CME October 2023 live cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Tight supply drives CME live cattle to new highs

Hogs down off Wednesday's one-month high

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures galloped to new highs on Thursday on short-covering combined with continued concerns about U.S. tight supplies, brokers said. October live cattle futures ended up 2.325 cents at 185.475 cents/lb. after setting a contract high of 185.775 cents/lb. (all figures US$). December live cattle settled 2.5 […] Read more

CME October 2023 live cattle with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures ease in technical setback after highs

Nearby lean hogs also down on technical selling

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live and feeder cattle futures retreated on Wednesday in a technical selling and profit-taking setback after hitting highs earlier in the week, traders said. Higher feed corn prices and a weak tone to the cash beef market added pressure, they said. “This is technical after feeder cattle hit […] Read more


CME October 2023 live cattle with 20-day moving average and December 2023 live cattle (dark red line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures end mixed after hitting new highs

CME lean hogs mostly higher

Chicago | Reuters — Most of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder and live cattle futures hit new contract highs again on Tuesday, as tight U.S. supplies and forecast of a strong cash market added fuel to a bull rally, traders said. But by the end of the session, both live and feeder cattle futures were […] Read more

CME October 2023 feeder cattle with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle, deferred live cattle hit new highs

October lean hogs also close higher

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. feeder cattle futures and deferred live cattle futures hit new contract highs on Monday, as tight U.S. supplies going into next year continued to fuel the bull market, traders said. Even Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s October and December live cattle futures surged within $1 of their contract highs, fueled by optimism […] Read more


CME June 2024 live cattle with 20-day moving average and October 2023 live cattle (black line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle, deferred live cattle set highs on tight supply

Hog futures down on lower export sales

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. feeder cattle futures and deferred live cattle futures climbed to new peaks on Friday, as limited U.S. supplies continued to propel prices. Inventories of U.S. cattle dwindled to their lowest levels in decades after producers reduced their herds over the last year because drought reduced the availability of pastures for […] Read more

CME October 2023 feeder cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle set contract high, live cattle hit July high

Hogs up but within yesterday's range

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures climbed to a July high on Thursday while feeder cattle set new contract highs. Tight supplies continue to support the markets, analysts said, after U.S. producers reduced their cattle herds over the last year as drought limited the availability of pastures for grazing. October live […] Read more


CME October 2023 live cattle with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle rally near four-week high

October hogs touch lowest in a week

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures rallied on Wednesday to their highest level in nearly four weeks, while feeder cattle also stormed higher. U.S. cattle supplies are tight as drought reduced the amount of pasture available for grazing and drove producers to send more cattle to slaughter over the last year. […] Read more

CME October 2023 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs near one-month high on export outlook

CME cattle futures close lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures neared a one-month high on Tuesday on expectations for increased U.S. pork exports and tightening supplies. Demand for U.S. pork is benefiting as high pig prices in Europe cause global importers to shift some business to the United States, where pig prices have been weak, […] Read more


CME October 2023 live cattle with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle ease on softer cash markets

Trade watching for increased demand for hogs

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased on Friday, ending the week slightly lower as cash trade eased, though the cattle market continues to trade mostly sideways, analysts said. “The market’s basically saying — we’ve got stable trade right now for a couple months,” said Rich Nelson, chief strategist at Allendale […] Read more

CME October 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle up ahead of long weekend

Lean hogs follow cash hog index lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ticked upward Thursday, while packers backed off of buying ahead of the Labour Day holiday week that will limit slaughter, analysts said. “There was some light trade today, slightly lower than last week,” said Doug Houghton, technical analyst at Brock Capital Management. “I don’t know […] Read more