Hogs Toss Confetti
With some markets closing
early and others not even opening, there was light volume in many of the futures
markets on the last trading day of 2001.
BROADER MARKET INDEX FUTURES
March S&P 500 Futures
(
SPH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) closed
out the year at 1149.20, down 10.00. The March Dow Jones futures
(
DJH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating)
closed at 9970.00, down 140.00, while the March Nasdaq Index futures
(
NDH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating)
were unchanged at 1583.50. The March E-mini S&P 500
(
ESH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) lost
17.00 to end at 1142.25.
FINANCIALS
March 30-Year T-Bonds
(
USH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating)
was up 1’00 to 101’17. The March 10-Year T-Note
(
TYH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) closed
up 195 to 105’045, and the March 5-Year T-Note
(
FVH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) ended at 105’265
up 165.
CURRENCIES
Europe’s
50-year-old experiment with economic integration takes a giant leap forward
tonight when 12 of its nations abandon their currencies — some of them dating
back centuries — and replace them with one, the euro. By
creating a unified market and eliminating currency risk, a dozen European
countries hope to become more competitive and encourage trade, travel and
investment. They are embarking on their grand experiment as economic growth is
expected to slow to the weakest pace since 1993, particularly in France and
Germany, the driving forces behind the single currency. The
March euro
(
FXH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating)
closed up .0100 to .8878. The
March US dollar index
(
DXH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) finished lower at 117.21, down 0.61.
The March British pound [BPH2|BPH2] closed up 0.0048 to 1.4486. The
March Japanese yen
(
JYH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) gave back Friday’s gains. It was down
.00027 to .007629. The March Swiss franc
(
SFH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) closed up
.00480 to .60200, and the March Australian dollar
(
ADH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) lost
.00060 to end at .50740.
PRECIOUS METALS
COMEX March silver rebounded from
early lows below $4.50 per ounce to rally above the $4.60 level and to two-month
highs Monday. Pre-placed automatic buy orders were triggered in the $4.56, $4.58
and $4.60 regions to generate further upside momentum, before light dealer
selling late in the day around $4.63 calmed things down at the close. March
Silver
(
SIH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) closed at 4.588, up 0.09. Feb Gold
(
GCG2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) advanced
2.2 to close at 279.0. Jan High Grade Copper
(
HGF2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating), after
forming a head-and-shoulders pattern (bearish), broke below its neckline to
close down 0.0180 at .6530. April Platinum
(
PLJ2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) added 5.0 to
continue its climb to new highs at 485.0.
GRAINS
Trades of just 100 lots were
capable of moving the Chicago Board of Trade wheat market Monday. Lacking
fundamental influences and facing an early 12:00 p.m. CT holiday closure, the
wheat market suffered mainly from a shortage of activity. March Wheat
(
WH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) was
down 1.25 to 289.00. March Corn
(
CH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) closed down at 209, a .75
loss. March Oats
(
OH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) moved up 3.50 to 195.75. March Soybeans
(
SH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) dropped
3.50 to 422.25. Soymeal
sales were 238 t.t., up 68% over the week prior
and 61% over a weak four-week average. March
Soybean Meal
(
SMH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) lost 0.9, down to 143.8. Soy
oil was equally as robust at 34 t.t., up 65% over the week prior and the second
highest number this year. March Soybean Oil
(
BOH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) closed
up .06 to 15.47.
SOFTS
March Cotton #2 [CTH2|CTH2],
March Orange Juice [JOH2|JOH2], March Coffee
(
KCH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating), March
Cocoa
(
CCH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) and March Sugar #11
(
SBH2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) were
all closed today due to the New Year’s holiday. Trading will resume on Jan. 2,
2002. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange lumber
futures ended
sharply lower Monday. Jan lumber
(
LBF2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating)
lost 3.5% of its value. At one point, Jan was
down the daily limit of $10.00 per 1,000 board feet, but rallied slightly near
the close to finish down 8.90 at 245.10.
MEATS
Feb Live Cattle
(
LCG2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) ended
the session at 70.70, down .15. After the annual ritual of tossing confetti at
the closing bell, Feb hogs
(
LHG2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) ended the session up 1.3% at
$57.05 per hundredweight after hitting a five-month high. Feb Pork Bellies
(
PBG2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) closed
up .075 to 81.42, and Jan Feeder Cattle
(
FCF2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) ended the session at
86.025, up 0.025.
ENERGIES
Energy contracts were all lower
today. Feb Crude Oil
(
CLG2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) was down .57 to 19.84. Feb Unleaded Gas
(
HUG2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) ended
the session down .0124 to 5759. Feb Heating Oil
(
HOG2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) dropped
.0172 to close at .5533, and Feb Natural Gas
(
NGG2 |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) lost 0.204 to
close at 2.570.