Cattle Current Market Update with Wes Ishmael

Cattle futures gained Wednesday, helped by lower Corn futures. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $1.90 higher. Feeder Cattle futures were an average of $4.58 higher. Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was limited on light demand in the North through Wednesday afternoon, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service. Although too [...]

Cattle futures were mixed to mainly higher on Tuesday. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of 11¢ lower to an average of 28¢ higher. Feeder Cattle futures were an average of $1.62 higher. Negotiated cash fed cattle trade ranged from limited on light demand in Nebraska to mostly inactive on light [...]

Cattle futures softened Monday, pressured by bearish outside markets, along with month-end and quarter-end positioning.  Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of 80¢ lower. Feeder Cattle futures were an average of $1.42 lower. Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was inactive on light demand in the North through Monday afternoon, according to [...]

Cattle futures closed higher Friday and for the week with strength from tight numbers, higher cash feeder cattle prices and stronger wholesale beef values.  Live Cattle futures were an average of $1.28 higher, except for 20¢ lower in waning spot Oct. Feeder Cattle futures closed an average of $3.01 higher. Week to week on [...]

Cattle futures boomeranged back Wednesday, helped by oversold conditions and lower corn futures prices.  Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $2.31 higher. Feeder Cattle futures were an average of $6.02 higher, except for 87¢ lower in waning spot Sep. Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was inactive on light demand in [...]

Cattle futures pulled back Tuesday, with some likely profit taking from the previous session’s strong gains.  Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $1.90 lower. Feeder Cattle futures were an average of $2.94 lower, except unchanged in the front contract. Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was inactive on light demand in [...]

Cattle futures stepped confidently higher Monday, buoyed by Friday’s Cattle on Feed report with placements 9.2% less year over year and 6.5% less than pre-report estimates with snug supplies ahead (see below).  Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $5.06 higher. Feeder Cattle futures were an average of $8.31 higher. Negotiated [...]

Cattle futures sputtered Friday and ended the week lower with apparent squeamishness about the Cattle on Feed report that was published after the session and wonderment about the impact of next week’s resumption of Mexican feeder cattle imports through the port of entry at Santa Teresa, New Mexico Sept. 24. Turned out that the [...]

Cattle futures were lower again Thursday, with steady to lower negotiated cash fed cattle prices and likely positioning ahead of Friday’s Cattle on Feed report. Depending on the estimates considered, analysts expect August placements to be down about 3%, August marketing to be about 4% less and the Sept. 1 cattle on feed inventory [...]

Cattle futures softened further Wednesday, pressured by bearish outside markets, and likely profit taking as traders await the week’s negotiated cash fed cattle direction. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $2.79 lower. Feeder Cattle futures were an average of $5.10 lower. Negotiated cash fed cattle was mostly inactive on light [...]

Cattle futures were lower Tuesday with likely profit taking from the recent gains. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $1.70 lower. Feeder Cattle futures were an average of $3.43 lower. Negotiated cash fed cattle was inactive on light demand in the North through Tuesday afternoon, according to the Agricultural Marketing [...]

Cattle futures ended Friday and the week higher, supported by the step higher in negotiated cash fed cattle prices and lower grain futures. Live Cattle futures closed an average of $2.33 higher. Feeder Cattle futures closed an average of $4.56 higher. Week to week on Friday, Live Cattle futures closed an average of $6.35 [...]

Cattle futures strengthened on Thursday, supported by stronger cash feeder cattle prices and thoughts that negotiated cash fed cattle prices could follow suit. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of 84¢ higher, except for unchanged in two contracts. Feeder Cattle futures were an average of $1.74 higher. Negotiated cash fed cattle [...]

Cattle futures mainly held or extended gains on Wednesday, in the face of another day of bearishness in outside markets. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of 51¢ lower, except for an average of 12¢ higher in two contracts. They were an average of $3.46 higher Wednesday. Feeder Cattle futures were [...]

Cattle futures closed mixed Friday on caution ahead of the three-day weekend. Live Cattle futures closed an average of 99¢ lower, except for an average of 11¢ higher in the back three contracts. Feeder Cattle futures closed an average of 60¢ higher, except for an average of 85¢ lower in the front three contracts. [...]

Cattle futures finally bounced higher Thursday, supported by oversold conditions and some renewed strength in cash prices. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $3.32 higher. Feeder Cattle futures were an average of $6.50 higher.   Negotiated cash fed cattle was light on light demand in Nebraska and the western Corn [...]

Cattle futures continued trying to carve a bottom Wednesday, with pressure including steady to lower cash fed cattle prices. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $1.38 lower. Feeder Cattle futures were narrowly mixed, from an average of 38¢ lower to an average of 67¢ higher. Negotiated cash fed cattle trade [...]

Cattle futures were lower Tuesday amid struggling cash fed cattle prices and higher feed costs. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $1.14 lower. Feeder Cattle futures were an average of $1.42 lower. Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was mostly inactive on light demand in the North through Tuesday afternoon, according [...]

Cattle futures overcame more government intervention in the cattle business (see below) on Monday to eke out gains with oversold conditions. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of 73¢ higher.  Feeder Cattle futures were an average of 25¢ higher except for an average of $1.07 lower in the back two contracts. [...]

Cattle futures were unable to build on recent gains Friday, bogged down by more political rhetoric. Live Cattle futures closed an average of 92¢ lower. Feeder Cattle futures closed an average of $1.68 lower. Week to week on Friday, Live Cattle futures were an average of $2.88 lower, except for an average of 60¢ [...]

Cattle futures continued higher Thursday, boosting hopes that the bottom had been etched. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $2.79 higher. Feeder Cattle futures were an average of $3.42 higher. Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was mostly inactive on light demand in the North through Thursday afternoon, according to the [...]

Cattle futures firmed and mostly gained Wednesday, supported by oversold conditions.  Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of 46¢ higher, except for an average of 42¢ lower in two contracts. Feeder Cattle futures were an average of $2.11 higher, except for an average of 94¢ lower in the front two contracts. [...]

Cattle futures continued to unravel Tuesday with follow-through pressure and another significant step lower in negotiated cash fed cattle prices.  Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $1.76 lower. Feeder Cattle futures were an average of $4.73 lower, except for 22¢ higher in spot Aug. Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was [...]

Cattle futures opened higher Monday, supported by the lower July feedlot placements in Friday’s Cattle on Feed report but then turned negative with pressure including last week’s lower negotiated cash fed cattle prices and negative psychology surrounding Monday’s re-opening of the port of entry in Douglas, Ariz., to feeder cattle imports from Mexico.  Toward [...]

Cattle futures were able to fade early pressure from President Trump’s announcement to waive tariffs for 90 days on imported beef products for ground beef (see below).  Live Cattle futures closed an average of 78¢ higher, except for an average of 19¢ lower in the front two contracts. Feeder Cattle futures closed an average [...]