(Regis Lefebure photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs surge on stocks data, strong pork demand

Chicago/Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures climbed for a second day on Tuesday, with some contracts surging more than 3 percent, on bullish pork stocks data and seasonal buying, traders said. Prices climbed from the opening bell as the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported tighter-than-anticipated U.S. stocks of frozen pork and the tightest […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle drop from one-year peak, hogs rise

Chicago/Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle fell on Monday in a profit-taking setback after notching one-year highs for four straight days last week, traders said. Larger-than-expected cattle placements in a monthly government report issued after the market closed on Friday added pressure to start the week, with deferred contracts posting the steepest declines. “The […] Read more



Photo: Canada Beef Inc.

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures again notch 1-year highs

Chicago/Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures climbed on Thursday to a one-year top for the third straight day, and deferred contracts marked fresh highs, helped by firmer wholesale beef values, traders said. April live cattle closed 1.700 cents per pound higher at 129.625 cents. June ended 0.525 cent higher at 116.475 cents and […] Read more


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U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures up for 9th straight session

Chicago/Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures rose on Wednesday for the ninth consecutive session, and hit a one-year high for a second day in a row, after cash prices exceeded expectations, traders said. April live cattle closed 1.150 cents per pound higher at 127.925 cents, and June up 0.300 cent at 115.950 cents. […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hogs narrowly mixed on quarter-end positioning

Chicago/Reuters – U.S. livestock futures were narrowly mixed on Friday, with live cattle edging slightly higher in a rebound from an earlier 10-day low as investors squared up their positions on the final day of the quarter, traders and analysts said. Most-active Chicago Mercantile Exchange June live cattle settled unchanged at 110.875 cents per lb, […] Read more


(Regis Lefebure photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: Hog prices rally on bargain buying before USDA report

Chicago/Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs finished higher on Thursday, with strength from bargain buying prior to what turned out to be a neutral U.S. government hog report after futures closed, said traders. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s quarterly hog report showed a record-large March 1 herd, with most of the data close to […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Cash discounts lift live cattle

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed firmer on Wednesday, with support from short-covering tied to futures’ discounts to preliminary cash prices, said traders. April live cattle closed 0.575 cent/lb. higher at 121.35 cents, and June up 0.25 cent to 111.85 cents (all figures US$). Market-ready, or cash, cattle at Wednesday […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Cash price unease pressures CME live cattle

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Thursday slipped for a second straight day, amid investor caution while waiting for remaining cash cattle to change hands by Friday, said traders. Short-covering and futures’ discounts to early-week cash returns provided downside market support, they said. February live cattle closed down 0.25 cent/lb. […] Read more

(Regis Lefebure photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures mixed on end-of-year positioning

Chicago/Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures were narrowly mixed on Friday, paring earlier steep gains on end-of-year positioning, traders said. Stronger bids for cattle in U.S. Plains cash markets underpinned prices. But some investors took profits after most-active February futures hit an eight-month high before turning slightly lower. Despite the recent rally, cattle […] Read more