Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle finished lower on Friday, weakened by initial cash prices that fell short of expectations, traders and analysts said. A light number of cash cattle in Texas and Kansas moved at $132 per hundredweight (cwt), which was mainly steady with last week’s record-high price, feedlot sources said. They said sellers elsewhere […] Read more
U.S. live cattle futures sag as cash disappoints
LIVESTOCK-U.S. live cattle futures ease ahead of USDA report
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle settled down slightly, except for October futures, as investors awaited the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly cattle-on-feed report at 2 p.m. CDT (1900 GMT), traders and analysts said. Analysts polled by Reuters said U.S. feedlot cattle placements last month likely increased 1.2 percent from a year ago as less-costly corn […] Read more
U.S. feedlot cattle placements rise as feed costs declined
The number of cattle placed in U.S. feedlots in September increased 1 percent from a year earlier, a government report showed on Thursday. Analysts attributed the rise to lower-priced corn, which reduced the cost of fattening cattle in feedlots. Also, higher prices for slaughter-ready cattle improved margins and drew more animals into feedlots. The U.S. […] Read more
LIVESTOCK-U.S. live cattle futures slump on profit taking
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell on Wednesday, pressured by profit taking after gaining in seven of the past nine sessions, traders and analysts said. Prior to Wednesday, futures climbed after tight supplies last week drove prices for slaughter-ready cattle to a record-high $132 per hundredweight (cwt). And packers raised the price of beef […] Read more
U.S. cattle slimmer as steer prices hit new highs, Zilmax removed
Cattle are entering U.S. packing plants slightly thinner than a year ago as feedlots rush the animals to market to cash in on record-high prices and are no longer feeding them the growth promotant Zilmax, analysts and economists said. The lighter cattle produce less beef at a time when there are fewer cattle going to […] Read more
LIVESTOCK: U.S. hogs again hit contract highs before pullback
Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures settled lower on Tuesday, pressured by profit taking after posting new contract highs three days in a row, traders said. CME December hogs ended 0.600 cent per lb lower at 91.350 cents after easing from a new contract high in electronic trading of 92.200 cents. February closed down 0.450 cents […] Read more
LIVESTOCK – cash price rebound sends U.S. hogs to contract highs
Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures rose to contract highs on Monday, fuelled by the turnaround in cash prices, traders and analysts said. Monday afternoon’s average cash hog price in the closely watched Iowa/Minnesota market was $85.41 per cwt, up 72 cents from Friday, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. December hogs closed up 1.525 […] Read more

Canadian feeder cattle exports seen surging after Tyson move
A decision by Tyson Foods Inc to stop buying slaughter-ready Canadian cattle looks to accelerate the movement of lighter Canadian cattle to U.S. feedlots, industry sources say, damaging the already fragile Canadian beef sector. A Tyson spokesman said on Thursday that the biggest U.S. meat processor halted purchases of slaughter-ready cattle from Canada as of […] Read more
LIVESTOCK: Strong beef prices lift U.S.. live cattle futures
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle on Tuesday gained for a third straight session, helped by recent wholesale beef price advances that may contribute to record-high cash prices this week, traders said. Consumer demand for select beef cuts, which includes roasts, tends to improve during the fall as interest in outdoor grilling wanes. And wholesalers actively […] Read more
LIVESTOCK-U.S. hog futures ease with cash prices
Chicago Mercantile Exchange hogs ended lower for a third straight session on Monday, pressured by weaker cash hog and wholesale pork prices. December hogs closed 0.475 cent per lb lower at87.475 cents and February finished at 89.650 cents, down0.400 cent. U.S. Department of Agriculture data on Monday morning showed the average price of hogs in […] Read more