Crude palm oil futures on Malaysia’s derivatives exchange ended sharply higher Thursday as bullish supply fundamentals prompted a rush to cover short positions.
Bullish statements by top oilseed analyst Thomas Mielke ahead of a palm oil conference also sent prices higher towards the end of the trading day, trade participants said.
The benchmark May contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives ended MYR39 higher at MYR2,674 a metric ton, after rising as much as 2% to an intraday high of MYR2,686/ton, its highest level since Jan. 6.
"CPO futures may rise higher tomorrow after breaching key resistance at MYR2,660 today…Expect prices to rise to the MYR2,700/ton level," a senior executive from Kuala Lumpur-based commodities brokerage said.
CPO output in Malaysia may rise only 1.1% to 17.8 million tons in 2010, Mielke told Dow Jones Newswires. The forecast is lower than the government forecast of 18.1 million tons. Many traders said the data helped support, if not increase prices.
Mielke also said that soymeal and soybean prices may come under pressure as more soybeans are crushed in the March-August period.
"But soyoil prices will need to rise to finance a larger share of the crushing value. Soyoil's portion of the combined soymeal production is expected to appreciate to 50% or more from the current 42%," Mielke said.
In the cash market, palm olein for March was traded at $810/ton, and July/August/September at $800-$810/ton, said a Singapore-based broker.
Cash CPO for prompt shipment was offered MYR40 higher at MYR2,685/ton.
Open interest on the BMD was 80,556 lots Thursday, up from 80,375 lots Wednesday. One lot is equivalent to 25 tons.
A total of 16,754 lots of CPO were traded versus 9,242 lots Wednesday.
Closing BMD Crude Palm Oil (CPO) futures prices in MYR/ton at 1000 GMT: Month Close Previous Change High Low Mar 2010 2,680 2,644 Up 36 2,685 2,629 Apr 2010 2,681 2,643 Up 38 2,692 2,630 May 2010 2,674 2,635 Up 39 2,686 2,622 Jun 2010 2,662 2,620 Up 42 2,670 2,587
-By Shie-Lynn Lim, Dow Jones Newswires; +603 2026 1233; shie-lynn.lim@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 04, 2010 06:16 ET (11:16 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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