Softs: Cocoa dips as traders digest demand figures, Barry Callebaut results

Barry Callebaut AG

16/04/2026 13:20

LONDON, April 16 (Reuters) - Cocoa futures dipped on Thursday, having hit a two-month high in the prior session, as traders digested mixed figures on first quarter demand and poor results from Barry Callebaut, the world's top chocolate maker and cocoa processor.

Raw sugar futures recovered after hitting their lowest price in more than five years on Wednesday.

COCOA

* London cocoa LCCc2 fell 0.9% to 2,563 pounds a metric ton at 1206 GMT.

* Barry Callebaut BARN.S slashed its full-year operating profit forecast earlier, citing supply chain disruptions linked to the Iran war and overcapacity in the cocoa market.

* The Swiss group said its sales volume fell 6.9% in the first half, but it sees a return to volume growth ahead which should bring its full year decline down to between 1%-3%.

* Europe's first quarter cocoa grind, a measure of demand, fell 7.8% from, data showed, while Asia's first quarter grind rose 5.2%. The north America grind is due later this session.

* Dealers said the Europe data was worse than expected/

* New York cocoa CCc2 fell 0.4% to $3,548 a ton.

SUGAR

* Raw sugar SBc1 rose 1.3% to 13.67 cents per lb, having hit the lowest price since October 2020 on Wednesday.

* White sugar LSUc1 rose 0.7% to $415.10.

* The front-month white sugar contract expired on Wednesday with a record of nearly half a million tons delivered.

* "(There was) one receiver (of the sugar) and five deliverers, reinforcing the perception of ample product availability (and) weakened physical demand," said broker StoneX.

* "Given this, it is plausible that speculative funds are (expanding their) net short positions, exerting additional pressure on the market."

COFFEE

* Robusta coffee LRCc2 fell 1.2% to $3,353 a ton, though it remains some way off last week's 8-month low.

* "Activity stayed tepid (this week) as farmers are not selling, although demand still exists after prices have come down significantly," said a robusta trader in top producer Vietnam.

* Arabica coffee KCc2 rose 3.2% to $2.8870 per lb.

* Dealers said while the market continues to expect a hefty surplus next season, there is an increasing risk that the El Nino weather phenomenon will hurt output and cut the eventual supply excess.

 (Reporting by May Angel; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)

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