Commstock Investments

What Commstock Investments does

CommStock Investments is a privately-held, family-owned agricultural risk management and commodity brokerage firm headquartered in Royal, Iowa. Founded in 1985 by David Kruse — a fifth-generation farmer — the company operates as an introducing broker clearing through R.J. O'Brien, providing commodity brokerage services, market intelligence, and risk-management products to farmers, ranchers, agricultural lenders, and agribusiness professionals across more than 30 U.S. states and Canada. CommStock runs ten branch offices across the Midwest (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota) and is now led by second-generation President Matthew Kruse, also a farmer and dual U.S.–Brazilian citizen.

The firm's core product is The CommStock Report, a twice-daily market advisory (Morning Headlines, Afternoon Market Review, and Sunday preview) delivered via email, password-protected website, mobile app, podcast, YouTube, and a Midwest radio broadcast network, priced on a subscription basis at $178 quarterly, $300 semi-annual, and $499 annually with a free one-month trial. Beyond advisory content, CommStock brokers execute futures and options trades for clients, and the company distributes a suite of insurance products — multi-peril crop insurance, crop hail insurance (through carrier partnerships with Farmers Mutual Hail, Heartland, Hudson, and QBE NAU), USDA livestock risk protection, and property & casualty coverage — alongside two operating subsidiaries: Market Focus LLC (managed grain marketing programs) and AgriVantage (crop insurance services). Complementary offerings include the Family Farm Masterclass annual conference in Des Moines, the Brazil Farmland Tour co-hosted with Gaucha Specialty Coffee, and the Commstock Channel digital media platform.

CommStock's business model combines four revenue streams: recurring subscription revenue from the CommStock Report, transaction fees from futures/options brokerage clearing through R.J. O'Brien, recurring insurance commissions from carrier partnerships, and one-time fees from events (Masterclass, Brazil tour). Its value proposition rests on a 'farmer-broker' identity in which brokers actively manage their own farming operations and use the same hedging and marketing strategies they recommend to clients — an identity underpinned by over 100 years of combined trading experience and more than 20,000 reports authored by David Kruse since 1986.

Name

Commstock Investments

Legal name

CommStock Investments

Website

https://commstock.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CommStock Investments is a privately-held, family-owned agricultural risk management firm providing commodity brokerage, twice-daily market advisory reports, crop and livestock insurance, and educational events to farmers, ranchers, ag lenders, and agribusiness professionals across 30+ U.S. states and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Commodity Brokerage and Risk Management

NAICS

Commodity Contracts Intermediation (523160)

SIC

Commodity Contracts Brokers & Dealers (6221)

akta.pro primary industry

Grain & Oilseed Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Agricultural Commodities Exchanges (Grains, Oilseeds, Livestock) (FSAFAMAA)

Keywords

• Agricultural commodity brokerage
• Crop insurance services
• Livestock risk protection
• Agricultural market analysis
• Commodity futures trading

Headquarters

HQ city

Royal

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue - CommStock Report: Subscription-based revenue from The CommStock Report, a twice-daily market report delivered via email, website, and podcast. Three tiers: Quarterly ($178), Semi-Annual ($300), Annual ($499). Provides market recommendations, analysis, and agricultural commentary for grains, livestock, and outside markets.
2. Commodity Brokerage Commissions: Full-service commodity brokerage offering commentary, outlook and analysis. Brokers execute futures and options transactions for clients. Clearing partner is R.J. O'Brien. Commissions generated from trading activity in futures and options on major U.S. commodity exchanges.
3. Crop Insurance Commissions: Multi-peril crop insurance products (Revenue Protection, Yield Protection), crop hail insurance, and livestock risk protection. Insurance products sold through licensed agents with partnerships with Farmers Mutual Hail, Heartland, Hudson, and QBE NAU. Also offers Property & Casualty insurance.
4. Family Farm Masterclass: Professional development conference for farmers and agricultural leaders. Ticket pricing: Single Ticket $799, with additional family members at $200. Discounts available for CommStock subscribers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CommStock Investments is an introducing commodity brokerage and agricultural risk management advisory firm that executes futures and options transactions for farmers and ranchers, clears through R.J. O'Brien, and pairs execution with opinionated twice-daily market commentary (The CommStock Report). The firm also distributes multi-peril crop insurance, crop hail, livestock risk protection, and property & casualty insurance through licensed agents and carrier partnerships (Farmers Mutual Hail, Heartland, Hudson, QBE NAU).

Product overview

CommStock Investments offers a comprehensive agricultural risk management platform centered on the CommStock Report—a twice-daily market advisory delivered via email and digital channels. The platform integrates commodity brokerage services with multiple insurance products (crop insurance, livestock risk protection, property & casualty insurance), complemented by educational programs (Family Farm Masterclass) and experiential offerings (Brazil Farmland Tour). The Commstock Channel provides digital media content, completing an ecosystem that serves farmers and agricultural professionals with market intelligence, trading services, and insurance solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CommStock Report: Twice-daily market report focusing on grains, livestock, and outside market recommendations with agricultural commentary.
• Commstock Channel
• Family Farm Masterclass
• Market Focus

