Soybeans rise to record for 3rd day, then ease

NEW YORK — Soybeans rose to a record for a third day Thursday but later eased back on expectations that warm, dry weather in the Midwest will help crops bounce back after flooding last month.

Other commodities traded mixed, with crude oil briefly rising above $145 for the first time and gold, silver and copper futures falling.

Soybean futures have shot up 9 percent in the last week, driven by concerns of poorer-than-expected U.S. yields following devastating Midwest floods that ravaged corn and soybean fields. But weather forecasts for the next few days predict favorable conditions for much of the region, a scenario that would boost soybean crops as they enter the key growing period.

"We're basically trading the weather right now," said Jason Ward, analyst with Northstar Commodity in Minneapolis. "The weather looks to be normal heading into the weekend so that's a little bearish for soybeans."

Soybeans for November delivery jumped to a record $16.3540 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade before easing to settle at $16.31 a bushel, up a penny. It was the third straight trading record for soybeans.

Soybean prices have soared 82 percent in the past year amid a global scramble for grains and oilseeds to feed livestock and people and make biofuel.

U.S. farmers plan to harvest 96.8 percent of this year's 74.5 million acre soybean crop, down from an estimate of 98.7 percent that was calculated before severe floods struck the Midwest last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in its annual acreage survey released Monday. Nationwide, farmers said only 70 percent of the intended soybean crop had been planted at the time of the USDA. survey interview, the lowest level in 12 years.

Other agriculture futures traded mixed Thursday. Corn futures for December delivery lost 3.5 cents to settle at $7.77 a bushel on the CBOT, while wheat futures for September delivery added 7.25 cents to settle at $8.875 a bushel.

In energy markets, oil prices shot up near $146 but later eased back after the dollar gained some ground against the euro.

Light, sweet crude for August delivery jumped $1.72 to settle at a record $145.29 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier, prices rose to a new trading record of $145.85 a barrel.

Other energy futures also went higher. August heating oil futures rose 3.45 cents to settle at $4.106 a gallon, while August gasoline futures added 2.16 cents to settle at $3.571 a gallon.

In precious metals, gold futures fell in erratic trading after the dollar strengthened against the euro, encouraging selling from investors who bought the metal as an inflation hedge.

Gold for August delivery fell $12.90 to settle at $933.60 an ounce on Nymex, after earlier rising as high as $950.

September silver lost 5 cents to settle at $18.37 an ounce on the Nymex, while September copper dropped 11.45 cents to settle at $3.949 a pound.

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