Corn futures endured a weak start to Friday’s session but staged a notable recovery, pulling more than 8 cents off the lows in the front months to close fractionally mixed.
Some deferred contracts finished down as much as 1 and a quarter cents, reflecting uneven demand across the trading curve.
September corn still managed to post a gain of 19 and a half cents on the week, while December finished 20 cents higher over the same period.
The CmdtyView national average Cash Corn price edged up a quarter cent to settle at $4.34, signaling modest but present buyer interest at the close.
September 2026 corn closed at $4.64 and a quarter, up a quarter cent, while December 2026 corn closed at $4.87 and a half, unchanged on the session.
March 2027 corn settled at $5.03, also unchanged, with new crop cash prices landing at $4.38 and three quarters, up a quarter cent.
CFTC data released Friday afternoon showed managed money adding to their net long position in corn futures and options during the week of July 21, adding 49,518 contracts primarily through short covering.
The net long position stood at 92,909 contracts as of Tuesday, reflecting a meaningful buildup of bullish positioning among large speculators.
Export Sales data released Thursday showed total corn commitments at 86.613 million metric tons, representing 103% of the USDA export projection and running ahead of the 101% average from the prior three years.
Sales for new crop have now accumulated to 7.56 million metric tons, which is 12.5% ahead of the same period last year, underlining strong international appetite for American corn.
Looking ahead, the NOAA 7-day quantitative precipitation forecast shows less than 0.5 inches of rainfall across much of the Corn Belt over the coming week.
Ohio stands as a notable exception to the dry outlook, with spotty totals reaching up to an inch projected for parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota.
The combination of dryness concerns, robust export demand, and speculative buying continues to underpin corn prices as markets head into the final stretch of July.
