The Latest: September - 2025
No Bulls to Be Found on LaSalle Street
There were no bulls to be found on LaSalle Street this week. The bears roamed freely, showing no fear of an overcorrection even as parts of the dairy complex scored multi-year lows. Red ink poured into the cheese and milk powder trade and deluged the butter market. CME spot butter plummeted to $1.86 per pound, down 16.25ȼ in just five trading sessions. Spot butter is down more than 40% from the mid-summer high, languishing at its lowest level since October 2021, nearly four years ago. The weakness carried across the futures board, with May through October 2026 contracts dropping 10ȼ or more on Friday.
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Nearly every product lost ground at the CME as market participants challenged the high product prices seen in recent weeks. However, the butter markets really stole the show.
View reportAt the Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction on Tuesday, the GDT Index jumped 4.6% to its highest price since March 2014, led by a 5.6% increase in the price of whole milk powder (WMP). GDT butter and cheese both scored all-time highs, while SMP climbed to prices not seen in nearly eight years.
View reportMarkets are swinging wildly from heart-stopping highs to stomach-churning lows and back again. But unlike thrill rides, the dairy markets are breaking new ground.
View reportPrices are high and extremely volatile as the trade assesses how long global milk output will remain depressed and whether demand will hold firm despite the rising cost of dairy.
View reportThe dairy markets are full of Christmas cheer for producers, while dairy buyers are grunting “Bah! Humbug,” into their egg nog. The milkfat market is especially festive and the whey market just keeps climbing.
View reportLower milk production abroad will make more room for U.S. dairy product exports, even if the global appetite for dairy products fades modestly.
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