Large commodity investment funds again extended their collective net long live cattle futures positions during the week ended Tuesday, Feb. 5, their twelfth straight week of taking on a longer cattle position.
The data came from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Commitments of Traders report Friday. The CFTC got behind in making this report during the partial government shutdown and has been issuing them semi-weekly since resuming operations in an effort to catch up.
The investment funds, called managed money, had a net long position on Feb. 5 of 106,949 contracts, up 4,617, or 4.51%, from 102,332 the previous week. It was their largest net long position in more than a year.
At the same time, commercial traders, primarily hedgers, those who own the cattle, took a new net short position of 181,523 contracts, up 8,483, or 4.90%, from 173,040 the previous week. It was their largest net short position since March 6, 2018, when it was 188,540 contracts.
The CFTC said managed money arrived at its new net long cattle position by adding 3,232 long positions, covering 1,385 short positions and putting on 1,673 spread positions. This left their position representing 31.8% of total long open interest, 4.2% of total short open interest and 13.7% of total spread open interest.
Commercials got to their new net short position by liquidating 5,132 long positions and adding 3,351 short positions, leaving them in control of 9.2% of total long open interest and 56.2% of total short open interest.
The CME Group said total live cattle open interest on Feb. 5 was 386,763 contracts, down 1,532, or 0.39%, from 388,295 the previous week.
During the CFTC week, the most-active Apr cattle futures contract declined to close at $127.62 per cwt from $127.80. However, in between, it set a contract high of $129.47 on Jan. 31 and a swing low of $125.75 on Feb. 1.
FUNDS GET LESS SHORT CORN
Meanwhile, managed money got less short CME Group corn futures during the week ended Feb. 5. The new net position was short by 6,584 contracts, down 3,248, or 33.0%, from 9,832 the previous week.
At the same time, commercials also got less short, moving to a net short position of 273,537 contracts from 275,018 the previous week, a decline of 1,481, or 0.54%.
Managed money arrived at its new corn position by adding 3,930 long positions, 682 short positions and unwinding 6,567 spread positions. This left them holding 12.2% of total long open interest, 12.6% of total short open interest and 15.4% of total spread open interest.
Commercials got to their new position by liquidating 8,227 long positions and covering 9,708 short positions, leaving them with 26.4% of total long open interest and 42.5% of total short open interest.
CATTLE, BEEF RECAP
The bulk of whatever cash cattle trade last week took place late enough that it was not reported. The latest reported bids from packer buyers were at $126 per cwt on a live basis, steady to up $1 from the previous week. No dressed-basis trading was reported, but was done the previous week at $198 to mostly $199 to $200.
The USDA choice cutout Friday was up $1.32 per cwt at $219.39, while select was down $0.94 at $212.35. The choice/select spread widened to $7.04 from $6.66 with 45 loads of fabricated product sold into the spot market.
There were no CME delivery notices, retenders or demands on Friday.
The CME Feeder Cattle index for the seven days ended Thursday, was $141.31 per cwt, up $0.20. This compares with Friday’s Mar contract settlement of $142.90, down $0.32.