The CBOT soybean futures front-month November contract settled at 1195.75 cents/bushel, up 44.00 cents/bushel. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) soybean futures rallied sharply on Monday, gaining more than 3.8%, driven by a combination of weather concerns and improved demand expectations. Over the holiday period, heavy rainfall flooded fields across the U.S. Midwest growing regions, and forecasts indicate above-normal temperatures in the coming week. Meanwhile, the U.S. soybean good-to-excellent condition rating came in at 64%, below market expectations, intensifying concerns over crop development. On the demand side, market sentiment was buoyed by improved expectations for U.S. agricultural export prospects. The USDA export inspection report showed that shipments to China accounted for roughly half of total exports, while Reuters confirmed that China had purchased at least five cargoes of U.S. soybeans for shipment between September and November.