(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle drop on weak cash prices, big supply

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures dropped for a third straight session on Wednesday on weakening cash cattle prices and plentiful supplies of market-ready animals, traders said. Actively traded CME August live cattle futures settled 1.35 cents lower at 99.05 cents/lb., its lowest since April 4 (all figures US$). June cattle […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Short-covering boosts CME live cattle

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Thursday after short-covering and fund buying reversed the previous session’s losses, said traders. In a trading strategy known as bull spreads, traders bought June and simultaneously sold deferred months, stirred by firmer wholesale beef values and future’s discount to expected cash prices […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle buckle under big supply worries

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle prices on Wednesday felt pressure from softer wholesale beef prices and concerns about a looming supply buildup, traders said. Future’s steep discount to this week’s expected prices for slaughter-ready, or cash, cattle limited June market losses, they said. June live cattle closed down 0.625 cent/lb. at […] Read more









(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Stronger fed cattle prices jolt feeder market

Feeder cattle markets came alive last week as fed cattle prices took a fortuitous bounce. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle in the range of $276-$279 on a dressed basis, up approximately $4 from week-ago levels. Improving beef demand enhanced wholesale beef prices, which quickly spilt over into the cattle complex. Compared to last week, […] Read more

U.S. tax cuts will increase beef demand

U.S. tax cuts will increase beef demand

Market Influences: Consumers will have more disposable income, leading to more spending

I’ve received many inquiries over the past couple of months regarding the potential effects of U.S. corporate and personal tax cuts on beef demand. I know most producers focus on cattle inventory numbers and cattle-on-feed reports, but old-time cattle producers often remind me that focusing on demand is the secret to long-term success in the […] Read more