CME April 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures end higher in short-covering bounce

Hogs extend slide

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Tuesday, on a technical bounce a day after falling to three-week lows, with optimism about a slight improvement in the U.S. slaughter pace lending support, traders said. But worries about slowdowns at packing plants due to worker shortages continued to hang over […] Read more

CME March 2022 feeder cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle, lean hogs fall on weaker slaughter

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle and lean hog futures fell on Friday as sluggish slaughter rates continue to drag on prices, traders said. “They’re both facing the same fundamental music – this slaughter disruption due to weather, labour tightness and COVID,” said Dennis Smith, commodity broker at Archer Financial. CME February […] Read more

CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures firm

Cash cattle prices provide support; lean hogs also firm with cash index

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures moved higher on Thursday, supported by cash cattle prices in the northern U.S. Plains, analysts said. “We’ve been under some pressure recently, but the cash trade was still at $138 to $140,” said Doug Houghton, technical analyst at Brock Capital Management (all figures US$). “That’s […] Read more

CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle down on lagging slaughter rates

Lighter supplies support lean hog futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased for a fifth consecutive session on Wednesday, pressured by lagging slaughterhouse production, analysts said. “We’re just not processing cattle fast enough. Some of the supply chain bottle necks that have affected the cattle market up to this point, they still remain in play,” said […] Read more

CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle, lean hogs dip on regulatory concerns

Biden proposal seen improving producers' cut of price

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased on Tuesday, pressured by new federal efforts to address a lack of competition in the U.S. meat processing sector. The initiative, announced by U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday, includes funding for more independent meat processors, strengthening enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act, […] Read more


CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 50-day moving average (black line) and August 2022 live cattle (pink line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Nearby CME live and feeder cattle futures ease

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased on Monday, remaining near recent highs as back-month contracts climbed to new highs on expectations of tighter supplies to come. CME February live cattle futures settled down 0.775 cent at 138.925 cents/lb., though back-month contracts starting with August 2022 found new life-of-contract highs (all […] Read more

CME February 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and dark red lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hog futures touch four-week high

Chicago cattle futures ease

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures rose for the fourth straight trading session on Monday, as the market continued to see support from a government report last week that showed smaller-than-expected national inventory numbers, traders said. Most-active February hog futures settled the day up 0.425 cent at 83.65 cents/lb. (all figures US$). Earlier in […] Read more

CME February 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hog futures touch four-week high

USDA reports see smaller hog herd, slightly fewer cattle on feed

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures touched a four-week high on Thursday before retreating and may rise further next week because of smaller-than-expected national inventory numbers, analysts said. The U.S. hog herd totaled 74.2 million head on Dec. 1, down four per cent from a year earlier, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in […] Read more



CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hog futures sag as broad selling hits markets

Crude, U.S. equities caught in sell-off

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock futures slumped on Monday as traders reduced risk in the face of rising coronavirus cases, brokers said. Selling hit a range of markets including crude oil, which lost more than three per cent, and U.S. stocks. “The risk-off trade is back today,” said Dan Norcini, an independent […] Read more