Below are excerpts from my recent WeatherWealth newsletter. Many agricultural commodities are breaking out to the upside and the weather is definitely a key reason. In contrast, warmer U.S. weather returning and worries over a potential increase in domestic oil production, combined with trade tariff concerns have pressured energy markets again.
The new bull market in many agricultural commodities could add to inflation worries once again
It was these wilting trees in 2024 that have now resulted in recent crop survey tours with many analysts lowering their 2025-2026 Brazilian crop by another 5-10%.
Improved October rainfall kept the situation from being even more of a disaster. Nevertheless, coffee stocks continue to fall and the charts are very bullish.
In addition, a stronger Brazilian Real results in farmers holding back on sales of commodities such as coffee, soybeans and sugar.
Going forward, the big question for the coffee market is “How will a weak La Niña event (or neutral situation) affect production in Vietnam, Colombia and Brazil, deeper into 2025-2026?” I will have studies later on. of course.
Nevertheless, due to Theta (time decay) for certain coffee option strike prices, we suggested call option strategies that were potentially profitable for those WeatherWealth clients who took our advice two months ago.
Why cocoa prices have higher to go, even at these historical levels
One of our most successful recent trade suggestions to WeatherWealth clients has been in cocoa. Prices have now soared more than $11,000 a contract in two weeks on growing new concerns for the 2025 West African mid-crop, but also potentially for the main crop. The crop problems never end in West Africa. In my opinion, this is brought on more by climate change than by El Niño or La Niña events.
My in house teleconnection program looks at weather signals thousands of miles away to second guess standard computer models.
Typically with a weak La Niña (negative MEI index), we can see a wet signal for West African cocoa (+3.45).
However, notice that a total of six of the most important climatic variables I look at above (Indian Dipole and record warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic and near West Africa) are all dry signals (negative values). One combines all of these and we can see that humidity levels and rainfall will remain below normal, thus hurting more of the cocoa crop.
Why, In The Face Of A Bear Market In Sugar, We Reversed Our Attitude
Other than the Brazilian Real breaking out technically that can often help sugar and coffee prices, new weather problems in Australia from harvest delays and a lower crop in Thailand, as well as in India, helped sugar prices rally 10% off their lows.
We caught wind of this around January 21st and advised subscribers to our WeatherWealth newsletter that I was no longer bearish and to look for potential buying opportunities.
Is it too late to buy sugar now. Is this old news? That’s where our newsletter comes in handy for many markets. We also issue “Weather Spiders” each week for all markets.
Sources: A Real Sugar Expert & WeatherWealth Newsletter
Learn how to trade commodities successfully based on weather, the commitment of traders, technical analysis and other signals. Join farmers, traders, agribusinesses, natural gas producers and ETF enthusiasts around the world who want to benefit from more accurate weather information and timely trading strategies.
Jim Roemer, Scott Mathews, and The Weather Wealth Team
Mr. Roemer owns Best Weather Inc., offering weather-related blogs for commodity traders and farmers. He also is a co-founder of Climate Predict, a detailed long-range global weather forecast tool. As one of the first meteorologists to become an NFA registered Commodity Trading Advisor, he has worked with major hedge funds, Midwest farmers, and individual traders for over 35 years. With a special emphasis on interpreting market psychology, coupled with his short and long-term trend forecasting in grains, softs, and the energy markets, he established a unique standing among advisors in the commodity risk management industry.
Several times a year, we offer farmers and commodity traders on six continents a free issue of WeatherWealth: The only global commodity weather newsletter that focuses strictly on the weather with specific trading ideas in commodity options, futures, and ETFs.
Some of our best calls over the last two years were predicting mostly big global crops for grains and the resulting bear markets. The stronger dollar and worries over demand from China have also impacted prices adversely. La Niña did not form last summer, as I predicted it wouldn’t. This helped set the stage for a record corn and soybean crop. But, what about now?
Will a La Nada or La Niña be present when we move into 2025?Could a bull market in grains eventually form?
The biggest bull weather markets over the last 2 years have been in cocoa and coffee brought on by Climate Change, deforestation, and a previous El Niño.
In the last three winters, a trader could have sold natural gas in December and potentially gain at least 20-35% on his/her money by March. Almost every winter of the last 5 years has been warmer than normal. What about now?
