CBOT soy ends down as corn sags, Argentine weather outlooks improve

CHICAGO, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures closed lower on Monday on spillover weakness from corn and outlooks for beneficial rains in crop areas of Argentina, traders said.

• CBOT most-active May soybeans SK25 settled down 9-3/4 cents at $10.47-1/2 per bushel.

• CBOT May soymeal SMK25 ended down $3 at $300.90 per short ton and May soyoil BOK25 fell 1.04 cents to finish at 46.30 cents per pound.

• Crop areas of Argentina should see "widespread and frequent rain" over the next two weeks, the Commodity Weather Group said in a client note.

• Consultancy AgRural trimmed its forecast for Brazil's soybean crop to 168.2 million metric tons, from the 171 million it had estimated in January. However, the estimate, if realized, would still represent Brazil's largest-ever soybean harvest.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported export inspections of U.S. soybeans in the latest week at 858,679 metric tons, toward the high end of trade expectations for 350,000 to 900,000 tons. USDA/I

• The USDA is scheduled to release U.S. 2025 crop forecasts on Thursday at the start of its annual two-day Outlook Forum.

• Friday is the first notice day for deliveries against CBOT March futures contracts.