Soybean futures extended to fresh highs on Thursday, with nearby contracts settling 1 1/4 to 5 cents higher while some deferred months were fractionally lower to 4 cents lower. The cmdtyView national average cash bean price rose 4 3/4 cents to $12.04. USDA reported a private export sale of 126,000 metric tons of soybeans to unknown destinations for the 2026/27 marketing year. Weekly export sales data showed soybean bookings of 56,351 metric tons for the week ending July 16, the third lowest of the marketing year, while forward sales for 2026/27 reached 1.537 million metric tons, the second largest on record and nearly triple the same week last year. China was the top buyer of those forward sales at 1.006 million metric tons. Soymeal futures were 40 cents to $1.70 lower, but meal export sales totaled 591,179 metric tons, exceeding trade estimates. Rabobank estimated the 2026/27 Brazilian soybean crop at 178 million metric tons, down 4 million from the prior year.