Products and services

• CommStock Report Subscription-based twice-daily market advisory service delivered via email, password-protected website, mobile app, and podcast. Provides Morning Headlines, Afternoon Market Review, and Sunday Update content covering grains, livestock, and outside markets with market recommendations, hedging advice, and opinionated agricultural commentary.
• Commodity Brokerage Full-service commodity brokerage providing commentary, outlook, and analysis for agricultural clients, with brokers executing futures and options transactions on all major U.S. commodity exchanges. Clearing is handled by R.J. O'Brien. Brokers are also active farmers and offer over 100 years of combined trading experience.
• Crop Insurance Multi-peril crop insurance products including Revenue Protection (RP), Revenue Protection with Harvest Price Exclusion (RPHPE), and Yield Protection (YP), plus crop hail insurance written through carrier partnerships with Farmers Mutual Hail, Heartland, Hudson, and QBE NAU. Sold through licensed crop insurance agents.
• Livestock Risk Protection USDA livestock insurance programs providing price risk protection for fed cattle, feeder cattle, and swine, allowing producers to protect revenue while maintaining upside potential. Offered through licensed agents certified in Livestock Risk Protection insurance.
• Property & Casualty Insurance Complete auto, property, and casualty insurance coverage for farm, business, home, and auto needs, provided through licensed P&C agents.
• Commstock Channel Digital media platform providing daily video updates, podcast archives, and YouTube content covering market analysis and agricultural issues. Includes social media management and marketing/advertising content production.
• Family Farm Masterclass Two-day professional development conference for farmers and agricultural leaders covering management practices, succession planning, risk management strategies, and networking. Single Ticket $799; additional family members $200; $100 discount for CommStock subscribers.
• Brazil Farmland Tour Paid agricultural tour experience visiting Brazilian farms, processing facilities, and agricultural operations in production regions including Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso, co-hosted with Gaucha Specialty Coffee.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% of 2026 wheat already sold at favorable levels; 10% of 2027 wheat recommended for sale at $7.30 basis Chicago

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• R.J. O'BriencoreTechnology or IntegrationR.J. O'Brien is Commstock's clearing partner in Chicago. Founded in 1914, RJO is one of the oldest independent futures brokerage firms and a founding member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. They provide 24-hour execution and clearing on every futures exchange worldwide.
• Farmers Mutual HailcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrop hail insurance partner. Commstock writes policies with Farmers Mutual Hail as one of their insurance carrier partners.
• Heartland InsurancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrop hail insurance partner. Commstock writes policies with Heartland as one of their insurance carrier partners.
• Hudson InsurancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrop hail insurance partner. Commstock writes policies with Hudson as one of their insurance carrier partners.
• QBE NAUcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrop hail insurance partner. Commstock writes policies with QBE NAU as one of their insurance carrier partners.
• Gaucha Specialty CoffeeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Brazil Farmland Tours. Caroline Seibt from Gaucha Specialty Coffee co-hosts the tours with Matthew Kruse, providing authentic Brazilian agricultural tourism experiences.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pro Farmer: Long-established agricultural commodity research, advisory, and news publication serving farmers and agribusiness. Directly competes with CommStock Report on daily market commentary, grain/livestock analysis, and subscription pricing — and is referenced in CommStock's own data as a former employer of senior analyst Brian Grete.
• AgResource Company: Independent agricultural research and commodity advisory firm producing daily/weekly market analysis for grain, livestock, and energy. Closely comparable to CommStock in target customer (commercial farmers, traders, elevators), subscription-based market commentary model, and Chicago-based futures market focus.
• Allendale Inc. Independent futures brokerage and agricultural research firm offering brokerage execution, hedge programs, and daily market commentary. Directly comparable to CommStock on the brokerage-plus-research bundle, farmer customer base, and grain/livestock advisory focus.
• Gulke Group: Agricultural commodity advisory firm providing market analysis, hedging recommendations, and broker services to farmers and agribusiness. Comparable to CommStock on subscription market reports, grain/livestock focus, and farmer-broker model.
• Water Street Solutions: Ag marketing advisory firm offering grain marketing plans, broker access, and risk management consulting for farmers. Closely comparable to CommStock's Market Focus LLC subsidiary in providing managed grain marketing programs and pricing recommendations to producer customers.
• White Commercial Corp: Grain merchandising and brokerage firm providing hedging, market intelligence, and consulting to grain traders, elevators, and farmers. Comparable to CommStock on ag commodity brokerage, farmer/elevator customer base, and futures/options advisory.
• Roach Ag Marketing: Independent agricultural commodity advisory firm providing market recommendations, brokerage execution, and grain marketing strategies to farmers. Similar subscription/advisory model and target customer profile to CommStock's brokerage and report business.

Broad incumbents

• StoneX Group (INTL FCStone): Large, publicly traded global financial services firm with a substantial agricultural commodity brokerage, hedging, and market intelligence division. Overlaps with CommStock across futures execution, ag market research, and farmer/elevator hedging services, but operates globally and across many asset classes, so it is not niche-specialized.
• R.J. O'Brien: One of the oldest independent U.S. futures brokerage firms and CommStock's clearing partner. Competes broadly with CommStock in ag commodity brokerage and execution but at much larger scale and with institutional clients in addition to farmers.
• DTN (Progressive Farmer): Major agricultural market data, weather, and news platform serving farmers and agribusiness with subscriptions, mobile apps, and content. Comparable to CommStock in serving farmers with daily market intelligence, but operates at much larger scale, broader data scope, and with proprietary technology platforms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCg5eKyHs1pij8v9xQ8UZ_fQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/commstock-investments

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Commstock Investments