(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Hogs fall to four-year low, cattle tumble on supply

Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. lean hogs fell one per cent to a more than four-year low on Monday, while live and feeder cattle also tumbled as investors liquidated long holdings on signs of plentiful supplies. Hog prices declined in U.S. Midwest cash markets, where pork packers had enough of the animals for their slaughter […] Read more

(USDA.gov via Flickr)

Aggressive herd expansion reverses shrinking U.S. cattle supply

Chicago | Reuters — Affordable feed and record-high spikes in cattle prices in 2014 encouraged U.S. ranchers to increase their herds at a faster pace than previously expected during the past year, analysts said in response to a government yearly cattle report on Friday. Expansion efforts by producers helped turnaround the seven-year decline in the […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle post gains after wild ride

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures finished higher on Friday after an up-and-down session, ultimately supported by short-covering and futures’ discounts to cash prices, traders said. February closed 1.325 cents per pound higher at 154.85 cents, and April up 1.775 cents, to 152.275 cents (all figures US$). This week, packers paid […] Read more

(CMEGroup.com)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures slump, but off session lows

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed lower on Thursday, pressured by profit taking before the last trading day of the month on Friday, traders said. Earlier, February and April triggered sell stops and fund liquidation after falling below the 10-day moving average of 152.95 cents and 151.05 cents, respectively (all […] Read more


(Regis Lefebure photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs rally with biggest daily gain in four months

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs closed sharply higher Wednesday on short-covering that earlier drove futures to their biggest one-day gain in four months at over two per cent. The electronic is currently trading and is up 1.8 per cent. February closed 2.1 cents per pound higher at 71.525 cents, and April […] Read more

(CMEGroup.com)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle see biggest daily rise in six months

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle posted their biggest one-day percentage increase in six months on Tuesday, driven up over two per cent by bargain hunting, traders said. Speculative buying and short-covering helped boost nearby trading months to their three-cents-per-pound price limit, which will result in an expanded limit to 4.5 cents […] Read more


(Regis Lefebure photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs break five-day stretch of two-year lows

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs ended higher on Monday on short-covering, and the wholesale pork price bounce that helped snap futures’ five-day streak of two-year lows, traders said. February closed 1.525 cents per pound higher at 70.825 cents, and April up two cents, to 72.65 cents (all figures US$). CME lean […] Read more

(USDA.gov via Flickr)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures plunge before USDA report

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures slumped on Friday, with nearby contracts down the three-cents-per-pound price limit, ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly Cattle-On-Feed report at 2 p.m. CT. Analysts expect the report to show a decline in the number of cattle placed in feedlots last month. February and […] Read more


(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: Cash price plunge sends CME hogs to another two-year low

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs drifted to a two-year low for a third straight session on Thursday, pressured by the steep drop in cash and wholesale pork prices, traders said. February closed 0.75 cent per pound lower at 71.6 cents, and April fell 1.35 cents, to 72.875 cents (all figures US$). […] Read more

(Canada Beef Inc. photo)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle bounce with beef prices

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle closed higher on Wednesday, lifted by short-covering stirred by the morning’s wholesale beef price rebound, traders said. February live cattle closed up 0.65 cent per pound, to 153.7 cents, and April 0.8 cents higher at 151.875 cents (all figures US$). Wednesday morning’s choice wholesale beef climbed […] Read more