An anticipated shortfall of slaughter-ready cattle may have begun late last year, if Kansas feedlot closeouts are the “canary in the mine” for such an event. Data from Kansas feedlots collected by the Kansas State University Extension service and compiled and published by the Livestock Marketing Information Center in Denver show November feedlot closeouts, or … Read More

Beef carcass cutout values ended 2023 with a whimper, remaining fairly flat through December although holding at a higher level than 2022 or the 2017-2021 average, according to USDA data compiled and published by the Livestock Marketing Information Center. And since the cutout almost always begins at a lower level in the first weeks of … Read More

Large commodity index funds, called managed money, reversed trend in the week ended Tuesday, advancing their collective net long live cattle futures position, while hedgers reduced their total net short position. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission reported the data Friday in its weekly Commitments of Traders report.   FUNDS BUY CATTLE   Managed money Tuesday … Read More

The latest report from the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer indicated US farmers’ inflation expectations have subsided while overall producer sentiment changed little, said Purdue Agricultural Economist James Mintert in a release. This month’s Ag Economy Barometer survey was conducted from Dec. 4 through 8. The December barometer recorded a reading of 114, just … Read More

The way 2023 ended points to higher prices for fed cattle in 2024, although the timing is uncertain, said a cattle specialist. The end of 2023 arrived at a time when cattle producers had a great deal to be thankful for, said Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension beef cattle breeding specialist, in a letter … Read More

There are two types of traders of any commodity or asset: speculators and hedgers.  These may divide into various subtypes, but the general categories remain, as do their approaches to a market. There also are two types of trading motivators available to both types of traders.  For commodity markets, these focus on fundamental aspects of … Read More

Large commodity index funds, known as managed money, extended their live cattle futures selling spree to 16 weeks in the week ended last Tuesday, Dec. 26, according to data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The CFTC’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday also reported that cattle hedgers reduced their total live cattle net short … Read More