CBOT wheat futures lower

Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures ended weaker on Friday as concerns over the spread of a new virus from China sparked broad-based selling, traders said. Technical selling and profit-taking added pressure to prices after the CBOT March contract hit its highest level in more than a year on Wednesday, traders said.

The US Department of Agriculture reported total export sales of US wheat in the week ended Jan. 16 were 741,900 tonnes, near the high end of trade estimates for 300,000 to 800,000 tonnes. Euronext wheat fell in step with the setback in CBOT prices.