(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle drop from one-year peak, hogs rise

Chicago/Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle fell on Monday in a profit-taking setback after notching one-year highs for four straight days last week, traders said. Larger-than-expected cattle placements in a monthly government report issued after the market closed on Friday added pressure to start the week, with deferred contracts posting the steepest declines. “The […] Read more







(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Cash discounts lift live cattle

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed firmer on Wednesday, with support from short-covering tied to futures’ discounts to preliminary cash prices, said traders. April live cattle closed 0.575 cent/lb. higher at 121.35 cents, and June up 0.25 cent to 111.85 cents (all figures US$). Market-ready, or cash, cattle at Wednesday […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Cash price unease pressures CME live cattle

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Thursday slipped for a second straight day, amid investor caution while waiting for remaining cash cattle to change hands by Friday, said traders. Short-covering and futures’ discounts to early-week cash returns provided downside market support, they said. February live cattle closed down 0.25 cent/lb. […] Read more

(Regis Lefebure photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures mixed on end-of-year positioning

Chicago/Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures were narrowly mixed on Friday, paring earlier steep gains on end-of-year positioning, traders said. Stronger bids for cattle in U.S. Plains cash markets underpinned prices. But some investors took profits after most-active February futures hit an eight-month high before turning slightly lower. Despite the recent rally, cattle […] Read more