Large commodity investment funds, known as managed money, decreased their collective net long live cattle futures position in the week ended Tuesday, while hedgers did the same with their total net short position.
That was according to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report for trader groups’ positions as of the preceding Tuesday.
FUNDS SELL CATTLE
As of Tuesday, managed money had a collective net long live cattle position of 60,288 contracts, down 10,221, or 14.5%, from 70,509 a week earlier.
Hedgers, Tuesday, had a total net short live cattle position of 112,220 contracts, down 9,891, or 8.10%, from 122,111 a week earlier. Hedgers are better known in the trade as commercial traders since they own, or will own, the cattle being traded on the exchange and theoretically could make or take delivery of a futures contract.
The CFTC said managed money arrived at their new cattle position by liquidating 6,307 long positions, adding 3,914 short positions and unwinding 2,380 spread positions. This left them in charge of 31.1% of total long open interest, 9.9% of total short open interest and 13.0% of total spread open interest.
Commercials got to where they were by adding 1,516 long positions and covering 8,375 short positions, leaving them with 11.1% of total long open interest and 50.4% of total short open interest.
The CME Group said total live cattle open interest Tuesday was 285,381 contracts, down 4,331, or 1.49%, from 289,712 a week earlier.
The CME Group also said the most-active Dec contract declined in value during the week to settle Tuesday at $146.90, compared with $151.07 a week earlier.
FUNDS ALSO SELL CORN
During the CFTC reporting week, managed money also sold Chicago corn futures as commercials bought.
As of Tuesday, managed money had a cumulative net long corn position of 224,362 contracts, down 11,830, or 5.01%, from 236,192 a week earlier.
Commercials, Tuesday, had a total net short corn position of 450,974 contracts, down 22,215, or 4.69%, from 473,189 a week earlier.
The CFTC said managed money arrived at their new corn position by liquidating 19,962 long positions, covering 8,132 short positions and putting on 12,874 spread positions. This left them in charge of 19.8% of total long open interest, 3.1% of total short open interest and 10.1% of total spread open interest.
Commercials got to where they were by adding 20,787 long positions and covering 1,428 short positions, leaving them with 25.1% of total long open interest and 58.6% of total short open interest.
The CME Group said total corn open interest Tuesday was 1.347 million contracts, up 16,437, or 1.24%, from 1.331 million a week earlier.
CATTLE, BEEF RECAP
The USDA reported formula and contract base prices for live FOB steers and heifers last week ranged from $142.00 to $147.86 per cwt, compared with the previous week’s range of $141.00 to $145.00. FOB dressed steers, and heifers went for $222.00 to $227.67 per cwt, versus $221.34 to $227.23.
The USDA choice cutout Friday was down $2.33 per cwt at $243.75 while select was up $0.35 at $220.13. The choice/select spread narrowed to $23.61 from $26.30 with 60 loads of fabricated product and 14 loads of trimmings and grinds sold into the spot market.
The USDA said basis bids for corn from feeders in the Southern Plains were unchanged at $2.10 to $2.45 a bushel over the Dec futures and for southwest Kansas were steady at $1.00 over Dec, which settled at $6.77 1/2, up $0.08.
The CME Feeder Cattle Index for the seven days ended Thursday was $175.46 per cwt down $0.48. This compares with Friday’s Oct contract settlement of $174.17, down $3.15.