CME April 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs hit new contract high on slim supply

CME April live cattle up slightly

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures climbed to a new contract high on Tuesday on concerns about tightening U.S. supplies, analysts said. Nearby live cattle and feeder cattle futures also strengthened. U.S. cold storage data, issued after the markets closed on Monday, was supportive for hog and cattle futures, analysts said. […] Read more

CME April 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle sink to November lows

Lean hogs set contract high

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures tumbled on Monday as investors reduced risk and after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) last week confirmed producers placed more animals into feedlots in December, analysts said. USDA said cattle producers placed 1.96 million head in feedlots last month, up six per cent from a […] Read more


CME February 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures surge to highest in over three months

U.S. cattle counts up from last year

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures rose 1.5 per cent on Friday to hit their highest since mid-October, extending a rally on technical buying. Traders remained focused on the slaughter rate as COVID-19 disruptions have caused slowdowns at meat processors throughout the month. “The industry still isn’t functioning normally, though the processing […] Read more

CME February 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures touch highest since mid-October

CME cattle futures down on day

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures jumped to their highest in more than three months on Thursday, supported by strength in the cash markets, traders said. Most actively traded February lean hogs rose 2.625 cents, to 84.925 cents/lb. (all figures US$). The front-month contract closed just below its session peak of 84.975 […] Read more



CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures weak

Hog futures firm

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell on Tuesday, with mild profit-taking noted after rallying in three of the previous four sessions. Hog futures were firmer, extending their rebound from the five-week low hit last week. Most actively traded February lean hogs rose 0.7 cent to 81.6 cents/lb. (all figures US$). […] Read more


CME February 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures rebound, slaughter pace still weak

CME February live cattle up

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures bounced back on Friday, though analysts said U.S. staffing shortages caused by COVID-19 infections continued to limit meat production. Most actively traded February lean hogs touched a one-week high and ended 3.05 cents stronger at 80.9 cents/lb. (all figures US$). The contract recovered after falling […] Read more

CME February 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hogs dip on concern over slower slaughter, heavier pigs

Feeder cattle up as feed grain prices drop

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell on Thursday amid concerns that a reduced pace of slaughtering is limiting demand for pigs that are growing heavier, analysts said. Slow slaughtering has weighed on hog and cattle futures because livestock back up on farms when they cannot be processed, traders said. Slaughtering […] Read more


CME February 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20- and 100-day moving averages (pink and black lines) and CME cash lean hog index (dark red line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog slaughter hits five-month low on Omicron spread

CME hogs up, cattle down

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures rose on bargain buying on Wednesday, traders said, though U.S. pig slaughtering sank to its lowest level since August as rising cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant hit meat plants. Live cattle and feeder cattle futures slumped as traders remain concerned that the highly contagious […] Read more

CME April 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures end higher in short-covering bounce

Hogs extend slide

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Tuesday, on a technical bounce a day after falling to three-week lows, with optimism about a slight improvement in the U.S. slaughter pace lending support, traders said. But worries about slowdowns at packing plants due to worker shortages continued to hang over […] Read more