Soybeans recovered from earlier sharp weakness on Friday to close the initial 2026 session with contracts down slightly—falling just a penny to 3 cents. However, March contracts were down 26 ¾ cents for the week.
The cmdtyView national average Cash Bean price rose by 6 ¼ cents, reaching $9.70. Meanwhile, soymeal futures declined between $2.30 and $4.10 per ton, with March contracts down $11.40. In contrast, Soy Oil futures gained between 61 and 80 points on the day, with March settling up 8 points for the week.
Looking ahead, Export Sales data will be released Monday morning for the week ending December 25. Analysts expect 0.7 to 1.8 million metric tons (MMT) of 2025/26 soybean bookings and 0 to 150,000 MT for 2026/27. Meal sales are projected between 150,000 and 500,000 MT, while bean oil sales are expected to be between 0 and 20,000 MT.
November crush data was updated this afternoon by NASS, showing a total of 220.48 million bushels (mbu) of soybeans crushed during the month. This figure fell short of estimates and was down 6.7% from the previous month, but remains 4.98% larger compared to the same period last year.
For the first quarter of the 2025/26 marketing year, soybean crush totaled 661.74 mbu—up 49.5 mbu versus last year. The USDA projects a full marketing year increase of 110 mbu year-over-year.
Soybean oil stocks as of November 30 were reported at 2.16 billion pounds, exceeding estimates and marking a 33.72% increase compared to last year.
In other news, the USDA released payment details for the Farm Bridge Assistance program on Wednesday, announcing that soybeans will receive a payment of $30.88 per acre.
Closing prices for January 2026 contracts were $10.29 ½, down 1 cent. Nearby cash soybeans were priced at $9.70, up 6 ¼ cents. March 2026 soybeans closed at $10.45 ¾, down 1 ¾ cents, while May 2026 contracts finished at $10.58 ½, down 2 ½ cents.
*Disclaimer:* On the date of publication, Austin Schroeder did not have positions directly or indirectly in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information provided is for informational purposes only. For further details, please view the [Barchart Disclosure Policy](https://www.barchart.com/disclosure). The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/soybeans-close-lower-initiate-2026-trade
