Thursday Morning Quotes: Corn Futures Record Mixed Trading Session

Thursday morning brought fractional movements in corn futures, with near-term contracts showing modest declines while forward-month positions held relatively steady. The CmdtyView national average cash corn price nudged up ½ cent to $3.94 ½, reflecting a slightly firmer cash basis despite weakness in futures. Traders monitoring this Thursday morning quotes activity were focused on multiple data releases and upcoming market catalysts.

Ethanol Production and Weekly Dynamics

Data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released Thursday morning showed ethanol production for the week ending February 13 at 1.118 million barrels per day—a meaningful increase of 8,000 bpd from the previous week. This uptick in production suggests steady demand for corn-based biofuel. Weekly ethanol stocks also climbed, rising 341,000 barrels to reach 25.588 million barrels total. These figures provide important context for understanding recent corn market movements this Thursday morning.

USDA Outlook Signals Acreage Changes

The U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled its preliminary assessment for the 2026 corn balance sheet during Thursday morning’s Ag Outlook Forum. The USDA estimated corn acreage at 94 million acres—potentially 4.8 million acres lower than previous expectations if realized this spring. Corn production was projected to total 15.755 billion bushels, with trend yield pegged at 183 bushels per acre. These estimates came slightly below market consensus and could influence planting decisions in the months ahead.

Export Sales Outlook and Futures Contracts

Friday morning would bring critical Export Sales data, with traders anticipating corn sales between 0.6 and 2.2 million metric tons for the week ending February 12. The International Grains Council reported corn stocks unchanged at 305 million metric tons for 2025/26, though consumption rose 1 million metric tons, signaling consistent global demand.

Futures contracts closed with mixed results on Thursday morning quotes: March 26 Corn settled at $4.25 ¾, down 1 ¼ cents; Nearby Cash finished at $3.92 ½, also down 1 ¼ cents; May 26 Corn closed at $4.36 ¼, declining ½ cent; and July 26 Corn settled at $4.44 ½, down just ¼ cent. The pattern of smaller losses in deferred contracts suggested some underlying demand support for forward-month positions despite Thursday’s overall pressure.