Theopolis Waters

The U.S. hog herd in the latest quarter was nearly steady with year-ago levels, a U.S. government report showed Friday, surprising analysts who had expected a slight decline because of feed costs that soared to all-time highs last summer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s data showed the U.S. hog herd as of Dec. 1 at […] Read more

U.S. live cattle futures slumped as hope fades that the government would resolve the nation’s debt crisis before the year-end deadline, sending the stock market down sharply. Consumer worries about going over the ‘fiscal cliff’ could dent domestic and global demand for expensive U.S. meats, said traders and analysts. "Investors are skittish about what’s going […] Read more

U.S. live cattle futures turned higher on Wednesday as cash cattle price sentiment strengthened with wholesale beef prices, analysts and traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle traders expect cash cattle to trade steady to higher compared with last week’s at $126 to $127, due in part to fewer cattle being put up for sale […] Read more

U.S. live cattle futures drifted lower on Monday in light Christmas Eve trading volume, analysts and traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock markets closed an hour earlier at noon CST, in observance of the Christmas holiday on Dec. 25. There was not much fundamental information for investors to draw from with U.S. Department of Agriculture […] Read more

The number of cattle in U.S. feedlots for fattening fell six per cent in November to the smallest in 10 years for the month, a government report said Friday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture put supply of cattle in feedlots on Dec. 1 at 11.328 million head, or 94 per cent of the year-ago total. […] Read more

U.S. live cattle futures firmed late Friday on short-covering and positioning before the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly cattle-on-feed report at 2 p.m. CST. Analysts expected the data to show the number of cattle placed in feedlots in November fell for a sixth straight month. Friday’s wholesale beef price rebound helped lift Chicago Mercantile Exchange […] Read more

U.S. live cattle futures fell on profit-taking following recent market advances on worries that wintry weather in the U.S. Plains could hamper beef and pork production, traders and analysts said. There were reports of blizzard conditions and heavy snows in sections of the Plains snarling transportation of livestock and causing the shutdown of a few […] Read more

U.S. live cattle futures surged on Wednesday on fears that a winter storm rolling into the U.S. Plains could disrupt beef and pork production in the region, traders and analysts said. Blizzard conditions and potentially heavy snows in parts of the western and northern Plains Thursday and Friday could slow transportation of animals to packing […] Read more

U.S. live cattle futures notched their biggest one-day percentage gain in 3-1/2 months on Monday, driven by a wintry weather outlook for the U.S. central Plains that could interrupt beef production in the region, analysts and traders said. Snow is expected to move into the north-central part of the country on Wednesday, leaving as much […] Read more