Managed money, or large commodity investment firms, raised their collective net long position in live cattle futures during the week ended Tuesday to 83,961 contracts, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said in its weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday.
Managed money’s new live cattle position was up 10,549 contracts, or 14.4%, from 73,412 contracts the previous week. It also was the fifth straight week of gains in their net long position and the largest net long position since March 13 when it was 86,701 contracts.
In contrast, the collective net short live cattle position of commercial traders, those who own the cattle, and primarily are hedgers, increased 6,538 contracts, or 4.22%, to 161,421 contracts, from 154,883 the previous week. It also was their largest net short position since March 20 when it was 153,291 contracts.
The CFTC data showed that managed money arrived at its new position by adding 8,909 long positions, covering 1,640 short positions and putting on 1,030 new spread positions. This left them representing 29.0% of total long open interest, 4.9% of total short open interest and 13.4% of total spread open interest.
Commercial traders got to where they were by liquidating 1,524 long positions and adding 5,014 short positions, to leave them in control of 10.5% of total long open interest and 56.8% of total short open interest.
The CME Group said total live cattle open interest rose during the week to 340,176 positions, up 5,257, or 1.57%, from 334,919 the previous Tuesday.
CME Group data also showed that the most-active Feb live cattle contract rose during the week to close Tuesday at $122.57 per cwt from $122.15. In between, it rose to a high of $123.22.
FUNDS ALSO BOOST CORN POSITION
During the week ended Tuesday, managed money also boosted its net long corn position to its highest level since May 28 when it was 180,790 contracts. It also was their third straight week of raising their corn position.
Managed money’s new net long corn position was 124,427 contracts, up 34,693, or 38.7%, from 89,734 the previous week.
Commercial traders, meanwhile, had a collective net short position on Tuesday of 371,078 contracts, up 28,199, or 8.22%, from 342,879 the previous week. It was their largest net short corn position since June 19 when it was 395,567.
The CFTC said managed money arrived at its new corn position by adding 20,377 long positions, covering 14,316 short positions and putting on 66 new spread positions. This left them representing 18.4% of total long open interest, 10.5% of total short open interest and 12.6% of total spread open interest.
Commercials got to their new corn position by liquidating 13,830 long positions and adding 14,369 short positions, leaving them in control of 27.5% of total long open interest and 51.1% of total short open interest.
CATTLE, BEEF RECAP
No fed cattle traded Wednesday on the Fed Cattle Exchange Video Auction. The previous week, 97 head sold at an average price of $119 per cwt, up $1.17 from a week earlier.
Cash cattle traded last week at $119 per cwt on a live basis, steady with the previous week, and at $190 dressed in eastern Nebraska, up $2.
The USDA choice cutout Friday was up $1.58 per cwt at $214.05, while select was up $2.24 at $207.50. The choice/select spread narrowed to $6.55 from $7.21 with 51 loads of fabricated product sold into the spot market.
No delivery notices were served for Dec live cattle.
The CME Feeder Cattle index for the seven days ended Thursday, was $145.89 per cwt, up $0.15. This compares with Friday’s Jan settlement of $147.35, down $0.07.