Commodity Compass – 12/12 - The Dollar Weakens and Farmers Receive a Bailout

This week’s commodity price action was dominated by central-bank policy and government intervention headlines, starting with the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut rates and resume short-dated Treasury purchases, which markets interpreted as a renewed liquidity backstop. That move initially supported precious metals and energy, but also reinforced concerns that economic momentum is slowing faster than expected. Equity markets turned volatile as investors debated whether the Fed’s actions were pre-emptive easing or a response to deeper stress, triggering broad de-risking that weighed on industrial commodities. The U.S. dollar softened early in the week before stabilizing, creating choppy cross-currents across metals and energy. Adding to the macro mix, the White House floated a new farmer bailout proposal, aimed at offsetting lower crop prices and export uncertainty, which briefly supported some ag sentiment while underscoring stress in the rural economy.