(Canada Beef Inc. photo)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle move higher with beef prices

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts settled higher on Monday, buoyed by the morning’s wholesale beef price turnaround, traders said. Buy stops and fund buying contributed to CME live cattle futures advances, they said. February closed 1.05 cents/lb. higher at 136.425 (all figures US$). April ended at 134.625 cents, up 0.675 […] Read more


Expect cattle market volatility to continue

Expect cattle market volatility to continue

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay, from the February 2016 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

The North American meat and livestock industry got a welcome pre-Christmas present when Congress repealed the beef and pork parts of the country-of-origin labelling law. The move brought relief and a certain rejoicing in all three countries. Not only can normal movement of livestock resume without costly segregation, potentially disruptive retaliatory tariffs were avoided. The […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle close mostly weak before USDA report

Chicago | Reuters — Most Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts settled lower on Friday, after investors tweaked positions ahead of the afternoon’s U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly Cattle on Feed report at 2 p.m. CT, traders said. February closed up 0.225 cent/lb. to 135.375 cents, April ended 0.425 cent lower at 133.95 cents and […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Cash price outlook extends CME live cattle gains

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts rose for a third consecutive day on Thursday, with help from fund buying and anticipation of strong cash prices by late Friday, traders said. February closed 1.05 cents/lb. higher at 135.15, and April ended at 134.375 cents, up 0.95 cents (all figures US$). So far, […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Lower fed cattle market pressures feeders

Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were trading $5-$10 below week-ago levels on average last week. Fully weaned vaccinated calves were trading down $5-$8 while semi-weaned bawlers were down a solid $10. Shorter-keep replacements over 850 lbs. were down $8-$12 depending on flesh levels but harder-looking cattle were down sharply, as much as $15. Extremely cold […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Fund buying boosts CME live cattle limit-up

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures settled up by their three-cent-per-pound daily price limit on Tuesday, driven by short-covering and fund buying, traders said. February and April ended at 132.95 cents and 132.125 cents/lb., respectively. Live cattle’s trading limit will be expanded to 4.5 cents on Wednesday. “There was no rationale […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle fade before holiday

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell modestly on Friday, following this week’s cheaper cash prices and the potential for further declines next week, traders said. The CME will be closed on Monday in observance of the U.S. Presidents Day holiday. Packers in the U.S. Plains this week paid $128-$134/cwt for […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle tumble with cash prices

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell hard on Thursday, led by more disappointing prices for market-ready, or cash, cattle, traders said. February live cattle closed 2.35 cents/lb. lower at 130.125 cents, and April ended down 2.275 cents, at 129.525 cents (all figures US$). Cash cattle on Thursday morning in the […] Read more