Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle surged to contract highs on Thursday and closed up the daily limit in most contacts on stronger-than-expected cash markets and robust demand for beef, traders said. The front-month contract hit a 13-month peak as the market closed higher for the fifteenth time in 16 sessions. April […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle rise as cash prices surge

U.S. livestock: Cash prices propel live cattle to one-year high
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle on Wednesday reached its highest level in a year, ignited by short-covering and futures’ discounts to initial cash prices, traders said. They said bargain buying briefly sent some deferred live cattle months to fresh highs and up their three-cents-per-pound daily price limit (all figures US$). April […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs surge on stocks data, strong pork demand
Chicago/Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures climbed for a second day on Tuesday, with some contracts surging more than 3 percent, on bullish pork stocks data and seasonal buying, traders said. Prices climbed from the opening bell as the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported tighter-than-anticipated U.S. stocks of frozen pork and the tightest […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle drop from one-year peak, hogs rise
Chicago/Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle fell on Monday in a profit-taking setback after notching one-year highs for four straight days last week, traders said. Larger-than-expected cattle placements in a monthly government report issued after the market closed on Friday added pressure to start the week, with deferred contracts posting the steepest declines. “The […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures again notch 1-year highs
Chicago/Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures climbed on Thursday to a one-year top for the third straight day, and deferred contracts marked fresh highs, helped by firmer wholesale beef values, traders said. April live cattle closed 1.700 cents per pound higher at 129.625 cents. June ended 0.525 cent higher at 116.475 cents and […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures up for 9th straight session
Chicago/Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures rose on Wednesday for the ninth consecutive session, and hit a one-year high for a second day in a row, after cash prices exceeded expectations, traders said. April live cattle closed 1.150 cents per pound higher at 127.925 cents, and June up 0.300 cent at 115.950 cents. […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Strong beef demand lifts live cattle to one-year high
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle on Tuesday spiked to their highest since mid-April 2016, driven by improved wholesale beef demand that may underpin cash prices this week, said traders. They said profit-taking pulled back-month futures down from new contract highs achieved earlier in the session. April live cattle closed 0.35 cent/lb. […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle climb seventh straight session
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle rose on Monday for the seventh consecutive session, boosted by improved wholesale beef demand and futures’ discounts to recent cash prices, traders said. They said speculative buying and buy stops drove deferred contracts to fresh highs. April live cattle closed 1.05 cents/lb. higher at 126.425 cents […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle firm on discount to cash trades
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures climbed to a roughly 1-1/2 year high on Thursday, boosted by gains in cash cattle prices that widened futures’ discount to the cash market, dealers said. Feedlots bought a small number of cattle in Nebraska at $128/cwt, up $2 from last week (all figures US$). […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle extend gains on fund buying
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures extended gains on Wednesday, with most live and feeder cattle contracts hitting lifetime highs on investment fund buying as wholesale beef prices also climbed, traders said. The higher cattle prices came despite expectations for weaker trades this week in U.S. Plains cash cattle markets as some beef packers […] Read more