Live cattle futures declined, trading steady to 20 cents lower at midday on Thursday. The online Fed Cattle Exchange experienced no reported sales for 1,224 head, with bids set at $238. Feeder cattle futures fell by $1 to $2.05, while the CME Feeder Cattle Index dropped 66 cents to $368.93.
According to the USDA’s weekly Export Sales report, beef sales reached a calendar year low of 11,163 metric tons for the week ending February 26, with shipments totaling 14,914 metric tons, the second highest for 2026. The USDA also estimated Wednesday’s federally inspected cattle slaughter at 111,000 head, bringing the week-to-date total to 322,000, which is 2,000 head below the prior week and 22,566 head lower than the same week last year.
As of Thursday, April Live Cattle futures were at $238.225, down 12.5 cents; June Live Cattle at $235.100, down 7.5 cents; and feeder cattle futures showed significant declines, with March Feeder Cattle at $362.775, down $1.150.
