** Shares of grain and fertilizer stocks rise on Fri, defying market trend as geopolitical tensions escalate
** Soybeans edged up and wheat futures bounced off a recent low on back of soaring crude prices after Israel conducted strikes on Iran GRA/
** Fertilizer firms CF Industries CF.N up ~5% and Mosaic MOS.N up 3%
** Grains traders Bunge BG.N and Archer-Daniels-Midland ADM.N up 5.4% and 3.7%, respectively
** CF and BG among top performers in S&P 500 .SPX, which is down about 0.8% .N
** ADM, a major U.S. soybean crusher and biofuel producer, slashed bids for soybeans this week ahead of an expected Trump administration announcement on biofuel blending requirements, a primary driver of demand for soybean oil
(Lance Tupper is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)
((lance.tupper@tr.com 1-646-279-6380))
Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.