The holiday break for the cattle market is analogous to an the intermission between periods of hockey game. Feedlot operators assess inventory and to focus on the market structure. They’re planning their purchase strategy for the next couple months.
No sales the first week of 2024 as markets assess inventory, plan strategy
Lean hogs rose on hopes that U.S. cash prices had reached bottom
Concerns over Chinese demand for U.S. soybeans and wheat hung over the futures markets
Live cattle slipped somewhat but ended the week up 1.2 per cent
Corn futures set a contract low; wheat prices advanced
Wheat futures rebounded from one-month low; corn stabilized
Packers losing money processing beef due to tight supply
Corn consistently below moving averages a bearish sign says analyst
A two-week high in the U.S. dollar also hung over agricultural markets
Large supplies of hogs continue to pressure futures, analysts said