This week’s $3.00-per-cwt drop in cash cattle markets confirmed the bearish forecast of futures traders and reinforced the market’s counter-seasonal bearish tone. Cattle and beef prices will remain on the defensive for as long as this bearish psychology continues.  Deciphering when that will happen, however, is the hard part of the forecast. Many market analysts … Read More

As the USDA’s beef cutout values sink, showing a seasonal top two weeks ago, a look at specific cuts reveals much of the decline is because of small losses in chucks and rounds. These two primal cuts alone make up 52.0% of the total carcass so small dips in these primals can have a larger … Read More

Because of strong profits in July, cattle feeders have continued their aggressive bidding for feedlot replacements, driving prices to record highs.  They also have fed cattle to larger weights as a way to avoid these record-high feeder cattle prices. The end results of the market chasing itself are record-high breakeven prices.  Breakevens have shot up … Read More

Because of strong profits in July, cattle feeders have continued their aggressive bidding for feedlot replacements, driving prices to record highs.  They also have fed cattle to larger weights as a way to avoid these record-high feeder cattle prices. The end results of the market chasing itself are record-high breakeven prices.  Breakevens have shot up … Read More

Managed money cut back on its net long live cattle positions during the week ended Tuesday while producers covered some of their short positions, according to data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Producers may have been lifting hedges as managed money speculators were moving out of commodities in general because of a lack of … Read More

This week’s $5.00-per-cwt drop in cash cattle markets confirmed the bearish ideas of futures traders and gave the market a decidedly counter-seasonal bearish tone. Cattle and beef prices will remain on the defensive for as long as this bearish psychology continues.  Deciphering when that will happen, however, is the hard part of the forecast. Live … Read More

Despite declining corn costs, feedlot breakeven prices are expected to remain lofty, presenting a profitability challenge to cattle feeders for months or years to come.  Currently declining corn prices likely won’t be enough to offset rising feeder cattle costs. Feeding costs per hundred pounds of gain are well below last year but remain slightly above … Read More