Soybean prices on the Chicago Board of Trade edged slightly higher on Monday, as the market caught its breath after last week’s losses that pushed prices to their weakest levels since late October, amid uncertainty over demand from China, the world’s largest importer.

Wheat continued to post additional gains, supported by buying on dips, although abundant global supplies are likely to cap prices. A Singapore-based trader said: “Chinese buying was largely driven by the US-China trade agreement. Chinese demand for imported soybeans remains limited due to ample supplies in the domestic market.”

Uncertainty over when China will fulfill its target of purchasing 12 million metric tons of US soybeans, stipulated under a trade truce between Beijing and Washington, has weighed on the market, particularly as a bumper harvest is expected in Brazil early in 2026. China did not import any US soybean shipments for the third consecutive month in November, as buyers turned to South American supplies amid concerns about potential shortages should the trade war persist.

Following the truce reached in October, China stepped up purchases of US shipments, with traders saying more than 7 million tons have been bought since then.

On Friday morning, exporters sold 134,000 tons of US soybeans to China, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s daily reporting system.

In other grain markets, large wheat crops in Argentina and Australia are adding fresh supplies to the global market. Early outlooks for next year’s crops also appear favorable, with Russia, the world’s largest exporter, forecasting a strong harvest of 90 million tons, according to officials last week.

Ukraine’s economy ministry said on Friday that Ukrainian farmers had threshed about 56.6 million tons of grain from 93.5% of the planted area as of December 18, without providing comparative data.

Regulatory data released on Friday showed that large speculators increased their net short positions in Chicago corn futures during the week ended December 9.

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report also showed that non-commercial traders, a category that includes hedge funds, increased their net short positions in wheat contracts, while reducing their net long positions in soybeans.

Corn

March corn futures rose 0.7% at the close to $4.47 per bushel.

Soybeans

January soybean futures gained 0.3% to $10.53 per bushel.

Wheat

March wheat futures climbed 1.1% to $5.15 per bushel.

Most cryptocurrencies edged lower during Monday’s trading, as investors turned toward safe-haven assets amid geopolitical concerns following US President Donald Trump’s announcement last week of a blockade on all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.

CNBC reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that President Trump may announce his nominee for Federal Reserve chair by early January.

Wall Street’s stock and bond markets are set to close this coming Thursday, as the United States and several countries around the world observe the Christmas holiday.

Ethereum

In market trading, Ethereum fell 0.7% to $2,970.4 as of 20:35 GMT on the CoinMarketCap platform.

Gold and silver prices rose during Monday’s trading, with both precious metals continuing to shatter record levels.

This came as investors flocked to safe-haven assets amid heightened geopolitical concerns, after US President Donald Trump announced last week the imposition of a blockade on all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.

CNBC reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that President Trump may announce his nominee for Federal Reserve chair by early January.

US stock and bond markets on Wall Street are set to close this coming Thursday, as the United States and several countries around the world observe the Christmas holiday.

Meanwhile, the dollar index fell 0.3% to 98.3 points as of 20:18 GMT, after touching a high of 98.7 and a low of 98.2.

In market trading, spot gold surged 1.9% to $4,470.6 per ounce as of 20:19 GMT.

Spot silver also rose 1.9% to $68.40 per ounce, after hitting a fresh record high of $69.44.

US stock indexes rose during Monday’s trading as 2025 approaches its end, alongside a shortened trading week due to the Christmas holiday.

Wall Street’s stock and bond markets are set to close this coming Thursday, as the United States and several countries around the world observe the Christmas holiday.

Analysts are monitoring market behavior in the final days of the year due to the impact of the so-called “Santa Claus rally,” a phenomenon that typically sees stock markets rise.

In market trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6%, or 288 points, to 48,420 as of 17:48 GMT. The broader S&P 500 gained 0.6%, or 42 points, to 6,877, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.5%, or 125 points, to 23,433.