Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures extended their run of life-of-contract highs on Friday, supported by a jump in cash cattle prices this week along with rising beef prices, traders said. Benchmark CME August live cattle futures settled up 0.525 cent at 172.9 cents/lb. after posting a contract high at 174.25 […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME cattle extend rally on surging cash market
Lean hogs follow firm trend
U.S. grains: Corn, soy up on weather worries, macroeconomic optimism
Black Sea tensions, China weather support wheat
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures closed higher on Friday, lifted by bargain-buying following this week’s multi-month lows, dryness in the Midwest crop belt and spillover strength from equities and crude oil, traders said. Wheat followed the firm trend, drawing additional support from weather concerns in China and tensions over a shipping […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle soar as cash prices explode
Lean hog futures mostly lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures surged on Thursday as cash cattle traded as high as US$180/cwt in Texas and Kansas, up to US$9 higher than last week, reflecting strong demand from meat-packers amid rising beef prices and tightening cattle supplies, traders said. CME’s most-active August live cattle futures contract settled […] Read more
U.S. grains: Weather worries lift soybeans, new-crop corn
CBOT July wheat also climbs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rose on Thursday on worries about dryness building in the Midwest crop belt, while a setback in the dollar and speculative buying at the start of a new month lent additional support, analysts said. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) wheat climbed 2.8 per cent, extending Wednesday’s rebound from […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat bounces off 2-1/2 year low
Corn, soy futures pare losses
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures closed higher on Wednesday on a round of bargain buying after the benchmark July contract dipped to its lowest level in nearly 2-1/2 years, dragged down by strong competition for export business and macroeconomic worries, brokers said. Similarly, U.S. corn and soybean futures recovered from steep declines, with […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs bounce on short-covering
Cattle futures up with beef prices, tighter supplies
Chicago | Reuters — Benchmark July lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange jumped nearly five per cent on Wednesday, extending their two-day rally to 11 per cent on a round of bargain-buying following a months-long slump, traders said. CME July hogs settled up 3.8 cents at 83.325 cents/lb., while front-month June hogs ended […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat, corn, soy fall on uncertain demand, weather
Sagging equities, crude oil also bearish on grains
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat, corn and soybean futures tumbled on Tuesday, pressured by macroeconomic worries, strong competition for global grain export business and some forecasts for beneficial Midwest rains next month that could bolster production prospects, analysts said. “The wetter outlook removed the one factor providing stability for the grain and oilseed markets, […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs limit-up on bargain buying
Cash and beef values lift cattle futures
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures surged their daily limit on Tuesday, rebounding from Friday’s life-of-contract lows on a round of bargain-buying and short-covering toward the end of the month, and as feed grain futures fell sharply, traders said. “It really got grossly overdone to the bottom side,” said Dennis Smith, commodity […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn hits one-month high on weather worries
Soybean, wheat futures also advance
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade corn futures reached a one-month high on Friday as forecasts for dry weather in the U.S. Midwest kept attention on early risks to this year’s crop. Soybean and wheat futures also rose, with the agricultural markets posting weekly gains following recent declines to multi-month lows. Traders added […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hogs down 10 per cent on week
Feeder cattle down on corn rally
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures dropped to contract lows again on Friday, as poor demand for U.S. pork continued to depress prices. The losses heap more pain on producers who have struggled with weak prices for pigs and high costs for expenses such as feed and labour. “Producers are losing their […] Read more