Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle and lean hog futures advanced on Monday on expectations that cash prices will remain firm, analysts said. Cash cattle prices are expected to rise $1-$2/cwt this week as packers ramp up slaughtering, said Brian Hoops, president of broker Midwest Market Solutions (all figures US$). Fat cattle last week […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures rise on strong cash markets
U.S. packers seen dialing up slaughter pace
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures sag on fears for economy, beef demand
Firm cash hog values support hog futures
Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange eased on Friday, following as global financial markets fell after U.S. President Donald Trump tested positive for the coronavirus, adding to investor uncertainty. Disappointing U.S. job growth numbers heightened worries about consumer demand for beef, at a time when retailers are starting to […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Nearby cattle futures lower on profit-taking
Chicago lean hogs end mixed
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed mixed on Thursday with nearby contracts drifting lower on profit-taking a day after the benchmark December contract touched a six-week high, analysts said. Commodity funds hold a net long position in Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle futures, leaving the market vulnerable to bouts of long […] Read more
New slaughter regulations are a step forward
Beef 911: Changes to allow video ante-mortem inspection and on-farm slaughter make good sense
Reading Time: 3 minutes All through the year accidents can happen and the need for emergency slaughter can arise. Broken legs during breeding season, fighting, very rarely during transport or downer cattle make access to emergency slaughter imperative. Recently announced changes will allow a mobile butcher to video the animal and that can be used by an inspector for […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures slip as feed grain prices soar
Firm cash prices support CME hogs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures retreated on Wednesday after the December contract hit its highest price in more than a month, while feeder cattle futures slumped as prices surged for grain used as animal feed. The rally in U.S. grain futures prices hung over cattle markets because livestock producers will be more […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle up on beef demand, cash market optimism
Chicago hogs down on profit-taking
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures rose on Tuesday, with the December contract reaching its highest in a month on signs of strong demand for beef and expectations of firm cash cattle trade this week, analysts said. Also, commodity funds appeared to be adjusting positions ahead of the end of the month and […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures up on cash market optimism
Wholesale pork values support October hogs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed firm on Monday, rallying after a sharply lower open as strong packer margins raised expectations for higher cash cattle trade this week, analysts said. Average beef packer margins rose to $320.18 per head, from $313.25 on Friday, according to livestock marketing advisory service HedgersEdge.com (all figures […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures rise on export hopes
CME cattle futures weaken
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures rose 1.7 per cent on Friday, with the market shrugging off bearish supply data on hopes that exports would remain strong, traders said. “At a time when we are nearing our fourth-quarter peak in supply, the market is highly focused on the belief that export sales are running […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rise on supply concerns
CME lean hog futures down
Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures rose to their highest in more than a month on Thursday, supported by signs of a stabilizing cash market and concerns about tight supplies in the coming months, traders said. “The feedlots believe… that we have a marketing hole for most of October into December,” Don Roose, president […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures up ahead of USDA report
Hogs also up ahead of separate USDA data
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures gained on Wednesday, as traders weighed continued strong slaughter rates against expectations for higher placements in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s end-of-week Cattle on Feed report. “The beef market looks like it’s possibly stabilizing, and that should be supportive for cattle prices in the near term,” said […] Read more