Photo: Geralyn Wichers

U.S. livestock: Live cattle drop as beef prices, packer margins erode

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures fell on Wednesday on long liquidation by funds and as sinking beef prices and eroding packer margins weighed on the market. Feeder cattle futures also retreated in a technical correction after four consecutive sessions of gains that were fueled by concerns over tightening U.S. supplies. “We […] Read more

Photo: Geralyn Wichers

U.S. livestock: Hogs rally ahead of USDA report

Chicago lean hog futures rallied on Tuesday ahead of the USDA’s Hogs and Pigs report, due on Thursday. “The report may show a slight increase in total hog population, but analysts are speculating over what other stats may show and mean for futures prices,” the Wall Street Journal reported. The question is if producers expanded […] Read more


Photo: Canada Beef

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures higher on screwworm news

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Monday after news that New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite, was detected 70 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, analysts said. Analysts believed the news would mean the U.S.-Mexico border will be closed to feeder cattle imports for the foreseeable future. “It’s bullish […] Read more

Cattle at a feedlot near North Platte, Nebraska. (AndrewLinscott/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures higher, though traders uncertain about demand

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live and feeder cattle futures rose on Thursday on a tight cattle supply, though industry experts expressed doubt over consumer demand for beef as concerns grew over the U.S. economic outlook. CME December live cattle LCZ25 ended 1.475 cents higher to 234.15 cents per pound. October feeder cattle […] Read more


 Photo: Canada Beef

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures fall

Chicago cattle and hog futures fell for the second day running ahead of Friday’s cattle on feed report. Most-active December live cattle closed at 232.675 cents a pound, down 2.475 cents. October contracts settled at 231.100 cents a pound, down 2.350 cents. Most-traded October feeder cattle futures closed at 349.125 cents per pound, a loss […] Read more

Photo: Geralyn Wichers

U.S. livestock: Cattle and hog futures slide

Chicago cattle and hog futures slid on Tuesday as economic data showed signs of slowing U.S. household spending. Most-active December live cattle closed at 235.150 cents a pound, down 1.125 cents. October contracts settled at 233.450 cents per pound, down 1.150 cents. Most-traded October feeder cattle futures settled at 354.300 cents a pound, down 0.200 […] Read more


Cattle at a feedlot near North Platte, Nebraska. (AndrewLinscott/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rally, hogs rise

Chicago cattle futures rallied on Monday following losses in the previous trading session. Hogs also rose. Most-active December live cattle contracts closed at 236.275 cents a pound, up 4.350 cents. October live cattle settled at 234.600 cents a pound, up 4.625 cents. Most-traded October feeder cattle futures settled at 354.500 cents a pound, up 8.700 […] Read more

Cattle at a feedlot near North Platte, Nebraska. (AndrewLinscott/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures fall on expectations of US agriculture secretary announcement

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures fell on investor expectations that U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins might announce a re-opening of the border with Mexico for cattle imports in a speech in Oklahoma on Friday. The U.S. is currently closed to cattle imports from Mexico because of an infestation south of the […] Read more


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U.S. livestock: Cattle futures bounce on short covering

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures ticked higher on Thursday on a short-covering bounce, though a weaker cash market and concerns around consumer demand for beef continued to weigh on the market. Cattle futures also benefited from rising grains futures, which steadied ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly supply and […] Read more

Photo: Geralyn Wichers

U.S. livestock: Cattle make gains, hogs mixed

Most Chicago cattle futures rose on Wednesday after Tuesday’s hard fall. Hogs settled on either side of unchanged. Most-active October live cattle futures closed at 231.150 cents per pound, up 0.975 cents. December contracts settled at 232.675 cents a pound, up 1.500 cents. Nearby feeder cattle futures rose, while deferred contracts lost steam. Most-traded October […] Read more