(Gloria Solano-Aguilar photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: CME October hogs fall to contract low

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange October lean hog futures fell sharply to a contract low on Thursday, weighed down by a months-long decline in cash prices and abundant supplies, traders said. Deferred hog futures contracts as well as most live cattle and feeder cattle contracts also eased on technical selling and profit-taking. Traders […] Read more

(Regis Lefebure photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: Supplies drag CME hogs to eight-month low

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures on Monday were weakened by falling prices for slaughter-ready, or cash, hogs along with softer wholesale pork values as supplies build seasonally, said traders. They said packers also have more livestock at their disposal as packing plants prepare to shut down for the upcoming Labour […] Read more


(USDA.gov via Flickr)

U.S. July feedlot cattle placements smaller than expected

Chicago | Reuters — Ranchers in July placed 2.7 per cent more cattle in U.S. feedlots than a year ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on Friday, which fell short of average analysts’ forecasts. Dwindling profits for feedyards, after being paid less for their cattle by packers, discouraged them from buying calves for fattening […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle gain before USDA report, but off highs

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle posted modest gains on Friday after investors tweaked positions before the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly Cattle on Feed report at 2 p.m. CT, traders said. Analysts polled by Reuters expect the report to show 6.2 per cent more cattle entered feedlots in July than a […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle snap back from nine-month low

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle settled higher on Thursday after short-covering and bargain buying rescued futures from a nine-month low earlier in the session, said traders. Technical buying and positioning before the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly Cattle on Feed report on Friday provided more market support. August, which will expire […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Improved cash prices lift CME live cattle

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures finished firmer on Friday, led by higher cash prices than earlier this week, traders said. Technical buying and futures’ discounts to cash returns provided more market support. Investors were awaiting the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly Cattle on Feed report on Friday at 2 p.m. […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle slump on profit-taking, cash caution

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed lower on Thursday, erasing most of Wednesday’s gains, pressured by profit-taking and caution while awaiting remaining cash prices, traders said. Technical selling contributed to market losses ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly Cattle on Feed report on Friday, traders said. USDA will […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle jump

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures gained sharply on Wednesday, fueled by short-covering in response to higher-than-expected preliminary cash prices, said traders. They said fund buying contributed to market advances. August ended 2.2 cents/lb. higher at 117.275 cents and above the 20-day moving average of 115.838 cents (all figures US$). October […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle sharply higher, shrug off USDA report

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed sharply higher on Monday, with the August contract up the three-cent per pound daily price limit, helped by buy stops and fund buying, said traders. They said Monday morning’s wholesale beef price upswing and back-month futures’ discounts to last week’s cash prices offset initial […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle sag with cash, beef prices

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell for a second straight day on Thursday, pressured by fallen cash and wholesale beef values, said traders. June, which will expire on June 30, closed 0.875 cent/lb. lower at 118.625 cents (all figures US$). Most actively-traded August finished 1.075 cents lower at 114.275 cents. […] Read more