CME January 2024 feeder cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Feeder cattle top one-week high

Traders digest U.S. cattle placements data; December hogs lower

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. feeder cattle futures and deferred live cattle futures finished higher on Monday after the government reported placements in feedlots were lower than analysts expected last month. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in monthly data issued after the close of trading on Friday, said producers placed 3.8 per cent more cattle […] Read more

CME February 2024 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle rise ahead of bullish data

December lean hogs lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle and feeder cattle futures ended higher on Friday as livestock traders adjusted positions in the markets. After the close of trading, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued monthly data that showed producers placed 3.8 per cent more cattle into feedlots in October than a year earlier, […] Read more





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U.S. livestock: Short-covering boosts CME cattle after recent decline

The U.S. hog market traded sideways on Tuesday

Chicago | Reuters — Short-covering lifted Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle and feeder futures on Tuesday, analysts said, extending a recovery from springtime lows reached last week. The markets were due to rise after recent fund liquidation and technical selling left the market oversold, analysts said. “The main thing is some short-covering here,” said Austin […] Read more

File photo of cattle in an Alberta feedlot. (Geralyn Wichers photo)

Klassen: Cash feeder prices soften on futures market uncertainty

Supplies are higher than expected as consumers reign in spending

The live and feeder cattle futures appear to be incorporating a risk discount due to the uncertainty in demand. Consumers are pulling in the reigns on spending. Interest rates are at 40 year highs and inflation remains elevated. Larger supplies and lower demand results in lower prices.


CME February 2024 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle up off last week’s sell-off

Lean hog futures also turn higher

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle and feeder futures advanced on Monday in a rebound from recent declines to multi-month lows. Short-covering helped boost the markets, as losses driven by fund liquidation and technical selling last week were overdone, brokers said. The U.S. beef industry still faces tight supplies of cattle, after […] Read more

CME February 2024 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle mixed, feeder cattle firm

Lean hogs up with pork cutout

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle futures ended the week mixed on Friday, as traders and analysts said technical and algorithmic trading sent contract prices whipsawing during the session. Feeder cattle futures firmed as Chicago corn futures posted a third straight weekly decline, as grain markets continued to react to a […] Read more


CME December 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle sell-off sends nearby contracts plunging

CME hogs mixed in choppy trade

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) cattle futures fell sharply on Thursday, amid fund liquidation, growing concern over consumer demand and signs of prices falling in the cash market. Traders and funds scrambled to shed some of their long positions, after betting the bull market in cattle futures would continue well into the […] Read more

CME December 2023 live cattle with 20-, 100- and 200-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rally late in session on technical buying

Hogs down on technical selling

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) cattle futures saw a choppy day of trading on Wednesday, before rallying later in the session on short-covering and technical buying, traders said. December live cattle futures dipped below its 200-day moving average of $177.50 before bouncing up (all figures US$). January 2024 feeder cattle futures also […] Read more