Corn futures advanced to Thursday’s close, up between 4 ¼ and 8 ½ cents during the session. The CmdtyView national average cash corn price ended the day at $3.87, a rise of 8 ¾ cents.
Seasonal forecasts indicate that precipitation in the first week of July will remain limited across portions of Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, the southern parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, and the northern Corn Belt. The NOAA 7‑day QPF projects 1 to 3 inches of rain in much of the Eastern Corn Belt, while the CPC’s 8‑to‑14‑day outlook shows warmer‑than‑average temperatures nationwide with drier‑than‑normal precipitation expected for the region.
USDA’s Export Sales report, released this morning, shows old crop sales of 743,097 MT in the week ending June 18, the lowest figure in six weeks but still slightly above last year’s level. Mexico remains the leading buyer with 307,300 MT, followed by Japan (161,700 MT) and Colombia (98,400 MT). New crop sales reached 735,862 MT, more than double the same week a year earlier, with Mexico purchasing 295,500 MT and Japan 250,000 MT. Total accumulated sales for the 2026/27 marketing year now total 5.379 MMT, an increase of 49.7 % year over year.
Agroconsult raised its 2025/26 Brazilian corn estimate by 3.6 MMT to 144.1 MMT, while the second‑crop estimate increased by 3.7 MMT to 115.8 MMT.
The International Grains Council reported that global corn output for 2026/27 will climb 10 MMT, with utilization up by 9 MMT. World corn stocks were adjusted upward by 7 MMT to 298 MMT, extending the increase seen in 2025/26.
Key price updates for the week: Corn closed at $4.1475 on July 26, up 7 ¾ cents; nearby cash traded at $3.87, up 8 ¾ cents; September corn closed at $4.2425, up 8 ½ cents; December corn closed at $4.4300, up 8 ¼ cents; new‑crop cash stood at $3.9975, up 8 ½ cents.