PPI inflation and retail sales for August could show signs of encouragement, thanks to falling commodity prices and back-to-school demand. Although a welcome relief from the deluge of grim headlines, we’re looking at short-term relief from long-term problems, says Christian Hill at Investor’s Daily Edge

Commodities have been tumbling for more than one month. Energy, metals and agricultural products have dropped by double-digit percentages. This means there are potential technical rebounds on their way and opportunities to take profit for more or less short-term corrections, says Gabriel Andre in The Daily Reckoning Australia. Corn may be one of those opportunities.

There has been a lot of talk lately about food stocks. Spam-maker Hormel (NYSE:HRL) and egg producer Cal-Maine (CALM) are two downturn picks we’ve published in recent days. Even in a recession, the logic goes, people still have to eat.

Today, The Sovereign Society’s Investment Director, Eric Roseman, says France’s Groupe Danone (EPA:BN) is another excellent way to play the downturn.

The world’s largest fresh dairy company posted strong earnings last week. And it is set to benefit from a correction in commodity prices.

Corn prices could hit $10 a bushel this year, reports MarketWatch.

According to the report: “A large loss of acreage could slash U.S. corn production and push next season’s year-end stocks to the lowest level since just after World War II, some analysts said.” If bad weather continues in July and August, corn prices could rise to $10 a bushel, said Shawn Hackett, president of agriculture futures brokerage Hackett Financial Advisors.”

On Thursday, Jennifer Yousfi told Money Morning readers three ways to profit from record meat and dairy prices — both of which are closely connected to the price of corn.

Although meat-and-dairy prices are expected to zoom even higher from their current record levels, this slice of the commodities boom won’t be a slam-dunk profit play for investors: Many food producers are watching the revenue gains they’re reaping from the rising market prices get wiped by even bigger spikes in commodity-related expenses.

“We are in the early stages of what will become a big mess for producers” of food products, including meat-and-dairy offerings, Greg Wagner, a senior analyst at Ag Resource Co., told the Dow Jones News Service. Over the next few years, retail food prices “will rise like never before.”