CME soybean futures ended the session at $12.20, marginally up as speculative buying outpaced weak domestic crush data. Commodity fund flows into agricultural contracts increased, reflecting broader softs market optimism amid inflation hedging strategies. Soybean futures, traded on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) through CME Group, are standardized contracts that allow buyers and sellers to agree on a price for soybeans to be delivered on a future date (e.g., November 2025 futures). The CME Soybean Oilshare Index calculation establishes common units between Soybean Oil futures, which are quoted in pounds, and Soybean Meal futures, which are quoted in short tons. Soybean Oilshare represents the relative value of soybean oil in the revenue of crushing one bushel of soybeans. The higher the CME Soybean Oilshare Index, the higher the relative value of Soybean Oil to Soybean Meal futures. Conversely, if Soybean Meal futures increase in price while Soybean Oil futures do not, the CME Soybean Oilshare Index would fall. CME soybean futures settled at $12.08 after choppy intraday movement. Global macro factors, including crude oil price shifts, influenced grain complex sentiment. Spread traders adjusted positions between soybeans and corn amid shifting acreage reports.
