Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog contracts closed higher on Tuesday, strengthened by short-covering and speculative buying in anticipation of tighter seasonal supplies, traders said. Spot February finished 2.2 cents/lb. higher at 61.9 cents, and April ended 1.825 cents higher at 67.3 cents (all figures US$). “Packer margins are strong and I […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Speculative buying rallies CME lean hogs

U.S. livestock: Cash price unease drags on CME live cattle
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures finished lower on Monday, pressured by uncertainty over cash prices later this week, traders said. February live cattle closed 0.65 cent/lb. lower at 132.225 cents, and April ended down 0.775 cent, to 133.05 cents (all figures US$). Typically, cash bids surface around midweek. But a […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle end lower after choppy session
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts settled lower following Friday’s volatile session, stirred by funds that sold February and bought deferred contracts in accordance with the Standard + Poor’s Goldman Sachs Commodity Index (S+PGSCI), said traders. Friday was the first of five days of the S+PGSCI “roll” process. Simultaneously, some index […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle tumble limit down
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts ended Thursday’s session down by their three cents/lb. daily price limit, rattled by lower preliminary cash prices and deteriorating U.S. stock futures amid China’s economic woes, traders said. February live cattle and April ended at 133.525 cents and 134.3 cents, respectively (all figures US$). Live […] Read more

Weak loonie expected to support hog prices, but not yet
CNS Canada — A weak loonie could improve the profit margin of Canadian pork producers by summer, according to one analyst, but its effects have been little seen in the current market. Influencers outside of currency markets are driving current cash prices lower — and cash prices are relatively depressed, according to Tyler Fulton, director […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Slumping stock market pressures CME live cattle
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts posted modest losses on Wednesday amid investor jitters over fallen U.S. stock futures and uncertainty about cash price direction, traders said. Funds heavily invested in equities typically have a wide range of commodities in their portfolios, including CME livestock. February live cattle closed 0.25 cent/lb. […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hogs jump on expectations of tighter supplies
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures surged as much as 2.8 percent on Tuesday, in a bull-spreading rally on expectations of seasonally tighter supplies and ideas of stronger retail demand for pork, traders and analysts said. Investors were buying the Chicago Mercantile Exchange February lean hogs contract and selling deferred contracts such as […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Feeder cattle rise on cash gains, wintry weather
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. feeder cattle futures rose on Monday, reversing earlier declines and extending steep gains of recent days as wintry weather hampered animal weight gains and feed prices tumbled, traders and analysts said. Live cattle futures steadied after falling sharply early in the session at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, as big declines […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle close mixed ahead of holiday
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended mixed on Thursday after investors settled their accounts during the last trading session of the year. The thinly-traded spot December, which expired at noon CT, settled 2.8 cents/lb. higher at 135.8 (all figures US$). February, the new lead month, closed up 0.1 cent/lb. at […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cash price spike drives CME live cattle higher
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures finished well into positive territory on Wednesday, led by the steep climb in prices for cash cattle, traders said. Spot December, which will expire on Thursday, closed 2.8 cents/lb. higher at 133 cents, and February ended 1.2 cents higher at 136.7 (all figures US$). “Today […] Read more