On February 26, live cattle futures experienced gains of 17 to 60 cents, with prices closing at $240.525 for February and up to $241.800 for April. Conversely, feeder cattle futures increased by $1.35 to $2.15, with the March futures closing at $370.075. During the same week, the Wednesday Fed Cattle Exchange auction reported no sales from 1,602 head offered, with cash trade lingering around $237-$240.
Wholesale boxed beef prices fell significantly, with choice boxes down $2.69 to $368.02 and select boxes declining $5.14 to $362.09. The USDA reported federally inspected cattle slaughter at 113,000 head for Wednesday, bringing the total for the week to 336,000 head—12,000 higher than the previous week but still down by 20,175 from the same week last year. The Chc/Sel spread stood at $5.93.
