Lean hog futures settle higher amid a firmer-than-expected cash market. February lean hogs finished up 115 at 84.50 while April edged up 10 to 91.65.
Cattle futures Friday settled mostly lower amid predictions for coming price weakness in beef markets. February live cattle closed at $108, up 5, March feeder cattle were down 50 at $125.
U.S. wheat futures stumbled Friday as concerns increased that escalating political unrest would disrupt grain shipments to Egypt, the world's top importer of the grain. March wheat in Chicago dropped 5 1/4 to $8.53, March wheat in KC dropped 6 1/4 to $9.42, and MGE March wheat lost 10 to $9.88.
U.S. corn futures surged to fresh 30-month highs Friday on late buying linked to growing concerns about supplies and projections for strong Chinese demand. March Corn climbed 16 to $6.78.
US soybean futures finished mixed as profit-taking pressured nearby contracts, Soy product futures mixed. March soybeans were down 2 at $14.33, March soy oil ended up 20 at 58.98, and March soy meal traded down $3.20 to $383.20.
Cotton futures finished the week lower on a technical key reversal. March cotton fell limit down to $1.67, the May contract also fell the daily limit to $1.63.
Gold prices fell slightly Friday as a mixed U.S. jobs report and continued unease about turmoil in Egypt did little to spur new refuge demand for the precious metal. April gold fell $4 to $1,349 an ounce.
Crude-oil prices tumbled Friday as traders attempted to get ahead of any shift in sentiment that would accompany a change in Egypt's leadership. March crude fell $1.51 to $89.03 a barrel, March gasoline fell 6.81 cents to $2.43 a gallon, and March distillates fell 5.07 cents to $2.71 a gallon.
Natural gas futures settled slightly lower Friday as traders discounted nasty winter weather across much of the U.S. against continued forecasts of warm weather returning by mid-February. March Natural gas dropped 2.7 cents to $4.31.
The Dow advanced for the fifth day in a row and the Nasdaq landed at its best level since November 2007 despite disappointing jobs data. The Dow gained 29 to finish the week at 12,092, the Nasdaq closed at 2,769, up 15, and the S&P 500 gained 3 ¾ to close at 1,310
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