CME August 2020 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle end mostly lower as beef prices ease

June hogs up, August lower

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed mostly lower on Thursday as wholesale beef prices began to retreat from historic highs as the U.S. slaughter pace improved, generating more meat supplies, analysts said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) August live cattle futures settled down 1.425 cents at 97 cents/lb. (all figures US$). Front-month June […] Read more

CME June 2020 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hog futures dip after belly prices dive

Cattle down on ideas of beef prices peaking

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures fell on Wednesday on technical selling and signs that wholesale pork prices may have peaked after a massive run-up due to closings at meat-packing plants as COVID-19 sickened workers, traders said. The U.S. pork cutout value fell on Tuesday afternoon by nearly $9/cwt, to $112.82, with pork […] Read more


CBOT July 2020 wheat with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat nears two-month low on export competition

Corn, soybean futures also sag

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures slid to a near two-month low on Wednesday, testing psychological support at the $5-per-bushel mark, pressured by forecasts for rising global grain supplies and strong export competition, analysts said. Soybean and corn futures also declined as a speedy U.S. planting pace supported expectations for large harvests. Traders shrugged […] Read more

CME June 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: June live cattle limit up on soaring beef prices

Large supplies of hogs, cattle still loom over futures

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed higher on Tuesday, with nearby contracts rising the daily maximum, as surging wholesale beef prices and expectations U.S. beef and pork production would drop spurred speculative buying, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) June live cattle futures settled up 4.5 cents, the expanded daily limit, at […] Read more


CBOT July 2020 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn up despite USDA forecast for ballooning stocks

Soybeans drift lower; wheat weaker on improving crop weather

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn ended higher on Tuesday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast U.S. corn stockpiles would top 3.3 billion bushels by the end of the 2020-21 marketing year, a 33-year high that nonetheless fell below an average of trade expectations. USDA’s forecast for 2019-20 corn ending stocks, at 2.098 billion […] Read more

CME August 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures lower on profit-taking

August, October cattle limit down; June hogs also down

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed lower on Monday, with some contract months falling their daily three-cent limit on profit-taking amid signs the U.S. meat-packing sector was stepping up beef production, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) June live cattle futures settled down 1.975 cents at 92.675 cents/lb., after surging to a […] Read more


CBOT July 2020 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans up on export demand

USDA data awaited

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures firmed on Monday, reaching a 3-1/2 week high on fresh export sales to top global buyer China, traders said. Corn and wheat futures drifted lower as traders adjusted positions a day ahead of a monthly supply/demand report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in which analysts expect the […] Read more

CME June 2020 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cash cattle, futures up on beef packer scrutiny

Profit-taking continues to drag on lean hogs

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures rose on Friday along with cash prices as the federal government probed the beef market. The price of cattle in the cash market has rebounded since U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he had urged the federal Justice Department to look into allegations that the meatpacking […] Read more


CBOT July 2020 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans climb on Chinese buying ahead of crop report

Wheat wrestles with demand concerns, weather woes

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago soybean futures climbed for a second session to a three-week high on Friday as Chinese buying underpinned prices and traders squared positions ahead of a supply and demand report due next Tuesday. Corn also rose on word China may increase agricultural buying to fulfill commitments laid out in January under […] Read more

CME June 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: June cattle limit up on surging beef prices, meat shortages

Lean hogs down on profit-taking

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures surged by their daily trading limits for a second straight session on Thursday on soaring beef prices and concerns about meat shortages because of recent packing plant closures due to the coronavirus. Shuttered slaughterhouses across North America due to the pandemic have left ranchers nowhere to ship […] Read more