(Regis Lefebure photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs retreat from four-month high

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs settled lower on Tuesday after profit-taking and fund liquidation dropped futures from an early-session four-month high, said traders. February hogs ended 2.65 cents/lb. lower at 63.5 cents (all figures US$). April closed down 1.175 cents, to 66.9 cents. Both contracts finished below their respective 10-day moving […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle score four-month high

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Wednesday hit their highest level in four months, partly driven by short-covering and cash price optimism for this week, said traders. December live cattle closed up 1.175 cents/lb. to 113.275 cents (all figures US$). Most actively-traded February ended up 0.725 cent, to 116.225 cents. […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle mostly firmer

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures settled mostly higher on Monday after investors sold the December contract and simultaneously bought deferred months in a market strategy known as bear-spreading, said traders. The spreads, along with modest positioning before Friday’s U.S. Department of Agriculture monthly Cattle on Feed report, lifted some back-months […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle score 3-1/2 month high

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Friday reached their highest level since late August, driven by short-covering following the morning’s strong wholesale beef prices, said traders. Buy stops and technical buying enhanced market advances, they said. December live cattle closed 1.6 cents/lb. higher to 112.325 cents, after breaking through the […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

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

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed weaker on Thursday as investors wait for remaining slaughter-ready, or cash, cattle to change hands by Friday, traders said. December live cattle closed down 0.375 cent/lb. at 110.725 cents, and February was 0.425 cent lower at 113.275 cents (all figures US$). Packers may resist […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle slip on cash prices

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts finished in bearish territory on Wednesday, weakened by profit-taking and disappointing early-week cash prices, traders said. December live cattle closed down 0.025 cent/lb. to 111.1 cents, and February down 0.275 cent to 113.7 cents (all figures US$). Cattle at Wednesday morning’s Fed Cattle Exchange (FCE) […] Read more



(Lisa Guenther photo)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle climb ahead of arctic blast

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Monday, partly in anticipation of bone-chilling temperatures in the U.S. Plains and Midwest by week’s end, said traders. Extreme cold typically slows down weight gain in cattle, making them less available to packers. Also grocers tend to stock up on meat in […] Read more

(Gloria Solano-Aguilar photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs notch three-month high

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures hit a three-month high on Friday, with help from buy stops and technical buying, traders said. December futures led advances after investors bought the contract and simultaneously sold deferred months. December hogs, which will expire on Wednesday, closed 1.05 cents/lb. higher at 56.725 cents (all […] Read more