookings between 0.7-1.8 million metric tons (MMT) for 2025/26, and 0-150,000 MT for 2026/27 [2] - Meal sales are projected to be between 150,000-500,000 MT, while bean oil sales are anticipated to be between 0-20,000 MT [2] - November crush data is expected to indicate 225.24 million bushels (mbu) of soybeans crushed during the month, with soybean oil stocks estimated at 1.906 billion pounds at the end of the month [2] Group 3 - CFTC data shows managed money at a net long of 110,403 contracts, a decrease of 37,375 contracts from the previous week [3] - January 26 soybeans are priced at $10.27 1/2, down 3 cents, while nearby cash is at $9.68, up 4 1/4 cents [3] - March 26 soybeans are at $10.44 3/4, down 2 3/4 cents, and May 26 soybeans are at $10.57 3/4, down 3 1/4 cents [3]