Managed money liquidated long live cattle positions during the week ended Tuesday, keeping their overall position relatively flat over the last month, as the outlook for the cattle market grew more hazy. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission said in its weekly Commitments of Traders report that managed money, or large fund traders, had reduced their … Read More

Rising grain output, rising US cattle populations, struggling foreign currencies and declining populations in major consuming countries point to lower fed cattle prices in coming years, and traders appear to be adjusting. Thursday, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s live cattle futures market close revealed that traders have serious misgivings about cattle prices down the road.  The … Read More

Even though feeder cattle prices are softening as more calves come to the auction barns, it doesn’t mean prices will continue to soften.  It just means the markets will be more confusing. Fall cattle marketings began to rise a couple of months ago, easing the market into the September/October gut slot of the fall weaning … Read More

Annual US meat consumption is expected to rise this year in all major meat categories and then turn in a smaller increase next year through a combination of increased production and imports. Overall meat consumption was expected to rise 7.66 pounds, or 3.81%, to 208.63 pounds from 200.97 pounds.  In 2016, total per-capita meat consumption … Read More

US red meat exports are facing challenges related to a strong US dollar and competition from abroad that threaten to reduce shipments in coming months. An overall increase in the value of the US dollar, weakening economies around the world and increased competition from other exporting countries make US meat exports more challenging. First-half red … Read More

Managed money and commercial traders bought live cattle futures in the week ended Tuesday, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said Friday, a unusual event in that the two often work in different directions. As of Tuesday, managed money, or large speculative firms, had a net long position of 21,189 live cattle contracts, up 1,369, or … Read More

Fed cattle prices faltered again this week, taking returns to cattle feeders further into the red.  Other cattle owners have dug in their heels, refusing to accept lower bids from packer buyers. But since good times and bad come to feedlots all the time, it’s hard to visualize the plight of those who feed cattle … Read More