CME December 2020 live cattle with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Futures slip on seasonal pressure

Slaughter backlogs remain a drag on live cattle

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures fell on Monday, pressured by a softening in seasonal demand and the continued impact from backlogs at slaughterhouses, traders said. Lean hogs also eased on profit taking, while feeder cattle also followed live cattle for a loss. CME October live cattle futures fell 1.525 cents, to 108.35 […] Read more



(Regis Lefebure photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: Cash market strength boosts hog futures

Cash cattle values also boost live cattle

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures rose to their highest in more than a year on Tuesday, rallying to keep pace with recent gains in the cash market. The cash market strength stemmed from continued good demand even as the traditional U.S. grilling season draws to a close with the weather turning cooler. “There’s […] Read more

CME November 2020 feeder cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures slip as feed grain prices soar

Firm cash prices support CME hogs

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures retreated on Wednesday after the December contract hit its highest price in more than a month, while feeder cattle futures slumped as prices surged for grain used as animal feed. The rally in U.S. grain futures prices hung over cattle markets because livestock producers will be more […] Read more


CME December 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle up on beef demand, cash market optimism

Chicago hogs down on profit-taking

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures rose on Tuesday, with the December contract reaching its highest in a month on signs of strong demand for beef and expectations of firm cash cattle trade this week, analysts said. Also, commodity funds appeared to be adjusting positions ahead of the end of the month and […] Read more

CME October 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures up on cash market optimism

Wholesale pork values support October hogs

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed firm on Monday, rallying after a sharply lower open as strong packer margins raised expectations for higher cash cattle trade this week, analysts said. Average beef packer margins rose to $320.18 per head, from $313.25 on Friday, according to livestock marketing advisory service HedgersEdge.com (all figures […] Read more


CME October 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rise on expectations of firm cash values

Hog market appears technically overbought

Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange closed higher on Tuesday on expectations of firmer cash prices as supplies of market-ready cattle tighten, following a drop this past spring in the number of cattle placed in feedlots, traders said. “Packer margins are huge; they are still over $350 a head. […] Read more

CME October 2020 lean hogs with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures hit four-month high on export hopes

Post-Labour Day beef demand in doubt

Chicago | Reuters — Strong export demand for U.S. pork pushed Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures to a four-month high on Friday. Traders are optimistic China, the world’s biggest pork consumer, will remain a strong buyer, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported strong weekly export sales on Thursday. Chinese importers have been bringing […] Read more


CME October 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle touch late-July lows on demand jitters

U.S. pork export data due out Thursday

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Wednesday dropped to their lowest prices since July amid uncertainty about how much U.S. demand will decline as the summer grilling season draws to a close. Beef and cattle prices are often weak this time of year as demand weakens. This year, closures of […] Read more

CME October 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures snap losing streak

Large supplies pressure CME hog futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures jumped on Monday in a rebound off a run of losses, while lean hog futures closed weaker. Live cattle were due for a rebound after falling last week amid pressure from weakness in the cash market, traders said. Short covering helped lift prices, they said. […] Read more