European wheat futures rebounded on Friday from an eight-week low but gains were limited by strength in the euro and by technical pressure built up during a pullback this week. On the Paris futures market, benchmark March milling wheat was up 3.25 euros or 1.27 percent at 259.00 euros a tonne by 1615 GMT. Over the week, the contract was down 10.50 euros or almost 3.5 percent
Shortly before Thursday's close it fell to 255.25 euros, a level last seen on October 18, in an extension of a price drop triggered on Tuesday by larger-than-anticipated forecasts of US and world wheat stocks from the US government. The market was now challenging resistance at 259-260 euros, which had previously been a support zone. "We're recovering with buying interest after yesterday's slide," a futures dealer said. "But we're not rising that much with the euro-dollar rate at $1.31."
The euro was on track for its biggest weekly gains against the dollar in three weeks, making grain from euro-zone countries such as France and Germany more expensive in dollar-priced export markets. Chicago wheat futures also saw a bounce on Friday after hitting a five-month low a day earlier. Selling pressure created by the breaking of technical levels this week and caution ahead of the year-end holidays, which will keep many operators away, was countering bullish underlying fundamentals.
Weekly European Union data on Thursday confirmed brisk export demand, with the EU clearing the third-largest volume after a two-year high the previous week. French-based analyst Strategie Grain raised its forecast for EU soft wheat exports this season. French port data also illustrated export demand, with a heavy programme of loadings to major wheat importers like Algeria and Egypt.
"Everyone expects grain prices to rise in the first quarter of next year but for the moment we're lacking the catalyst," the dealer said. German wheat sellers raised premiums over Paris in the belief that the good export outlook meant west European prices should not be falling this week. Standard milling wheat for January delivery in Hamburg was offered for sale unchanged at 275 euros a tonne with buyers at around 273 euros.
"Sellers raised premiums to 16 euros a tonne over Paris on Friday against the already high levels of 14 euros over Paris on Thursday," one German trader said. "Even with its rise today Paris has not recovered its losses on Thursday." "There is the view among sellers that the sharp fall in Paris prices late on Thursday was not justified by European fundamental factors such as the large volume of EU wheat export licences," the trader said.
Jordan purchased 50,000 tonnes of wheat from optional origins on Tuesday in an international tender. The likely origin purchased was difficult to guess but traders said the wheat would definitely not be sourced from Russia or Ukraine. Continued demand and tight supplies kept German feed wheat around the same level or even above milling prices. Feed wheat for January-March delivery in the South Oldenburg market near the Netherlands was offered for sale down 1 euro at 278 euros a tonne, with buyers around 276 euros.
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