Large managed investment funds continued to sell long live cattle positions in the week ended Tuesday, taking them to their lowest net long position in more than a year. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission reported in its weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday for the week ended Tuesday that commercial traders, those who can make … Read More

Cash feeder cattle prices appear to be on a weaker path even though hot summer temperatures curtail receipts at many locations. The CME Feeder Cattle Index for the seven days ended Wednesday was $216.81 per cwt, down $0.33 from $217.14 on Tuesday.  It also is down from $222.92 a week ago. On a weekly basis, … Read More

USDA’s monthly Cold Storage report Thursday was considered neutral to bearish for beef as it stoked the fires of market concerns about beef demand.  It might have been more bearish if such fears were not already pressuring cattle prices. The report showed total pounds of beef in freezers, at 467.136 million pounds, were down 9.165 … Read More

US beef and beef variety meat exports lost traction in May, with volume and value falling below year-earlier levels, according to USDA data compiled by the US Meat Export Federation. Year-to-date export values, at $2.68 billion, continue to edge last year’s $2.64 billion by about 2%.  However, the 2015 5-month total volume of 430,393 tonnes … Read More

Wholesale beef prices continue to move lower, pressuring live cattle futures and cash prices as traders argue about how soon a beef bottom may come. Debate rages among traders about how much – or if – beef demand is being affected by growing supplies of pork and chicken.  They also wonder how much – or … Read More

Managed Money liquidated long positions aggressively during the week ended Tuesday, taking them to their lowest net position since the week ended Tuesday, March 17, and were said to be a significant factor in the futures market slide. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission said in its weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday that those large … Read More

The value of hides and offal has been declining all year and now threatens to drop below the previous five-year average as its principal ingredient, hides, loses buying interest.  Further declines are possible, since the factors that went into the decline remain in place. Hides make up the bulk of a USDA statistical grouping of … Read More