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

U.S. livestock: Live cattle up with wholesale beef prices

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures inched higher on Monday as rising wholesale beef prices buoyed the market in light-volume trade, analysts said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange December live cattle futures settled up 0.25 cent at 108.55 cents/lb. (all figures US$). “That’s still the underlying factor — (cattle) weights are not as big as […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Live cattle edge higher in subdued trade

Chicago hogs end mixed

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed higher on Friday for a fourth straight session, supported by follow-through technical buying after Thursday’s strong close and brisk demand for beef, analysts said. But trading volume was thin as brokers waited for significant cash cattle trade to emerge. Fat cattle traded lightly in the southern […] Read more


CME December 2020 live cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2) and 100-day moving average (brown line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle rebound as trade adjusts to supply shock

Hogs lower, cash market supportive

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures rebounded on Tuesday, as packers kept processing at a higher-than-usual pace, despite a bearish Cattle on Feed report, traders said. Meanwhile, hog futures eased slightly on Tuesday, as falling cutout prices have carved into packer margins, traders said. CME December live cattle futures gained 0.65 cent to […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Hog futures fall for third day in a row

USDA report expected to show more cattle on feed

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell for the third day in a row on Thursday, with traders saying they expected the recent surge of Chinese demand for pork to fade as the world’s top consumer rebuilds its decimated hog herd. “I increasingly see more attention paid to deteriorating long-term export […] Read more


CME February 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hogs fall on profit-taking, cattle firm on bargain buying

Concerns for beef demand still drag on cattle futures

Chicago | Reuters — CME livestock futures were mixed on Tuesday, with hog contracts falling on a round of profit taking while cattle contracts firmed on bargain buying. The benchmark December lean hog contract faced pressure after hitting its highest since Sept. 13, 2019, while February live cattle, which had fallen for four days in […] Read more

CME December 2020 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands and 100-day moving average. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures mixed, cattle drop

Technical selling pulls cattle futures lower

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures were mixed on Monday, with the nearby contract rising on strong export demand while deferreds eased on signs that China was making progress in rebuilding its decimated hog herd, traders said. Strength in the cash market supported the front-month December contract, which rose 2.3 per cent and hit […] Read more


CME December 2020 lean hogs with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hog futures climb to more than 10-month high

Live cattle lower on new lockdown concerns for beef demand

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures on Thursday soared to their highest prices in more than 10 months, as meat demand continued to strain processor capacity and COVID-19 cases are rising in the United States, traders said. Thursday’s daily U.S. hog slaughter was 490,000 head — 2,000 fewer than the same period last […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs up on lower-than-expected inventory

CME live cattle follow cash cattle lower

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures climbed on Wednesday as traders grappled with mounting confusion on lower-than-expected slaughter rates, traders said. Wednesday’s daily U.S. hog slaughter was 489,000 head — or 2,000 fewer than the same period last year, according to data published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For the week to […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: Futures slip on seasonal pressure

Slaughter backlogs remain a drag on live cattle

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures fell on Monday, pressured by a softening in seasonal demand and the continued impact from backlogs at slaughterhouses, traders said. Lean hogs also eased on profit taking, while feeder cattle also followed live cattle for a loss. CME October live cattle futures fell 1.525 cents, to 108.35 […] Read more