Managed money, also known as commodity funds, cut their net long live cattle position for the fourth straight week during the week ended Tuesday as the most-active Oct contract set three new contract lows.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission made the disclosure Friday in its weekly Commitments Of Traders report. The Commission went on to say that commercial traders, those who theoretically could make or take delivery of a futures contract, covered more of their net short position for the second straight week.
The report listed managed money’s net long live cattle position at 24,097 contracts, down 3,105, or 11.4%, from 27,202 the previous week. It also was down 18,778, or 43.8%, from the 12-month high of 42,875 during the week ended Aug. 9.
Commercials, meanwhile, reported a net short cattle position of 60,742 contracts, down 2,032, or 3.24%, from 62,774 the previous week and down 15,216, or 20.0%, from the latest high of 75,958 the week before that.
The CFTC said managed money arrived at its new net long position by adding 3,170 new long positions and 6,275 new short positions while unwinding 2,932 spreads. This left them representing 29.0% of total long positions and 19.9% of total short positions.
Commercials got to their new position by adding 414 long positions and covering 1,618 short positions, leaving them in control of 12.2% of total long open interest and 35.3% of total short open interest.
During the reporting week, the most-active Oct live cattle contract dropped $0.65 per cwt, or 0.61%, to set the latest contract low of $99.37 per cwt and a new low close at $100.02. The contract closed the previous Tuesday at $107.47.
FUNDS CONTINUE SELLING CORN
During the latest CFTC week, managed money continued to sell corn futures with the latest COT report showing them net short by 186,127 contracts. Commercials covered short positions and ended up being net short by 128,543 contracts.
For the funds, it was the 12th straight week of either liquidating long positions or adding shorts as they dropped from a 12-month high of being long 268,412 contracts the week ended June 14.
Managed money’s new net short position was down 11,638, or 6.67%, from the previous week’s 174,489.
Commercials covered short positions for the third straight week, but only one week out of the last 11 showed an increase. Their new net short position was down from 132,171 contracts the previous week, a decline of 3,628, or 2.74%.
The CFTC said managed money arrived at its new position by liquidating 1,068 long positions and adding 10,570 short positions and 2,699 spreads. This left them representing 13.1% of total long open interest and 27.2% of total short open interest.
Commercials got to their new position by adding 13,157 long positions and 9,529 shorts, leaving them in control of 27.1% of total long open interest and 36.9% of total short open interest.
The most active Dec contract set a new contract low of $3.15 a bushel on Thursday but rebounded to $3.28 ½ by Tuesday.
CASH CATTLE MARKETS $5 LOWER
Cash cattle markets last week traded $5 per cwt lower on a live basis at $105. Dressed-basis prices were $9 lower at $166.
The USDA’s choice cutout Friday was $1.24 per cwt lower at $187.90, while select was off $0.36 at $182.27. The choice/select spread narrowed to $5.63 from $6.51 with 109 loads of fabricated product sold into the spot market.
The CME Feeder Cattle Index for the seven days ended Thursday was $136.67 per cwt, down $1.48. This compares with the Sep settlement Friday of $134.22, up $2.62.