S&P 500 — US Large Cap Index
FTSE 100 — UK Blue Chips
Euro Stoxx 50 — Eurozone Leaders
DAX 40 — German Equities
CAC 40 — French Market Index
Nikkei 225 — Japan Benchmark
Hang Seng — Hong Kong Index
Shanghai Composite — China Mainland
ASX 200 — Australian Market
TSX Composite — Canada Index
Nifty 50 — India Large Cap
STI Index — Singapore Market
KOSPI — South Korea Index
Bovespa — Brazil Equities
JSE Top 40 — South Africa Index
IPC Index — Mexico Market
Wheat prices traded around $6.7 per bushel in mid-August, remaining at its highest level since July 24, as escalating tensions in the Black Sea continued to fuel concerns over global grain supplies. Russia rejected the prospect of a Black Sea ceasefire with Ukraine, saying it saw no basis for “half-measures” that would provide relief to its opponent. Russia and Ukraine have intensified attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea in recent weeks, disrupting trade flows and driving grain prices higher. Reflecting these risks, the US Department of Agriculture lowered its outlook for Russian and Ukrainian grain exports, cutting its forecast for Russia’s 2026/27 wheat exports to 46 million tonnes and Ukraine’s to 13.5 million tonnes. Additional support came from deteriorating crop conditions in the southern US Plains, where persistent dryness has raised concerns ahead of the planting season for the 2027 winter wheat crop, which is set to begin in roughly a month.
