The question of why beef packers are paying higher prices for fed cattle and boosting the slaughter rate in spite of higher slaughter weights can be summed up in one word – profits. Estimates made by John Nalivka, president of Sterling Marketing Inc., and author of the weekly Sterling Beef Profit Tracker, point to very … Read More

Analysts debate the outlook for fed cattle prices for the rest of the year, with leaning slightly bullish and others expecting a continued bearish slide. Some market analysts said they expect to see steady to slightly stronger prices for the rest of the year and that the market’s low may have been set two weeks … Read More

Managed money, or large commodity investment funds, boosted their net long live cattle futures positions to 29,725 contracts during the week ended Tuesday, their largest position since the week ended Aug. 23 when it dipped to 40,932. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday also said managed money’s new net long … Read More

Amid rising supplies, feeder cattle prices continue to fade counter-seasonally, but trying to predict a bottom isn’t possible. Average USDA-reported prices for 700- to 800-pound medium and large No. 1 feeder steers in the Southern Plains last week averaged $123.06 per cwt, down only $0.17, or 0.14%, from $123.23 the previous week.  The average price … Read More

The beef byproduct value is showing some late-season strength despite a rising US Dollar Index since early September as hide values climbed, said the Livestock Marketing Information Center in its Livestock Monitor. The byproduct value is the total value of all non-meat items produced from an animal such as cheek meat, hearts, livers, tripe, tongue, … Read More

Fed cattle prices are going to have trouble engineering a sustained price rally with wholesale beef prices headed lower. This is an ongoing story with the main character, beef prices, keep following the trend of last year rather than the 1010-2014 average. Choice beef prices have worked unevenly lower all year, refusing to kowtow to … Read More

Cash wheat prices in the Central Plains may be far enough below corn to make switching to wheat as the primary source of energy in cattle feeding diets workable financially, but few are doing it. One area feedlot owner and manager said he had broached the subject to his nutritionist who had replied that out … Read More