Our latest newsletter (download on top of the page) discusses the following:
1) The difference between an El Niño neutral (La Nada) and La Niña
2) How winter weather could be affected by both
3) What are the MJO index, and a negative PDO index?
4) How record-warm global temperatures could offset a potential cold signal for U.S. natural gas heating demand areas
5) What will it take for the Midwest grain areas and Plains wheat to have hot, dry weather next summer?
6) Why soybean prices may remain in a downward trend
7) How Climate Change has caused an explosion in cocoa prices
8) A discussion of the volatile coffee market and the impact of recent drought stress in Brazil
9) Australian crop weather
10) La Niña and a look at historical sugar prices
11) Trading ideas in commodities, and…
12) …Much more
Enjoy,
T H A N K S F O R Y O U R I N T E R E S T I N C O M M O D I T Y W E A T H E R !!!
1) What is the Western Pacific Warm Pool and why it has delayed La Niña
2) How the 2022 Tonga volcanoes may have contributed to the western Pacific warming
3) How our computer program www.climatepredict.com forecasted a warm autumn that has pressured natural gas prices
(available to subscribers to our newsletter WeatherWealth)
4) An historical look at why natural gas prices have fallen in four out of the last five consecutive autumn-to-early-winter periods.
Given the record warm oceans and Gulf of Mexico, a tropical storm or hurricane is not out of the realm of possibilities for November 7th-8th.
Sign up for a two-week free trial period to WeatherWealth and you can see our recent trading strategies for coffee, sugar, grains, and more and how to potentially trade these markets in the future.
Jim Roemer, Scott Mathews, and The Weather Wealth Team
Mr. Roemer owns Best Weather Inc., offering weather-related blogs for commodity traders and farmers. He also is a co-founder of Climate Predict, a detailed long-range global weather forecast tool. As one of the first meteorologists to become an NFA registered Commodity Trading Advisor, he has worked with major hedge funds, Midwest farmers, and individual traders for over 35 years. With a special emphasis on interpreting market psychology, coupled with his short and long-term trend forecasting in grains, softs, and the energy markets, he established a unique standing among advisors in the commodity risk management industry.
On the date of publication, Jim Roemer did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
The headlines of our WeatherWealth newsletter (earlier this week) show what was covered in a detailed article. It discusses weather forecasting techniques and trading ideas for many commodities affected by the recent drought. You can go down to the bottom of this report and receive this entire free issue.
Over the past four years, we have been helping farmers, commodity traders, and ETF investors get a big “jump” on markets from soybeans to coffee natural gas, and many other markets. Second-guessing the standard (= FREE) weather models that everyone and their dog look at, is our specialty, as well as developing trading strategies with our 80 years of combined experience, and analysis of trading psychology of weather-driven markets.
For example, here was our advice (“Spider” from this past July) to clients who potentially made at least $1.00/bushel, by being short soybeans (and 50¢ cents in corn), on bogus weather forecasts by other firms for a drought in the Midwest.
Every few months, we offer Barcharts readers one FREE issue.
BestWeather Spider from previous WEATHERWEALTH NEWSLETTER this past summer
Currently, we have been watching Brazil’s weather very closely for clients. Notice the extreme dryness that previously helped coffee, sugar, and soybeans rally. A week ago, we began forecasting a potential “major change” in the South American weather pattern beginning next week.
Different flavors of La Niña have varying effects on South American summer weather.
Deforestation and the recent El Niño have also been a factor. One can see from my weather program below how weak vs strong La Niña events affect South American weather in October. The change in rain forecasts I began seeing for Brazil a week ago has resulted in the top of the coffee market and will also affect soybean, sugar, and OJ trading in the weeks ahead.
Russia Declares Disaster for Several Key Wheat-Producing Areas Due to Drought
Severe drought conditions in Russia in the last few months have helped wheat prices rally off their lows. What Russia does with exports and the global demand situation will be just as important as rainfall patterns both for Australian and U.S. Plains wheat in the coming months.
In the meantime, the NAO index (blocks over Greenland) has been the most positive on record this summer. This helped to bring the heat and dryness to parts of eastern Europe and western Russia.
My in in-house weather program, below, illustrates how the NAO index will go negative into the first half of October. This should bring some temporary relief from the extreme drought conditions in western Russia and may (or, may not) have some impact on the wheat market.
