Expected earnings reports and the whisper number impact for Wednesday, August 1st: Green Mountain Coffee (GMCR): The whisper number is $0.54, four cents ahead of the analysts' estimate.

What a day, with so many heavy hitting data points reaching the wire. The headliner is the Federal Reserve's FOMC Monetary Policy Statement, scheduled for 2:15 PM EDT release.

Draught Update: After The Corn Rally, Its Soybeans Turn Now. August 1, 2012 by: Qineqt | includes: ACE, CF, CORN, DBA, ENH, JJG, MOS, POT, RE, RNF, TNH, UAN.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) is poised to start August on a positive note, with futures on the blue-chip barometer nearly 40 points higher ahead of the bell.

By Michael Kahn. Editor's note: With the Olympic Games in full swing, Trading Strategies awards gold medals for some terrific picks over the last year.

By Matt Doiron. The largest corn processor in the world, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), disappointed the Street this morning by reporting earnings per share of 43 cents (38 cents when an inventory credit was excluded).

The Basic Materials sector (XLB) held steady on a trading day that saw S&P 500 drop 0.7%. The ETF, as a proxy for the sector, tracked closer to the overall market today than over the past month.

Market Recap: The market continues to wait for something to happen from Europe or the Fed this week, and while it waits, we continue to see some weakness in the marketplace.

In case you have been living in a closet for the past two months, I'll go ahead and let you know that commodities such as corn, wheat, and soybeans have been skyrocketing lately as a result of drought conditions in the Midwest.

Compass Minerals International (NYSE: CMP ) reported earnings on July 30. Here are the numbers you need to know. The 10-second takeaway.