Softs

Lack of Demand During Pandemic Continues to Lead Cocoa Trade

Posted 06/04/2020 3:59PM CTPeter Mooses

Economically, the world is in an overall slowdown. People aren’t spending money on non-essential items for the most part, weighing on chocolate sales. The demand of cocoa is down, if consumers aren’t spending money on chocolate due to covid-19 restrictions, this will only pull cocoa prices lower than before the pandemic when demand was already a concern. Supply concerns continue to provide support though, mainly due to output concerns and bearish weather patterns.

The equity markets have rallied, but commodities haven’t followed, especially in the softs. With so many uncertainties remaining and lack of economic growth which is needed for people to feel comfortable to start spending money on luxuries and not just on necessities, cocoa futures could stay in the 2350-2500 range for the summer months. If another wave of coronavirus occurs globally, look for commodities like cocoa to take another hit lower – prices we saw in March will be tested.

Cocoa Jul ’20 Daily Chart

Peter Mooses

Follow Peter on Twitter @PMoosesRJO. Peter's interest in trading began during a college internship with Bunge North America on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade, where he assisted commodities traders and performed market research and analysis. Upon earning a B.A. in economics from the University of Iowa, Peter served as an analyst, transaction manager and team lead in the Global Trust Divisions for LaSalle Bank and Bank of America, where he managed transaction activity in multi-million dollar client fixed income and asset-backed securities portfolios. After years in the banking industry, it became apparent that Peter's real passion lies in futures trading. He joined RJO Futures because he enjoys the analytical aspects of futures trading and appreciates the economic impact that commodities have across all markets. Peter believes in utilizing market analysis and trends to help clients achieve balance between risk and return, while always keeping their investment objectives top of mind.