ClimatePredict is available for free to any WeatherWealth subscriber and covers all ag markets around the world and natural gas, as well.
So… what other weather forecast techniques are we using to predict crop prospects for South American corn and soybeans, potential globalweather problems for wheat and also trading ideas for coffee, sugar, and more?
Jim Roemer, Scott Mathews, and The Weather Wealth Team
Mr. Roemer owns Best Weather Inc., offering weather-related blogs for commodity traders and farmers. He also is a co-founder of Climate Predict, a detailed long-range global weather forecast tool. As one of the first meteorologists to become an NFA registered Commodity Trading Advisor, he has worked with major hedge funds, Midwest farmers, and individual traders for over 35 years. With a special emphasis on interpreting market psychology, coupled with his short and long-term trend forecasting in grains, softs, and the energy markets, he established a unique standing among advisors in the commodity risk management industry.
Jim Roemer’s video (above) addresses these issues:
Following our bearish attitude in grains all summer long, and second guessing hot-dry Midwest weather models, why La Niña may finally arrive.
Harvest pressure could still cap rallies (later) in corn and soybeans, but growing weather problems for wheat could set the stage for a longer-term bull market. Could La Niña induce corn and soybean markets to rally, later?
How deforestation, La Niña and climate change are contributing to a severe drought in northern Brazil. Coffee futures, OJ and possibly sugar will be reacting to any weather forecast updates.
Why a record positive NAO summer could portend a warm early winter for the natural gas market.
If you were following our advice since summer, you know that we predicted (back in late June and early July), $9.50 soybeans and $3.80-$3.90 corn prices. What about now? How high could coffee prices go? What will be our trading ideas in natural gas and all Ag commodities? Subscribe to a 2 week free trial period to WeatherWealth (you can cancel at any time).
Jim Roemer, Scott Mathews, and The Weather Wealth Team
Mr. Roemer owns Best Weather Inc., offering weather-related blogs for commodity traders and farmers. He also is a co-founder of Climate Predict, a detailed long-range global weather forecast tool. As one of the first meteorologists to become an NFA registered Commodity Trading Advisor, he has worked with major hedge funds, Midwest farmers, and individual traders for over 35 years. With a special emphasis on interpreting market psychology, coupled with his short and long-term trend forecasting in grains, softs, and the energy markets, he established a unique standing among advisors in the commodity risk management industry.
By Jim Roemer – Meteorologist – Commodity Trading Advisor – Principal, Best Weather Inc. & Climate Predict – Publisher, Weather Wealth Newsletter
MidWeek Report – August 28, 2024
The short answer to whether or not we see a major bull market in natural gas due to a category 4-5 hurricane in the Gulf is NO… At least for now and the next few weeks. However, natural gas prices are likely oversold with U.S. production coming down later on.
Our WeatherWealth newsletter has advised energy traders that huge U.S. supplies, a recent bearish EIA due to cool weather last week, and our prediction that La Niña would be delayed, was NOT a bullish aspect for the natural gas market. At these prices, however, it is a bit too risky to become that aggressive and go short the market. Remember, however, nothing it too cheap or expensive in commodities!
Something is brewing in the tropics, but due to something we call the MJO index, combined with African dust, any major Gulf hurricane is not likely for now.
.
Natural gas prices have collapsed more than 30¢ since we suggested, two weeks ago, that prices would not get above the chart line shown above.
What to do now in natural gas? Could we have a major hurricane later this fall? What about winter and how we out-forecast standard weather models that too many people believe?
Jim Roemer, Scott Mathews, and The Weather Wealth Team
Mr. Roemer owns Best Weather Inc., offering weather-related blogs for commodity traders and farmers. He also is a co-founder of Climate Predict, a detailed long-range global weather forecast tool. As one of the first meteorologists to become an NFA registered Commodity Trading Advisor, he has worked with major hedge funds, Midwest farmers, and individual traders for over 35 years. With a special emphasis on interpreting market psychology, coupled with his short and long-term trend forecasting in grains, softs, and the energy markets, he established a unique standing among advisors in the commodity risk management industry.
Trading futures and options involve a significant risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
HELPING YOU MAKE THE BEST INVESTMENT DECISIONS BASED ON THE WEATHER
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