- Global cocoa butter prices remained volatile but softened, with sentiment turning mildly bearish amid easing futures and improving supply outlook.
- Feedstock prices declined amid a favourable crop outlook in West Africa, accounting for about 70% of global output.
- Downstream demand weakened, with chocolate makers reformulating products and passing on higher costs, limiting cocoa butter consumption.
Cocoa butter prices moved on a mixed to softer trend, influenced by the correction in cocoa bean prices following the earlier supply-driven rally and improving crop expectations in key producing regions. Despite the easing in feedstock costs, processors continued to face elevated input burdens as inventories were sourced at previously higher levels, delaying cost pass-through across the supply chain.
Demand conditions remained subdued as elevated retail chocolate prices curtailed consumption, leading manufacturers to adjust formulations and reduce cocoa intensity, which directly weighed on cocoa butter demand. The prolonged high cocoa costs due to earlier West African supply disruptions compressed margins, with Hershey reporting a 17-percentage point decline in gross margin, reflecting continued strain on downstream profitability. Additionally, cautious procurement strategies and weak discretionary spending further limited buying activity.