Senate probe finds excessive speculation in wheat markets

A story by Reuters about a U.S. Senate report finding excessive speculation in wheat markets:

Commodity index traders had snapped up more than 200,000 wheat contracts by mid-2008 that helped fuel last year’s record jump in prices, which ended up raising costs for both industry and consumers, according to a  year-long bipartisan Senate probe.

The report found large wheat purchases on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange pushed up futures prices, disrupted convergence between futures and cash prices and increased costs for farmers, the grain industry and consumers. READ HERE.

And for those diehard fans of Commodify Me! who are also interested to see what impact speculation and the ensuing speculative bubble had on oil prices in 2008, then please read the transcript of a 60 Minutes story on CBS :  Did Speculation Fuel Oil Price Swings?