Ethanol Market and Pricing Data – April 30, 2019

Ethanol, Fuels and Co-Product Pricing

Market Outlook: U.S. ethanol prices ended last week up 0.5 percent but are down (-1.3 percent) in early week trading. Midwest wholesale rack ethanol prices were down 1 percent to end last week; they are up this week at 38.68 cents/liter (146.43 cents/gallon) through Tuesday’s trading.

FOB Houston ethanol prices finished last week up 0.4 percent; prices are down 0.4 percent through Tuesday’s trading from Friday’s close. FOB Houston ethanol prices are quoted at 37.95 cents/liter (143.71 cents/gallon). FOB Santos, Brazil ethanol prices ended last week down 4.5 percent; they continue down 4.9 percent from Friday’s close and stand at 51.50 cents/liter (194.98) cents/gallon) through Tuesday’s trading.

The FOB Gulf-Santos, Brazil spread narrowed significantly from last week’s close through Tuesday’s trading and is currently at -13.54 cents/liter (-51.26 cents/gallon).

MTBE prices were up to end last week; they are down 1.7 percent to start this week. MTBE’s premium to FOB Houston ethanol narrowed from last week and now stands at 17.75 cents/liter (67.23 cents/gallon).

BTX component prices were up across the board to end last week and are mostly up through Tuesday’s trading: while Benzene is unchanged, Toluene is up 0.6 percent and Xylene is up 0.7 percent. The estimated weighted average aromatic price is currently 72.56 cents/liter (274.69 cents/gallon), up slightly from last Friday’s close. The BTX-Houston ethanol spread widened from last week; the weighted average BTX price is now 34.60 cents/liter (130.97 cents/gallon) higher than the FOB Houston ethanol price.

Gasoline and petroleum products were mostly down to end last week but are back up through early-week trading. In terms of RBOB futures, 84 (Houston) and 87 (U.S. Gulf) octane gasoline prices are up 1.3 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively. WTI futures are up 0.9 percent to $63.84/barrel and Brent futures are up 0.8 percent to $72.23/barrel, from Friday’s close through Tuesday’s trading.

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