Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures firmed on Wednesday, with concerns about processing margins seen limiting supplies in the coming months. “High feed costs and low prices there have production margins as poor as they’ve been in at least eight years,” brokerage StoneX said in a note to clients. “All of this […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures firm, cattle mixed
CME March feeder cattle lower
Hog producer ‘profitability plunges,’ says Alberta Pork
Reading Time: < 1 minute It’s been one blow after another for the province’s hog producers, says Alberta Pork. “The past year has presented quite a few disruptions at every stage of the value chain,” Bijon Brown, the organization’s production economist, said in a release. The sharp rise in feed costs have been the biggest blow, but transportation disruptions, labour […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle firm on strong beef demand
Hogs up on tighter supplies
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures firmed on Monday, supported by strong beef demand and slaughter, analysts said. “The next few months — late March, early April — slaughter-ready cattle are a little tighter,” said Austin Schroeder, commodity analyst at Brugler Marketing. “That might help to lend a little more support […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle lower, strong slaughter data supportive
Hogs also trade higher, end lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended lower despite finding new contract highs on Thursday, pressured by lower movement across the agricultural commodities late in the trading session, though tight cattle supplies underpin the market, traders said. “Demand in general still is in good shape. You’re going to have incrementally fewer […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle, lean hogs set contract highs
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures set a contract high on Wednesday on firm cash prices and strong demand from packers, while lean hogs also set a new high, traders said. April live cattle ended 1.65 cents higher at 147.825 cents/lb. and set a high of 147.925 cents (all figures US$). […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs firm on tight hog supplies
Live cattle down off last week's gains
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures gained on Monday, supported by fewer market-ready hogs and diminished pork supplies, analysts said. “There just isn’t much extra pork laying around,” said Alan Brugler, president of Brugler Marketing. CME April lean hogs settled 1.2 cents higher at 101.275 cents/lb., notching a new life-of-contract high. […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs up on tight supplies, good demand
April live cattle up, March feeder cattle lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures rose on Friday as tight hog supplies and strong demand fueled gains for the fifth time in six sessions. The market shrugged off negative technical signals following a lower close in actively traded April futures on Thursday after posting a contract high during the session. […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hog, cattle futures end lower
Prices take pause off contract highs
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog and cattle futures closed lower on Thursday, retreating as traders paused to book profits after the benchmark contracts in both markets climbed to life-of-contract highs. CME April lean hogs settled down 0.75 cent at 98.375 cents/lb., easing after notching a contract high at 101.25 cents (all figures […] Read more
JBS reaches ‘icebreaker’ settlement of beef price-fixing claims
Reuters — JBS has agreed to pay US$52.5 million to settle litigation accusing meatpacking companies of conspiring to limit supply in the $63 billion-a-year U.S. beef market in order to inflate prices and boost profit. The preliminary settlement by the Brazilian company and its U.S. units with so-called direct purchasers was disclosed on Tuesday, and […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cash prices, slaughter pace support CME live cattle
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures rallied to fresh contract highs on Wednesday on strong cash market prices and rising slaughter rates amid seasonally tightening cattle supplies. A winter storm moving across the central U.S. on Wednesday did not noticeably impact cattle and beef production, although traders were watching for any […] Read more
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