(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Funds, short-covering extend CME live cattle gains

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Friday closed higher for a third day in a row, led by fund buying and investors who covered previously short positions, said traders. December led advances after funds in CME’s livestock markets that track the Standard + Poor’s Goldman Sachs Commodity Index bought that […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Spreads help drive up CME live cattle futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle closed higher on Thursday after investors bought October futures and simultaneously sold deferred months in a trading strategy known as bull spreads, traders said. Some market participants, also through spreads, purchased live cattle futures and at the same time sold CME lean hog contracts. There are […] Read more


(Canada Beef Inc. photo)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle gain on firmer beef prices

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures settled moderately higher on Wednesday, with help from short-covering and improved wholesale beef values, said traders. December received added support from fund buying after the contract topped the 10-day moving average of 109.648 cents (all figures US$). October live cattle finished up 0.275 cent/lb. at […] Read more

(File photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Cattle mostly firm on short covering

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures were mostly higher on Friday, lifted by end-of-week short covering following a decline to nine-month lows a day earlier, traders said. Futures, however, remain anchored by plentiful supplies of market-ready cattle and weak cash markets as fed cattle in the U.S. Plains this week traded […] Read more


(Gloria Solano-Aguilar photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: Short-covering, bargain buying boost CME hogs

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures closed higher on Wednesday after bargain buyers and investors covering short positions reversed Tuesday’s slide to an 8-1/2 month low, traders said. Prior to Wednesday’s session CME hogs had a relative strength index (RSI) reading of 17. An RSI below 30 suggests a market is […] 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


(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: CME live cattle resume trek to nine-month low

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Wednesday hit a nine-month low for the fourth time in the past five sessions, led by seasonally soft wholesale beef demand and lower initial cash prices, said traders. Fund liquidation contributed to declines after deferred contracts slipped below key technical support levels, they said. […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle break four-session losing skid

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Tuesday settled higher for the first time in five sessions, spurred by short-covering and bargain buying, said traders. Some contracts punched through key technical resistance barriers, which triggered fund buying and pre-established buy orders. August ended 0.725 cent/lb. higher at 106.725 cents (all figures […] Read more