Soybean contracts finished Wednesday's trading session with gains. Front-month contracts closed 3 to 7 ¼ cents higher, while some deferred contracts were steady to slightly lower. The January contract expired today. The national average cash price for soybeans, as reported by cmdtyView, increased by 4 cents to $9.70 1/2.
In related markets, Soymeal futures ended the day up 80 cents to $1.20. Soy Oil futures, however, closed down 2 to 22 points. Overnight, there were 47 deliveries issued against soybeans, with 7 for January bean oil.
On Wednesday morning, the USDA announced a private export sale of 334,000 metric tons of soybeans to China through its daily reporting system.
Market participants are now turning their attention to data scheduled for release on Thursday. The National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) will publish its December crush figures, with traders anticipating a total of 224.8 million bushels of soybeans processed.
Also on Thursday morning, the USDA's Export Sales report will be released. Analysts expect soybean sales for the week ending January 8 to be between 0.8 and 1.8 million metric tons. For soymeal, sales are projected between 150,000 and 400,000 metric tons, while bean oil sales are seen between 0 and 26,000 metric tons.
Separate data showed China imported 8.04 million metric tons of soybeans in December. This represents a 1.3% increase compared to imports in the same month last year.
Closing prices for key soybean contracts were reported. The January 2026 contract settled at $10.30 1/2, up 7 1/4 cents. The nearby cash price was $9.70 1/2, up 4 cents. The March 2026 contract closed at $10.42 1/2, up 3 3/4 cents. The May 2026 contract finished at $10.55, up 3 cents.