Meat price trends may be revealing consumer resistance, even though the holiday season is approaching, and the market may not attain to previous performance levels. A graph of wholesale ribeye prices through Oct. 14 shows that this cut, from which the rib roast and ribeye steak are formed, remains above a year ago and well … Read More

Federally inspected cattle slaughter rose last week, following a seasonal pattern, but it remains well below the previous five-year average and last year. Weekly slaughter this year has never been above the average and has only eclipsed last year on two occasions, the first week of January and the last week of February.  What’s more, … Read More

For all practical purposes, managed money held its net live cattle position steady during the week ended Tuesday.  Producers covered some short positions but also held within a sideways range. All that was done as futures prices put in their latest contract highs and then hovered, waiting for some outside influence to move them along.  … Read More

Cash cattle trading at better-than-expected levels this week helped to underpin the futures market in spite of weakening hog markets and limited slaughter. Live cattle bulls benefitted as the week’s cash cattle trading likely was completed Thursday at $163 to $164 per cwt on a live basis and $258 to $260 on a dressed basis.  … Read More

Cattle feeders can’t seem to catch a break.  The smaller cattle herd keeps replacement calf prices moving higher just as record corn yields are sending feed costs lower. USDA reports show record-high feeder calf prices in nearly every weight category and nearly every major market segment of the country, and prospective breakevens must be calculated … Read More

Slaughter steer prices rose last week, resetting the upper end of the sideways channel on price graphs, yet further gains depend as much on beef demand and packer margins as they do on tight supplies. Last week’s mostly $164-per-cwt price tag on slaughter-ready cattle was the third straight week of increases, pinching packer margins in … Read More

Average annual cattle prices in the Southern Plains are projected to rise exponentially this year and next before dipping slightly in 2016. USDA projections compiled and graphed by the Livestock Marketing Information Center show a slight dip in annual prices last year for two classes of feeder cattle while fed cattle retained a slight upward … Read More