DTN Early Word Grains 12/31 05:59

DTN Early Word Grains 12/31 05:59 The Countdown Begins March corn was 1/4 cent higher, March soybeans were 3/4 cent higher, and March Chicago wheat was 1/2 cent higher. By Darin Newsom DTN Senior Analyst 6:00 a.m. CME Globex: March corn was 1/4 cent higher, March soybeans were 3/4 cent higher, and March Chicago wheat was 1/2 cent higher. CME Globex Recap: Grain markets have started the countdown marking the last trading hours of 2015. Through Wednesday night cash corn is down 8% for the year, cash soybeans lost 15%, and cash SRW wheat fell 26%. Overnight trade saw all three futures markets fractionally higher in quiet trade. The U.S. dollar index continues to gain ground, posting a modest rally through early Thursday morning. OUTSIDE MARKETS: The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 117.11 points lower Wednesday at 17,603.87. The NASDAQ Composite was down 42.09 points at 5,065.85. DJIA futures were 13 points higher overnight. Overseas markets, both Asian and European, were mixed with many exchanges closed for holiday. The U.S. dollar index was up 0.074 at 98.340. Crude oil was $0.15 higher at $36.75 while Brent crude was $0.22 higher at $36.68. February gold was $1.80 higher at $1,061.60. Dalian soybean futures and Malaysian palm oil futures were both lower.