Welcome to Markets Desk, here's what's moving markets right now.
Crude oil is front and center after President Trump said the United States will hit Iran hard this week, sending Brent crude to its highest level in a month. The escalation in Washington-Tehran tensions is adding a meaningful geopolitical risk premium to energy markets, and traders are watching closely for any sign of military or sanctions action.
That crude spike is rippling through the agricultural complex as well. Soybeans held onto Monday's gains at the close, with the national average cash bean price up a nickel at eleven dollars and fifty and three-quarter cents. A private export sale of one hundred thirty-six thousand metric tons reported by the USDA added fundamental support, though soymeal futures gave back some ground on the session.
Cotton told a more complicated story, closing mixed as the crude rally and a firmer dollar index created offsetting pressures across contracts. With sixty percent of the domestic cotton crop now rated in Monday's Crop Progress report, traders are balancing supply-side signals against macro headwinds that crude volatility tends to introduce into input and export cost calculations.
That's the tape. Markets Desk, signing off the floor.
