May soybeans opened 13 cents higher on the day at 953 and established an early range of 930 3/4 to 954. Soybeans extended the overnight gains in the first minutes of the day session, opening well above yesterday's highs in the process. However, the May contract sold off to marginally lower on the day by early mid session, and meal lost to oil in the early going. Prices then firmed in all markets into mid morning. This 2-sided trade followed the release of a USDA supply/demand report this morning that was considered supportive due to a bigger than expected drop in 2009/10 US ending soybean stocks. They were lowered to 210 million bushels from 245 million last week, and traders had been looking for number near 217 million. Exports were increased by 25 million bushels and the US crush was raised by 10 million. On the world front, the USDA raised Brazil's soybean crop by 1 million tonnes to 66 million, about in line with trade expectations. Argentina was left unchanged at 53 million tonnes. World soybean ending stocks were left near unchanged at 59.73 million tonnes versus 59.8 million last month. Traders say that attention is now turning to weather in the US where a broadening winter storm and colder temperatures are expected to bring some disruption to cash grain marketing into mid week.