Download PDF Prices in the hog and pork complex continued to leak lower this week, led by the cutout which lost a little less than $2 to average $94.30. Negotiated hogs in the WCB region were down $0.89 on a weekly average basis at $77.21. Packer margins compressed a little, now close to $11/head, down …
Download PDF The cash cattle market finally stabilized this week with prices in the South steady at mostly $181 and prices in the North a little higher at $181-182. When the dust settles and all of the data is in, I’m looking for the 5-area average to be near $181.75, which would be up about …
Download PDF It was a flat week for prices in the hog and pork complex. The cutout gained $0.38/cwt as it averaged $96.27 for the short week. Cash hog markets were also steady, with the WCB negotiated price up only $0.05/cwt. In spite of this, the front month futures moved lower with the Oct contract …
Download PDF Coming into the week, it appeared that the cash cattle market was poised to trade steady or only a little lower, but outside forces intervened once again. On Thursday, there was news of anthrax infecting part of a cattle herd in Wyoming and that sent the futures sharply lower, prompting cattle feeders in …
Download PDF Negotiated hog prices came under pressure this week, with the WCB base price falling $4.50/cwt. on a weekly average basis to $78.11. That was the biggest weekly price decline in almost a year. There isn’t much doubt that hog supplies are increasing seasonally, but some of this week’s big decline is also probably …
Download PDF The beef cutouts continued lower this week, with the Choice dropping $5.20/cwt. to average $310.63 and the Select losing $3.31 on its way to $298.02. This week’s decline was largely driven by a big drop in the loin primal and a sharp down move in the price of 50s. Choice striploins were responsible …
Download PDF A wave of technical selling washed over live cattle futures on Tuesday and that was just more than cattle feeders could bear. Cash trade was triggered $2 lower at $183 in the South, while $184-187 was common in the North. When the all of the prices are compiled on Monday, I expect the …
Download PDF An odd thing happened in the hog and pork complex this week. Pricing for most of the cuts and hogs moved lower, yet the nearby Oct futures rallied over $5. I think there were a couple of things driving this weird outcome. The first and probably most important, was that the Oct contract …
Download PDF The beef market continued to firm this week with the Choice cutout adding $1.92 on a weekly average basis and the Select cutout up $2.15. The cattle market went the other direction, with trade in the South down $1 at $185 and the live trade in the North down $3 to $190. Packer …
Download PDF Prices in the hog and pork complex inched higher this week, with the cutout gaining $0.71 on a weekly average basis and the WCB negotiated hog market adding $0.81. The cutout averaged $105.49 this week, but the highest cutout was recorded on Monday and the lowest on Friday, which suggests that it may …