(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

CME cattle futures rout continues; hogs end lower

Despite small U.S. herd, placement into feedlots have been above last year's levels

Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange dropped on Thursday to fresh multi-month lows on technical selling and weak beef prices at a time when feedlot supplies of market-ready cattle are rising, analysts said.

CME December 2023 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hog, cattle futures down on profit-taking

Cash hog values seen softer

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) hog futures closed lower on Friday, retreating on a round of profit-taking after the benchmark December contract rose to its highest level in a month. Soft cash hog values, weaker wholesale pork prices and a large weekly hog slaughter added to bearish sentiment. “We’ve had a pretty […] Read more


CBOT January 2024 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans set 6-1/2-week high

Weaker U.S. dollar lifts grains complex

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures touched a 6-1/2-week high on Friday, lifted by uneven crop weather in top soy producer Brazil and fresh export demand for U.S. supplies, coupled with a plunge in the dollar that bolstered corn and wheat futures as well. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) January soybean futures settled up […] Read more

CME January 2024 feeder cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hogs soar as U.S. Fed piques investors’ risk appetite

Beef, pork export sales above four-week average

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) cattle and hog futures rose on Thursday following broad strength in Wall Street equities, crude oil and other commodities, as investors’ risk appetite increased a day after the U.S. Federal Reserve kept benchmark interest rates on hold. “The emphasis is really from the ‘risk-on’ macro play, driven […] Read more

CME February 2024 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle firm on cash market optimism

Lean hog futures end lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle futures closed modestly higher on Wednesday, with the benchmark December contract extending its rebound from a four-month low set last week, buoyed by technical buying and expectations of rising cash cattle prices. Sellers in the Kansas and Texas cash markets were offering slaughter-ready cattle as […] Read more


CBOT December 2023 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn drops to seven-week low

Wheat, soybeans move higher

Chicago | Reuters — Benchmark U.S. corn futures fell to their lowest point in seven weeks on Wednesday as the harvest continued and showed better than expected yields, while weather forecasts improved in crop areas of South America. Wheat and soybean prices were modestly higher in rangebound trading. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) corn closed […] Read more

CBOT January 2024 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: South America rains push soy futures down

Wheat, corn futures also drop

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures declined about one per cent on Monday on profit-taking and pressure from beneficial rains over the last few days in South American crop areas, offsetting a weather premium that had been building for the oilseed crop. Corn and wheat futures also fell. Benchmark January soybeans on the Chicago […] Read more