Grain futures mixed Monday

Grain futures were mixed in the last trading session of 2012 with unresolved "fiscal cliff" talks in Washington casting a shadow over commodity markets. On the Chicago Board of Trade, corn was unchanged to up 4 1/4, soybeans were off 5 1/4 to off 12, wheat off 3/4 to off 1 1/4 and oats were off 1 3/4 to up 1/4. Corn futures rose slightly with demand considered sluggish but ethanol figures released Friday considered supportive. Wheat prices closed down with export inspections for the week about half of the previous week, coming in at 7.8 million bushels compared with 15.1 million in the previous report. Soybean futures dropped on profit-taking sales but finding support from a sale of 140,000 metric tons announced early Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The prices: Corn: Mar 6.98 1/4 up 4 1/4, May 7.00 1/4 up 3 1/2, Jly 6.97 1/4 up 2 1/2, Sep 6.21 1/4 unchanged. Soybeans: Jan 14.18 3/4 off 5 1/4, Mar 14.09 1/2 off 8 1/2, May 13.99 1/4 off 10 1/4, Jly 13.95 1/4 off 12. Wheat: Mar 7.78 off 3/4, May 7.87 3/4 off 3/4, Jly 7.93 3/4 off 1 1/4, Sep 8.07 off 1. Oats: Mar 3.47 1/2 off 1 1/2, May 3.54 1/2 off 1 3/4, Jly 3.57 1/4 up 1/4, Sep 3.51 1/4 up 1/4.