DTN Closing Grain Comments    02/26 14:21
   US Ag Markets Remain Pressured Midway Through Week

   Grain traders continued to hit the sell button throughout Wednesday's
trading session as soybeans again turned lower following Tuesday's brief
reprieve. Meanwhile, corn futures acted early as if prices would hold on to
small gains; but the ongoing selling spree in wheat futures pulled corn futures
negative as well by midday. Outside market influence on agriculture futures on
Wednesday leaned negative as stock indices were up for most of the session, but
lost steam as the session wore on. Crude oil prices continue to slide back to
their lowest level since early December. U.S. crude oil stocks fell for the
first time since mid-January in Wednesday's Petroleum Status Report from the
Energy Information Administration, although year-over-year weekly stocks remain
up over 2%. Energy traders are expressing nervousness over the shaky consumer
confidence reading Tuesday, and this weakness is spilling over into the grain
complex as cash ethanol values have also slipped over the past week.

Rhett Montgomery
DTN Lead Analyst

GENERAL COMMENTS:

   May corn closed down 3/4 cents and July corn was down 3/4 cents. May
soybeans closed down 7 1/2 cents and July soybeans were down 7 1/4 cents. May
KC wheat closed down 7 cents, May Chicago wheat was down 8 cents, May
Minneapolis wheat was down 11 cents.