CME January 2019 feeder cattle with 20-day moving average. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: February hogs down, cattle up ahead of USDA data

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures edged higher while hog futures eased slightly on Thursday as traders awaited the release of two key U.S. government reports. The U.S. Agriculture Department reports, released after the market closed, showed that the U.S. hog herd was slightly lower than analysts were expecting, at 102 per […] Read more

CME February 2019 lean hogs with 200-day moving average. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hogs, cattle end mixed ahead of supply reports

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle and lean hog futures ended mixed on Wednesday as traders squared positions ahead of two key U.S. government reports due on Thursday, traders said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is scheduled to release its monthly cattle on feed report and its quarterly hogs and pigs report […] Read more


CME January 2019 feeder cattle, with 20-day moving average. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rally after bullish USDA data

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures were higher on Wednesday, extending earlier small gains after government supply reports showed fewer-than-expected U.S. cattle supplies, traders said. U.S. Department of Agriculture monthly Cattle on Feed data showed 11.692 million cattle in U.S. feedlots as of Nov. 1. That figure was three per cent higher […] Read more

(Gloria Solano-Aguilar photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: Hogs fall after contract highs on profit-taking

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures tumbled three per cent on Tuesday, reversing after hitting contract highs as investors locked in profits ahead of Thursday’s U.S. Thanksgiving Day holiday, traders said. Hog futures had gained in eight out of the past nine sessions on hopes of stronger pork demand, especially in […] Read more


CME December 2018 live cattle with 20-day moving average. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures ease ahead of USDA report

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock futures were lower on Friday, with both live cattle and lean hogs easing on worries that U.S. supplies were growing faster than demand, traders and analysts said. Cattle futures declined ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly Cattle on Feed report, which was released after the […] Read more

CME December 2018 live cattle with 200-day moving average in purple. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle end higher, gaining against hogs

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures rose more than one per cent on Wednesday on optimism about firmer cash cattle trade this week and inter-market spreading against hog futures, traders said. The market shrugged off bearish cattle and beef data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Monday’s Cold Storage and […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder cattle market holding value

Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were steady to as much as $4 higher while calf values traded within $5 on either side of unchanged. Current feedlot margins are hovering around break-even, but profitability will improve during October and November, given the recent strength in the deferred live cattle futures. Therefore, short-keep feeders […] Read more

CME December 2018 live cattle, with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle up on technical buying

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Tuesday, with the most-active December contract rallying from a one-week low on technical buying and anticipation of strong consumer demand, traders said. The market shook off pressure from bearish data in Monday’s U.S. Department of Agriculture cold storage report, which showed total […] Read more



CME October 2018 lean hogs, with 20-day moving average. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures near three-month high

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures climbed to a nearly three-month high on Wednesday, boosted by gains in cash hog markets, before futures trimmed gains to finish the session mixed. Cattle futures were nearly flat on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, in technical trading as dealers awaited a monthly U.S. Department of Agriculture cattle […] Read more