Chicago | Reuters — Most months of Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures closed down the daily three-cent trading limit on Tuesday on softening cash markets and profit-taking following contract highs set last week, analysts said. “The cash market has slowed down. It was down a little yesterday and the carcass values were weaker this […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME hogs limit down, retreating from last week’s top

U.S. livestock: CME hogs lower as rally pauses
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures closed mostly lower on Monday as softening cash hog prices sparked a round of profit-taking after Friday’s contract highs, traders said. “Cash prices stopped moving higher at a rapid clip, so everyone is taking a step back,” said Altin Kalo, agricultural economist for New Hampshire-based […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME hog futures rise again with swine fever in focus
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures closed mostly higher on Friday as speculators continued to push prices higher due to concerns about African swine fever in China, traders said. The spread of the deadly virus has raised expectations of a pick-up in demand from China, the world’s top pork buyer. “The […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hog futures extend rally as African swine fever spreads
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures rose on Thursday for the third day in a row, supported by expectations that the spread of deadly African swine fever in China would boost demand from the world’s top pork buyer. The most-active June hogs contract closed up three cents, the daily trading limit. […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME hogs rally on hopes for increased exports to China
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures charged higher on Wednesday, with the May contract surging 5.4 per cent, on hopes for a trade deal with China that would boost exports to the world’s largest consumer of pork. “U.S.-China trade talks restart in D.C. today and most accounts have those negotiations going […] Read more

U.S. livestock: June hogs limit up on swine fever concerns
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures rallied on Tuesday, with some contracts closing up their daily trading limit, as expectations for a bump in export deals to China, traders said. The gains were ignited by the announcement on Monday by China’s agriculture ministry that African swine fever has been found […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hog futures mixed, cattle futures firm
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures were mixed on Monday, with the front-month contract firming slightly after two straight days of declines while deferreds continued to ease. Traders said that fresh pork exports to China were required to ease the burdensome supplies and boost hog futures higher. “Even though we […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs tumble after Trump threatens Mexico border closure
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures ended down sharply for a second straight day on Friday after a volatile session in which traders weighed thinner near-term hog supplies against risks to pork exports with Mexico. Early-session strength stemmed from a quarterly U.S. Department of Agriculture hog supply report, released after […] Read more

Klassen: Feeder market incorporates risk premium following U.S. floods
Compared to the previous week, western Canadian feeder cattle sold steady to $4 higher the week ending March 23. Favourable spring weather enhanced demand for yearlings from major finishing operations; Lethbridge-area markets were notably $3-$5 higher as feedlots focused on local cattle. While feeding margins remain in negative territory, strength in the deferred live cattle […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs limit down as export sales disappoint
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures plunged more than three per cent on Thursday as disappointing export sales data triggered profit-taking following the market’s recent run to the highest in more than eight months, traders said. Contracts from May to December closed down the daily three-cent limit, including actively traded […] Read more