Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed lower on Monday, hit by profit-taking after gaining five days in a row driven by potential supply shortages as inclement weather moves across the U.S. Plains, traders said. Wintry weather typically slows down cattle weight gains while creating problems for employees and livestock to […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Profit-taking ends CME live cattle’s win streak
Wintry blast cuts both ways in U.S. cattle country
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — A major winter storm rolling across the U.S. Plains on Monday disrupted transportation of cattle to beef packing plants in sections of the region, said experts. However, they said, the rough weather supported cattle and wholesale beef prices struggling against abundant overall meat supplies and heavyweight animals. The storm, dubbed Goliath, […] Read more
Klassen: Bounce in fed cattle supports feeders
Reading Time: 2 minutes Feeder cattle prices ended the year on a soft tone, trading steady with week-ago levels. Most auction barns were in holiday mode, resulting in minimal sales across the Prairies. Christmas couldn’t come soon enough for feedlot operators and the bounce in the live cattle futures early in the week was a refreshing gift. This past […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Strong beef prices lift CME live cattle again
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures notched gains for a fifth consecutive session on Thursday, fuelled by the recent rise in wholesale beef prices in anticipation of tight near-term supplies, traders said. CME livestock futures closed at noon CT in observance of the Christmas holiday. Spot December settled 2.5 cents/lb. higher […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market grinds lower
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle prices ended the year on a soft tone, trading $5-$10 below week-ago levels; fleshier unweaned calves were down $10 to $15 because adverse weather plagued much of the Prairie region. Cattle buyers were busy on the phone, but receiving no orders. Feedlots appear to be content with their current inventory levels […] Read more
U.S. Nov. feedlot cattle placements slump to record low
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– Cattle movement into U.S. feedlots in November fell 11 per cent from a year ago to their lowest level since the government began compiling the data in 1996, a U.S. Department of Agriculture report showed on Friday. Analysts attributed last month’s much smaller-than-expected placements to deteriorating margins that prompted feedyards to […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle sink to three-year bottom
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Thursday slid to their lowest level in three years, pressured by more losses price-wise for unsold cash cattle, traders said. Spot December ended down 2.825 cents/lb. to 117.15 cents, and made a new contract low of 116.975 (all figures US$). February finished 2.45 cents […] Read more
Canada not yet pulling trade trigger on COOL
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canada remains “cautiously optimistic” that the U.S. government will repeal its country-of-origin labelling (COOL) law before the Canadian and Mexican governments impose retaliatory tariffs. Federal Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland, speaking Wednesday from Nairobi on a conference call with reporters, said she was “not going to go into hypotheticals” about Canada’s next move if an omnibus […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cash price caution tempers CME live cattle rally
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures finished moderately higher on Tuesday, after uneasiness about cash prices later this week pulled contracts from initial short-covering highs, traders said. Spot December ended up 0.775 cent/lb. to 120.3 cents, and February 1.125 cents higher at 125.525. Those who had been short futures covered those […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market falls sharply
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle prices experienced a week-over-week decline of $12-$15 on average, with fleshier unweaned calves trading down $20-$25. Major feedlot operators reined in buying interest across the Prairies as fed cattle and wholesale beef prices remain under pressure. Feeding margins continue to deteriorate beyond pain thresholds and the backlog of market-ready feedlot supplies […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
