Corn Pops Rebound on Wednesday

Corn Futures Edge Up on Wednesday

On Wednesday, corn futures saw modest gains, with nearby contracts climbing by 2 to 3 cents. The national average cash price for corn, as reported by CmdtyView, increased by 2 ½ cents to reach $4.08 3/4.

Ethanol Production and Inventory Update

According to the latest EIA report, ethanol output for the week ending January 2 declined by 22,000 barrels per day from the previous week, settling at 1.098 million barrels per day. Despite this slowdown in production, ethanol inventories rose by 708,000 barrels, totaling 22.652 million barrels. This increase occurred even as exports dropped by 35,000 barrels per day to 113,000 barrels per day. A more significant factor was the decrease in ethanol used by refiners, which fell by 117,000 barrels per day to 771,000 barrels per day—a trend commonly seen during the holiday season.

Upcoming Reports and Market Expectations

Export sales figures are scheduled for release on Thursday. Market participants anticipate corn sales for the 2025/26 marketing year to fall between 0.7 and 1.5 million metric tons for the week of January 1. For the 2026/27 period, projections range from zero to 100,000 metric tons.

The USDA is set to publish several key reports on Monday. The Crop Production report is expected to indicate U.S. corn output at 16.553 billion bushels, with yields averaging 184 bushels per acre, according to a Bloomberg analyst survey.

Recent Corn Market Closings

• March 2026 Corn: Closed at $4.46 3/4, up 2 3/4 cents
• Nearby Cash Corn: Settled at $4.08 3/4, up 2 1/2 cents
• May 2026 Corn: Ended at $4.54, up 2 3/4 cents
• July 2026 Corn: Finished at $4.59 3/4, up 2 3/4 cents