Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures rose on Thursday for a fifth straight session, buoyed by higher wholesale beef prices and technical buying including short-covering, traders said. Retailers are buying beef to feature during the second half of the month, when consumers may have paid off year-end holiday debt and have more […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle extend climb to five sessions
U.S. livestock: Live cattle sag for sixth straight session
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange February live cattle futures fell Thursday for a sixth straight session, pressured by fund-driven long liquidation, falling cash cattle prices and softening wholesale beef demand, traders said. “Fund liquidation continues be a factor in the meat complex, although lower product prices are adding justification for the selling at […] Read more
Klassen: Tight margins weigh on feeder cattle
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices traded $5 higher to $5 lower; however, yearlings were a solid $2 to $4 lower. Negative feeding margins over the past month, along with weakness in the deferred live cattle futures, set a negative tone in the heavier weight classes. The calf market appears to be […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle climb as cash prices seen rising
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures rose on Monday as profitable packer margins and firm beef prices fueled expectations that cash cattle would trade at higher prices this week. December live cattle finished up 1.25 cents/lb. at 119.825 cents after holding chart-based support at the 50-day moving average around 118.675 (all […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market maintains upward trend
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were quite variable this past week. Strength was noted in the eastern Prairie regions where markets traded $5 to as much as $10 above week-ago levels; however, Alberta steer prices were relatively unchanged but heifers traded $5 to $8 higher. Available feeder supplies will tighten as we approach the end […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle surge to contract highs on higher cash prices
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. live cattle and feeder cattle futures contracts surged to lifetime peaks on Monday, boosted by unexpectedly high-priced sales in cash cattle markets that occurred after the futures close on Friday, traders said. Cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange surpassed Friday’s highs when trade resumed on Monday and some contracts […] Read more
Klassen: Friendly beef price outlook supports feeder market
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, yearling prices were $2 to as much as $5 higher, while calf markets traded $3-$7 above week-ago levels. The yearling run is coming to a close and feedlots scrambled to secure yearling ownership. Across Alberta, feature lots of high-quality 900-lb. steers were trading around $190 and this set the tone for […] Read more
Klassen: Strong Canadian dollar weighs on feeder market
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were down $3-$6 on average while calf values dropped $5 to as much as $10 in some cases. Most auction barns held feature yearling sales last week; there were small groups of calves available but the market was quite variable and hard to define in the lighter […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle gain on firmer beef prices
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures settled moderately higher on Wednesday, with help from short-covering and improved wholesale beef values, said traders. December received added support from fund buying after the contract topped the 10-day moving average of 109.648 cents (all figures US$). October live cattle finished up 0.275 cent/lb. at […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle slump to two-month low
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures extended losses to a more than two-month low on Wednesday as investors liquidated long positions amid declining wholesale beef prices and expectations for weaker cash cattle markets, traders and analysts said. Higher corn futures also boosted feed costs for fattening cattle, weighing on feeder cattle futures, while […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
