CME December 2023 lean hogs with 10-, 20- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs rally, export sales in focus

Cattle futures turn lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures rallied on Thursday, with signs of strong export demand supporting prices following the market’s decline to its lowest in more than four months on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on Thursday morning that export sales of pork totaled 42,900 metric tonnes in […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME hog futures break losing streak

CME cattle futures close firm

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures closed firm on Wednesday, snapping a three session losing streak as traders said that the U.S. government’s most recent bearish supply forecast had been priced into the market. Cattle futures were consolidating after posting sharp declines a day earlier, but both feeders and live cattle […] Read more


CME December 2023 live cattle with 20-, 40- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures drop on technical selling

U.S. supply outlook drags on hog futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures fell on Tuesday, pressured by technical selling and demand concerns, traders said. Hog futures notched their third straight losing session as the government’s bigger-than-expected supply report from last week continued to weigh on the market. The benchmark CME December lean hogs futures contract sank 0.425 cent […] Read more

CME December 2023 lean hogs with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs limit down on USDA report

Chicago cattle also end lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures tumbled by the daily trading limit on Friday under pressure from stronger-than-expected productivity in U.S. herds, analysts said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in a quarterly report issued after trading ended on Thursday, surprised analysts by reporting the average pigs saved per litter reached 11.61 […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: CME cattle end firm, consolidate below recent highs

Hogs up on discount to cash price index

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Wednesday as the market consolidated just below life-of-contract highs touched a day earlier. Tightening U.S. cattle supplies remain a supportive backdrop to the market, but fresh bullish news was lacking, traders said. Wholesale beef prices fell, extending a seasonal slide dating from […] Read more

CME October 2023 lean hogs with 10-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Chicago hogs turn upward

Cattle futures down on day

Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures turned solidly upward Tuesday, a day after most trading months except October booked declines. October lean hogs closed Tuesday at 84.85 cents/lb., up 1.6 cents from Monday, while December closed at 76.25 cents, up 1.825 cents on the day (all figures US$). October hogs had dipped below 82 […] Read more


CME April 2024 live cattle with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

Klassen: Stronger live cattle futures enhance feeder demand

Feeder cattle supplies look to be lower than anticipated

Compared to last week, western Canadian grass yearling prices were unchanged to $3/cwt lower on average. Steers held value but heifers had a softer tone. Calf prices were relatively unchanged from seven days earlier. However, weaker barley prices and stronger deferred live cattle prices limited any slippage. The calf market continues to be in price […] Read more

CME October 2023 live cattle, with December 2023 live cattle (dark red O/H/L/C). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle touch contract highs on cash prices, tight supplies

Lean hogs mixed in technical trading

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures scaled to life-of-contract highs on Friday on firmer cash market prices and tight supplies of market-ready animals, traders said. Feeder cattle futures also posted contract highs across the board, drawing additional support from weaker feed corn prices. Feedlot cattle in the central and southern U.S. […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: Tight supply drives CME live cattle to new highs

Hogs down off Wednesday's one-month high

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures galloped to new highs on Thursday on short-covering combined with continued concerns about U.S. tight supplies, brokers said. October live cattle futures ended up 2.325 cents at 185.475 cents/lb. after setting a contract high of 185.775 cents/lb. (all figures US$). December live cattle settled 2.5 […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures ease in technical setback after highs

Nearby lean hogs also down on technical selling

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live and feeder cattle futures retreated on Wednesday in a technical selling and profit-taking setback after hitting highs earlier in the week, traders said. Higher feed corn prices and a weak tone to the cash beef market added pressure, they said. “This is technical after feeder cattle hit […] Read more