Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures drifted lower on Thursday as generally favourable U.S. Midwest crop weather bolstered expectations for large harvests, analysts said. “We just don’t have enough demand … to overcome the good growing conditions that are seen across the Midwest,” said Brian Hoops, president of Midwest Market Solutions. So […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, soybeans drift lower on favourable crop prospects
CBOT July wheat up on short-covering
U.S. livestock: Live cattle end mostly lower as beef prices ease
June hogs up, August lower
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed mostly lower on Thursday as wholesale beef prices began to retreat from historic highs as the U.S. slaughter pace improved, generating more meat supplies, analysts said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) August live cattle futures settled down 1.425 cents at 97 cents/lb. (all figures US$). Front-month June […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hog futures dip after belly prices dive
Cattle down on ideas of beef prices peaking
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures fell on Wednesday on technical selling and signs that wholesale pork prices may have peaked after a massive run-up due to closings at meat-packing plants as COVID-19 sickened workers, traders said. The U.S. pork cutout value fell on Tuesday afternoon by nearly $9/cwt, to $112.82, with pork […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat nears two-month low on export competition
Corn, soybean futures also sag
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures slid to a near two-month low on Wednesday, testing psychological support at the $5-per-bushel mark, pressured by forecasts for rising global grain supplies and strong export competition, analysts said. Soybean and corn futures also declined as a speedy U.S. planting pace supported expectations for large harvests. Traders shrugged […] Read more
U.S. livestock: June live cattle limit up on soaring beef prices
Large supplies of hogs, cattle still loom over futures
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed higher on Tuesday, with nearby contracts rising the daily maximum, as surging wholesale beef prices and expectations U.S. beef and pork production would drop spurred speculative buying, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) June live cattle futures settled up 4.5 cents, the expanded daily limit, at […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures lower on profit-taking
August, October cattle limit down; June hogs also down
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed lower on Monday, with some contract months falling their daily three-cent limit on profit-taking amid signs the U.S. meat-packing sector was stepping up beef production, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) June live cattle futures settled down 1.975 cents at 92.675 cents/lb., after surging to a […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans up on export demand
USDA data awaited
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures firmed on Monday, reaching a 3-1/2 week high on fresh export sales to top global buyer China, traders said. Corn and wheat futures drifted lower as traders adjusted positions a day ahead of a monthly supply/demand report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in which analysts expect the […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures climb with wholesale meat prices
About 20 North American meat plants offline
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed higher on Friday after touching a three-week top, buoyed by firm cash cattle values and surging wholesale beef prices as labor shortages slow the U.S. slaughter pace, traders said. New-month buying by speculators may have also lent support, they said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange June live cattle […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs climb on strong pork exports, wholesale prices
Packer margins, wholesale beef prices support live cattle futures
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures rose on Thursday as bullish weekly U.S. pork export data and rising wholesale prices overshadowed worries about a slowdown in the U.S. hog slaughter pace backing up hog supplies, traders said. “You’ve got a combination of export sales being strong (and) the wholesale market trading very firm […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs mostly lower as packing-plant woes persist
Backlog concerns drag on cattle
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures closed mostly lower on Wednesday, setting back from a one-month high set a day earlier in the benchmark June contract as traders mulled the implications of a presidential order for U.S. meat packing plants to remain open, traders said. President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered meat-processing plants […] Read more