DTN Early Word Grains 01/31 06:01

DTN Early Word Grains 01/31 06:01 Grains Mixed as Volatile Weak Nears an End March corn is up 1/4 cent per bushel, March soybeans are down 1/4 cent, and March KC wheat is down 2 1/2 cents. By Tregg Cronin DTN Contributing Analyst 6:00 a.m. CME Globex: March corn is up 1/4 cent per bushel, March soybeans are down 1/4 cent, and March KC wheat is down 2 1/2 cents. CME Globex Recap: Equities are soft on the final trading session of the week as investors grapple with the latest coronavirus news but also weak economic data out of the European Union. Overnight, France said economic growth in the final quarter of 2019 contracted by 0.1% vs. expectations for growth of 0.2%. The disruptions to ports, railways and fuel distribution caused by labor protests are a root cause according to the French finance minister. In total, France grew by 1.2% in 2019, down from 1.7% in 2018 as growth in the EU remains much more uncertain than in the U.S. At the overnight open, gains were seen across the board in ag markets, but winter wheat contracts and beans have slipped to losses while gains have been pared in other markets. Getting out of this week alive will be marked as a victory considering the macroeconomic headwinds hitting every asset class around the globe. A couple-day reset over the weekend so traders can refocus on fundamentals will be a welcome sight. OUTSIDE MARKETS: Previous closes on Thursday showed the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 124.99 at 28,859.44 and the S&P 500 up 10.26 at 3,273.40 while the 10-Year Treasury yield ended at 1.558%. Early Friday, the March DJIA futures are down 201 points. Asian markets are mixed with Japan's Nikkei 225 up 227.43 (0.99%) and China's Shanghai Composite remains closed. European markets are lower with London's FTSE 100 down 51.63 points (-0.7%), Germany's DAX down 20.74 points (-0.16%) and France's CAC 40 down 20.41 points (-0.35%). The March Euro is down 0.001 at 1.110 and the March U.S. dollar index is up 0.034 at 97.740. The March 30-Year T-Bond is up 4/32nds, while February gold is down $3.50 at $1,580.00 and March crude oil is up $0.11 at $52.25. The Dalian Commodity Exchange remains closed.