Download PDF Prices in the cattle and beef complex slipped lower again this week, with the Choice cutout dropping $2.84/cwt. on a weekly average basis and the Select cutout losing $6.38/cwt. Cash cattle markets were mostly lower also and it looks like the 5-area weighted average will ring in somewhere close to $182.50, down about …
Download PDF Cash cattle traded lower again this week, with the average live price expected to come in around $183.80/cwt., down a little over $2 from the week before. The cutouts were also lower, but not by much, as the Choice averaged $300.27 on the week, down $0.84 and the Select averaged $297.38, down $0.31. …
Download PDF The beef market hit a bit of an air pocket this week, with the Choice cutout dropping $8.02/cwt. to average $301.10 and the Select cutout losing $3.36/cwt. to average $297.69. Apparently, it is just too early for spring demand improvements to take hold. The northern section of the country experienced colder-than-normal temperatures and …
Download PDF The big event this week in the cattle and beef complex was a large sell-off in the futures that occurred on Tuesday. On that day, most active Jun finished down $3.22/cwt. No one seemed to be quite sure what triggered the selling. Long-time fundamental bears were sure that this was signaling the imminent …
Download PDF Beef packers managed to keep beef prices moving higher this week, with the Choice cutout adding $2.49/cwt. on a weekly average basis and the Select cutout gaining $2.10/cwt. However, by the end of the week the cutouts were showing some signs of fatigue. Cattle feeders managed to wrangle another $2+ gain in the …
Download PDF Light kills in the past few weeks has made it easier for packers to keep upward pressure on the cutouts. This week, the Choice cutout gained $4.39 on a weekly average basis in moving to $310.39 and the Select cutout added $4.52 on its way to $300.72. Unfortunately for them, they ended up …
Download PDF Another week, another increase in cash cattle prices. This week cattle feeders were able to coax another $2/cwt. out of packers as the cash trade nationally averaged a little over $185. Packers got a small consolation prize in the beef markets where the Choice cutout gained $2.80/cwt. on a weekly average basis in …
Download PDF Packers slashed the kill last week in hopes of correcting their dismal margin situation and it worked to a small degree. The Choice cutout gained $4.68/cwt. on a weekly average basis and the Select cutout added $5.89/cwt. That was just a little more of an increase than was needed to cover the cost …
Download PDF This week when the futures market turned suddenly lower on Thursday, cattle feeders didn’t take the bait and continued to hold out until Friday. That netted them a nice $3 increase in the live market to $183 and a $4-5 increase in the dressed markets. If you recall, in the week prior three …
Download PDF Cattle futures started the week with a negative tone, posting losses for the first three days. Packers seized on the opportunity and began bidding $178 on Tuesday. By Wednesday, they raised bids to $180 and found cattle feeders to be willing sellers at $2 under the previous week’s price. Once the cash market …