** 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))