Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs finished mixed on Tuesday, supported by futures’ discounts to CME’s recent hog index at US78.9 cents, but pressured by weak cash and wholesale pork values, traders said. Spot-August futures, which will expire on Aug. 14, closed up 0.075 cent/lb. at 76.725 cents, and most-active October 0.625 […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs finish mixed

U.S. livestock: CME hogs down again as supply worries persist
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs extended losses into a fourth straight session on Monday as hefty supplies stifled cash and wholesale pork prices, traders said. Spot-August futures closed down 0.675 cent/lb. at 76.65 cents, and most-active October closed 1.15 cents lower at 62.975 (all figures US$). On Monday, packers processed 426,000 […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Lower cash prices drop hog futures
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs slumped for a third consecutive session on Friday as hefty supplies continued to drag down prices for market-ready (cash) hogs, traders said. Spot-August futures finished 0.75 cent/lb. lower at 77.325 cents, and most-active October down 0.325 cent at 64.125 cents. Friday morning’s average hog price in […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Bearish fundamentals sink CME hog futures
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs tumbled more than two per cent on Thursday following the morning’s cash hog and wholesale pork price retreat, traders said. Spot-August futures finished 2.15 cents/lb. lower at 78.075 cents, and most-active October down 2.325 cents at 64.45 cents (all figures US$). Thursday morning’s average market-ready (cash) […] Read more

U.S. cattle herd rebuilding well underway after seven-year slide
Semi-annual report puts U.S. cattle herd at two per cent larger than a year ago
The U.S. cattle herd as of July 1 was up two per cent from a year ago, continuing the trend that began in January that reversed a seven-year decline, the government’s semi-annual cattle report showed July 24. Affordable feed, healthy grazing pastures and strong cattle prices encouraged ranchers to aggressively replenish U.S. cattle numbers that […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle close mixed, hogs lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle settled mixed on Wednesday after investors bought the August contract and sold deferred months prompted by the morning’s wholesale beef price increase, traders said. Spot-August futures closed 0.45 cent/lb. higher at 148.675 cents, and October was down 0.025 cent at 148.175 cents (all figures US$). Wednesday […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle stretch rally into fourth straight day
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle barely eked out a four-day win streak after Tuesday’s choppy session, underpinned by anticipation of the same or better cash prices than a week ago, traders said. Spot-August futures closed 0.225 cent/lb. higher at 148.225 cents, and October up 0.1 cent at 148.2 cents (all figures […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Burdensome supply worries drag down CME hog futures
Chicago/Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs closed lower on Friday as hefty supplies continued to pressure cash and wholesale pork values, traders and analysts said. August ended down 1.175 cents per lb at 78.500 cents, and October 1.975 cents lower at 63.725 cents. Market-ready, or cash, hogs in the western Midwest sold at $73.63 per […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures finish mostly weak; hogs lower
Chicago/Reuters – Most Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts ended weak on Thursday, after investors sold deferred months and bought August led by near-term bullish fundamentals, traders said. August closed up 0.300 cent per lb at 145.225 cents, October down 0.025 cent at 146.450 cents and December 0.150 cent lower at 148.125 cents. Market-ready, or […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures weak ahead of cash prices
Chicago/Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle closed down slightly on Wednesday as investors await this week’s cash sales, traders said. August closed down 0.125 cent per lb at 144.925 cents, and October 0.325 cent lower at 146.475 cents. Bids for market-ready, or cash, cattle in Kansas and Texas were at $143 per cwt versus […] Read more