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U.S. livestock: Nearby live cattle futures jump on short covering, positioning

Chicago | Reuters – Live cattle futures rallied on month-end short covering and position squaring on Wednesday, with the nearby contract hitting its highest price in almost eight months, traders said. Front-month CME October live cattle settled up 1.950 cent at 115.850 cents per pound and reached its highest price since March 6. Most-active December […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder cattle demand softens

Compared to last week, Western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $2 to as much as $5 lower. Feedlot margins have come under pressure over the past week which resulted in lower bids for all weight categories. Alberta and Saskatchewan feedlot inventories are running 18 to 20 per cent above year-ago levels. Pen space is at […] Read more



Photo: Canada Beef Inc.

U.S. livestock: Live cattle slip from 3-week high in technical setback

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures dropped on Thursday in a technical-selling and profit-taking setback after scaling to three-week highs the previous day. Strengthening cash beef prices and government data showing smaller-than-expected cattle supplies at feedlots had supported the market earlier this week. “Coming out of the cattle on feed report, […] Read more




Photo: Canada Beef Inc.

Klassen: Feeder cattle market volatility continues

Compared to last week, Western Canadian yearlings sold $4 to $6 lower while calves were extremely variable dropping $4 to as much as $10 in some cases. Many auction barns held feature sales last week and larger supplies weighed on the market. Weakness in the deferred live cattle futures also contributed to the softer tone. Feeder […] Read more

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U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures rebound on supply reports

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle and hog futures rose on Monday, bouncing back from Friday’s decline as traders digested government reports that showed supplies, while remaining abundant, were less than expected. Concerns about the spread of African swine fever in China added support. The U.S. Agriculture Department on Monday reported that beef in cold […] Read more