Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures notched gains for a fifth consecutive session on Thursday, fuelled by the recent rise in wholesale beef prices in anticipation of tight near-term supplies, traders said. CME livestock futures closed at noon CT in observance of the Christmas holiday. Spot December settled 2.5 cents/lb. higher […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Strong beef prices lift CME live cattle again
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle rally for fourth straight session
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures climbed for a fourth consecutive session on Wednesday, with December up the three-cent/lb. price limit, as the southern Plains braces for a weekend winter storm that drove cash and wholesale beef prices higher, traders said. Spot December settled limit up at 128.6 cents/lb. (all figures […] Read more
U.S. hog herd slowly expands as farmer profit shrinks
Reuters — The U.S. hog herd grew slightly in the September-November quarter versus a year ago, a U.S. Department of Agriculture report showed on Wednesday, amid increased supplies as the industry recovers from a deadly pig virus hurt that farmer profit, said analysts. “Concern about profitability was a major issue. What kept producers from really […] Read more
U.S. meat cases awash with Christmas hams at bargain
Chicago | Reuters –– Shoppers preparing to feast on ham for Christmas can do so without breaking their budget, thanks to record amounts of pork as the industry rebounds from a deadly pig virus, said analysts following the government’s monthly cold storage report on Tuesday. Christmas is the top-ranked holiday for eating ham, followed by […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle surge with cash prices
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Tuesday, following stronger-than-expected cash prices as wintry weather takes aim at the southern U.S. Plains, traders said. Spot December ended 2.2 cents/lb. higher at 125.6 cents, and February was 1.775 cents higher at 131.8 cents (all figures US$). On Tuesday, a small […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live, feeder cattle extend rally
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Monday ended sharply higher, with the February contract up the expanded 4.5-cent/lb. price limit, on more short-covering following Friday’s bullish government cattle report, traders said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cattle on Feed report on Friday showed the number of cattle placed into U.S. […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle rally limit-up before report
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures settled up by their three-cent/lb. price limit Friday, driven by short-covering and technical buying, traders said. Investors tweaked positions ahead of Friday’s U.S. Department of Agriculture monthly Cattle on Feed report at 2 p.m. CT. Spot December ended at 120.15 cents, and February 125.525 cents, […] Read more
U.S. Nov. feedlot cattle placements slump to record low
Chicago | Reuters –– Cattle movement into U.S. feedlots in November fell 11 per cent from a year ago to their lowest level since the government began compiling the data in 1996, a U.S. Department of Agriculture report showed on Friday. Analysts attributed last month’s much smaller-than-expected placements to deteriorating margins that prompted feedyards to […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle sink to three-year bottom
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Thursday slid to their lowest level in three years, pressured by more losses price-wise for unsold cash cattle, traders said. Spot December ended down 2.825 cents/lb. to 117.15 cents, and made a new contract low of 116.975 (all figures US$). February finished 2.45 cents […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cash price caution drags CME live cattle lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures slumped on Wednesday, weighed down by investor caution while waiting for the remainder of cash cattle to change hands, traders said. Spot December ended down 0.325 cent/lb., to 119.975 cents, and February 0.55 cent lower at 124.925 (all figures US$). So far, a few market-ready […] Read more
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