**Live Cattle Futures Decline Amid Mixed Market Activity**
On Thursday, live cattle futures closed lower, with contracts down between $2.80 and $3.92. Cash trade activity ranged from $256 to $260, with southern trade at $256-$258 and northern trade at $258-$260. Feeder cattle futures also faced a downturn, dropping $6.07 to $6.87. The CME Feeder Cattle Index fell by $2.90, settling at $372.29.
In related updates, the USDA estimated a federally inspected cattle slaughter of 109,000 head for Thursday, bringing the weekly total to 422,000—down 12,000 from last week and 46,428 below the same week last year. The weekly Export Sales report indicated 10,005 MT of beef sold for 2026, with Japan purchasing 3,000 MT and Taiwan 2,500 MT. Meanwhile, the wholesale boxed beef prices showed a decline, with Choice boxes down $2.68 to $386.94 and Select boxes down $5.21 to $384.42.
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