Live Cattle Futures Show Steady Gains as Market Activity Picks Up

Cash Prices Begin to Emerge Amid Vibrant Livestock Trading

Live cattle futures increased by 55 to 87 cents during Wednesday’s midday trading. This week saw the start of light cash trade, with Kansas reporting prices at $201 today. An online auction at the Central Stockyards Fed Cattle Exchange displayed one lot of 858 head that sold for $202.50 using the BidTheGrid™ method. Other bids came in at $200. Meanwhile, feeder cattle futures traded within a range of 57 cents to $1.125. Furthermore, the CME Feeder Cattle Index rose by $1.01 from the previous day, landing at $278.31 as of January 13.

In the USDA’s Wednesday AM report, wholesale Boxed Beef prices displayed a mixed trend. The Choice/Select spread widened to $17.15, with Choice boxes gaining $1.43 to reach $334.41 per cwt, while Select boxes dropped $1.45 to $317.26. For federally inspected cattle slaughter, the USDA estimated Tuesday’s total at 125,000 head, which brings the week’s total to 242,000 head. This figure is 7,000 head more than last week and up by 25,644 head compared to the same week last year.

Feb 25 Live Cattle are now priced at $197.950, reflecting an increase of $0.550.

Apr 25 Live Cattle are trading at $199.000, showing a gain of $0.850.

Jun 25 Live Cattle stand at $193.075, climbing by $0.875.

Jan 25 Feeder Cattle are currently at $274.675, up $0.575.

Mar 25 Feeder Cattle are priced at $269.325, rising by $1.125.

Apr 25 Feeder Cattle are at $269.600, increasing by $1.050.

On the date of publication, Austin Schroeder did not hold any direct or indirect positions in the securities mentioned. All information herein is provided for informational purposes only. For further details, please refer to the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.