Biofuels Stock and Financial Outlook for October 8: Stocks expected to open flat in holiday trading; palm oil prices climbing down from summer high

With US markets affected by the Columbus Day holiday, stocks are expected to open flat after light trading in futures produced no major price movements. Major indices were down less than 0.1 percent in futures trading.

In the biofuels sector, a report released by TransGraph predicted a 4.7 percent drop in palm oil futures prices as strong production in India offsets rising demand from biodiesel producers. The rise in palm oil prices earlier this year had caused a slowdown in global biodiesel plant construction and production levels.

On Friday, the Biofuels Digest Index, a basket of public biofuels stocks, rose 0.95% to close at 98.26. VeraSun was up 5.53% to $11.26 as investor sentiment continued to turn around for the pure-play ethanol company. Among other pure-plays, Aventine Renewables (AVR) was up 1.73% to $10.02 while Pacific Ethanol fell 2.04% to $9.11.

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