CME June 2023 live cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle mixed, cash-futures spread remains wide

Hogs firm after touching new lows

Chicago | Reuters — The Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s spot live cattle futures eased on Friday, after prices in some cash cattle markets dipped lower than last week, traders said. Still, traders cautioned, the spread between cash and deferred futures prices remains wide — a spread that could tighten in the coming weeks as the U.S. […] Read more

CBOT July 2023 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Chicago grains down on export data, weather

EU transit plan, Black Sea inspections temper Ukraine fears

Reuters — Chicago grains closed lower Thursday on lower-than-expected U.S. soybean export sales data, and favourable weather that would allow for planting to accelerate in the Midwest farm belt. Grains prices were also impacted by crude oil falling. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said soybean weekly export sales totalled 103,000 tonnes, below forecasts. “Export sales […] Read more


CME June 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Volatility roils CME cattle market

Chicago lean hog futures slump

Chicago | Reuters — The Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s cattle futures saw a second day of volatile trading on Thursday, with wide trading ranges and weaker technicals resulting in the spot live cattle contract turning lower, analysts said. One key reason, traders said, is that a white-hot cash market may have hit its limit. Cattle sold […] Read more

CBOT May 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average, MGEX May 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line, left column) and K.C. May 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Chicago futures dip as Ukraine inspections resume

Planting windows seen in U.S. despite rain forecasts

Mexico City | Reuters — Chicago grains and soy futures closed lower on Wednesday after inspections of ships carrying Ukrainian grain from the Black Sea resumed, and crude oil’s dip pressured prices down. A Ukrainian official said that “ship inspections are being resumed, despite the RF’s (Russian Federation’s) attempts to disrupt the agreement.” Kyiv faces […] Read more


CME June 2023 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs touch new lows on fat supplies

Live cattle down on profit-taking, feeder cattle touch fresh highs

Chicago | Reuters — Choppy trade roiled the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s livestock markets on Wednesday, while bountiful pork supplies and questions over consumer demand sent five of lean hog contracts slumping to new contract lows. The hog market turned sharply down, traders said, as the sector continues to wrestle with weak cash prices and larger-than-expected […] Read more

Detail from the front of the CBOT building in Chicago. (Vito Palmisano/iStock/Getty Images)

CBOT weekly outlook: Weather, demand affect grain prices

Wheat 'up and down' on Black Sea uncertainty

MarketsFarm — Severe weather in the U.S. as well as macroeconomic factors at home and abroad affected grain prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) for the week ended Wednesday. Jack Scoville of Price Futures Group in Chicago said wet and cool weather across the U.S. Plains, Midwest and corn belt, as well as […] Read more


CBOT May 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average, MGEX May 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. May 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Chicago grains flat or higher on Ukraine concerns

Rains expected to cause U.S. planting delays

Mexico City | Reuters — Chicago grain and soy futures closed nearly flat or higher on Tuesday as traders assessed the impact of several countries banning Ukrainian grain, and the future of a Black Sea grains deal remained in doubt. Markets were also eying expected rains in the U.S. that would likely slow planting schedules. […] Read more

CME May 2023 feeder cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle hit new highs

Chicago lean hogs hit new low

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s April and May feeder cattle futures hit fresh contract highs on Tuesday on tight supplies, as analysts said they expected cattle placements to continue to trend down, traders said. Meanwhile, CME May lean hogs hit a contract low of 78.5 cents/lb., before closing down 2.175 cents at 78.825 […] Read more


CBOT May 2023 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Chicago soybeans up on major U.S. crush

USDA says winter wheat at 27 per cent good or excellent condition

Mexico City | Reuters — Soybean futures gained following strong U.S. crushing data on Monday, while wheat and corn also closed higher after several eastern European countries banned grain and other food imports from Ukraine, casting further doubt on Ukrainian exports. Members of the National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) said the U.S. soybean crush jumped […] Read more

CME May 2023 feeder cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle hit new highs on supplies, cash market

Live cattle, lean hogs also up

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle futures hit new all-time highs in the nearby contracts on Monday, as bidding wars continue to rally cash prices as more producers show interest in expanding their herds, traders said. The rally helped give a boost to the pork market, where CME April lean hogs ended […] Read more