US lean hog futures settled mixed in seesaw trade amid widespread commodity losses. May lean hogs closed down 32 at 91.32; the July contract gained 7 to 91.62.
U.S. livestock futures were mixed Thursday, with cattle futures extending their slump on disappointing demand and selling triggered by prices sliding to a five-month low. June Live cattle dropped 1 to $104, May feeders, dropped 1 to $125
US wheat futures finished mostly higher on concerns about poor weather threatening output. Rains are delaying planting of spring wheat in the northern US Plains and drought is reducing the winter-wheat harvest in the southern Plains. July wheat in Chicago fell 5 to $8.12; July wheat in KC jumped 6 3/4 to $9.44; and MGE July wheat rose 10 to $10.06.
US corn futures finished lower as traders took profits after prices climbed 15% in a week on concerns about threatening weather. July corn slipped 1 1/2 to $7.48.
US soybean futures finished little changed as market participants face uncertain demand, soy-product futures finished slightly higher, extending recent gains on supply concerns. July soybeans closed flat at $13.79, July bean meal gained 40 to $361.40, and July Soy oil touched a 2 1/2-week high, closing up 16 at 57.46.
ICE cotton futures hit a three-week high before plunging after the USDA reported the eighth consecutive week of cancellations of US cotton exports, a sign that demand continues to wane for the fiber at these levels. The move, however, was exaggerated by a generalized sell-off of commodities as crude oil prices dropped. July cotton fell 4.21 $1.55, and the December contract dropped 3.79 to close at $1.32.
A stronger U.S. employment picture weighed on gold prices, with silver losing steam to end in negative territory as traders remain jittery after the metal's steep losses earlier this month. June gold ended down $3.40 at $1,492.40 an ounce, July Silver 16.5 cents, to $34.932.
Oil futures sank Thursday after a series of economic reports raised concerns about weakening crude demand. June crude dropped $1.66 to $98.44 a barrel, June gasoline dropped 2.95 cents to $2.92 a gallon, and June distillates fell 1.12 cents to $2.89 a gallon.
Natural-gas futures slid to their lowest levels in almost six weeks Thursday after the largest weekly U.S. inventory build so far this year added pressure to the well-supplied market. June Natural gas plunged 10.4 cents to $4.09.
Professional Social networking site LinkedIn's IPO Thursday was reminiscent of deals in the late 1990s when anything connected to the Internet generated huge -- and often unwarranted -- demand among investors, helping Wall Street into positive territory for the second day. The Dow gained 45 to close at 12,605, the Nasdaq closed at 2,823, up 8 1/3 and the S&P 500 gained almost 3 to close at 1,343.
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