Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTJim WyckoffMon, June 29, 2026 at 9:00 PM GMT+2 5 min readCorn with green husk via Say-Cheese via iStockGrain markets bulls are still on the ropes ahead of two big upcoming events that make up what is arguably the most important two-week trading stretch of the year. First comes Tuesday's USDA planted acreage and quarterly grain stocks reports, which combined make one of the biggest USDA data releases of the year for the grains. Second, the calendar turns to July late this week, quickly followed by the U.S. Independence Day holiday. History shows that grain trading in the few days following the Fourth of July holiday can be pivotal and volatile, including potentially accelerating or reversing existing price trends. December corn (ZCZ26) on Friday fell 1 1/2 cents to $4.41 1/2 and for the week was down 2 1/2 cents. The beleaguered corn market bulls at least showed somewhat of a pulse late last week, despite Friday's mild losses. Last Thursday's technically bullish key reversal up on the daily bar chart in December corn is one clue that a market bottom is in place. Still, very good growing conditions over most of the Corn Belt will likely limit gains in the near term. However, corn traders are closely monitoring a heat dome that is presently enveloping the eastern Midwest right during the beginning of the key pollination stage for much of the U.S. corn crop. As of late Sunday, weather forecasters were predicting the heat dome would not last more than a few days. However, veteran grain traders know that weather patterns in the U.S. Midwest in the summertime can and do change rapidly.More News from BarchartArabica Coffee Prices Jump as Heavy Rains Delay Brazil Coffee HarvestCocoa Prices Pressured by Larger Global SuppliesDelayed Brazil Coffee Harvest Lifts Arabica Prices