Livestock — Strong cash, pork prices lift CME hog futures

Chicago|Reuters -- Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures on Monday closed higher, supported by strong prices for slaughter-ready, or cash, hogs and wholesale pork values, traders said. Monday morning's average hog price in the Iowa/Minnesota market rose $2.58 per hundredweight (cwt) from Friday to $133.77, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. USDA's data showed the morning's[...]

LIVESTOCK: CME hog futures slide on weaker cash, pork prices

Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures on Thursday finished lower, pulled down by softer cash hog and wholesale pork prices, traders said. August finished 1.375 cents per lb lower at 123.200 cents, and October at 107.900, 2.550 cents lower. The average price of market-ready, or cash, hogs Thursday morning in the eastern Midwest, fell[...]


LIVESTOCK: CME hogs drop 3-cent price limit as funds sell off

Chicago/Reuters -- Most Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures on Wednesday closed down the 3-cents per lb maximum daily price limit in the wake of fund liquidation, traders said. August ended 3.000 cents per lb lower at 124.575 cents, and October at 110.450, 3.000 cents lower. Packers snug on supplies for the week, and grocers reluctant[...]

LIVESTOCK: CME live cattle fall, pressured by equities tumble

Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts closed sharply lower on Thursday, pulled down by the stock market's sheer drop caused by European deflation and Argentina default worries. Wall Street investors dumped long positions across a broad range of commodities, including CME livestock futures, an analyst said. Global economic jitters could undermine consumer confidence, which could[...]


LIVESTOCK: CME live cattle end lower, but off session bottoms

Reuters -- Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures settled lower on Friday, partly pressured by residual profit-taking and fund liquidation after Thursday's deep losses, traders said. However, futures closed off morning lows following initial reports of a less-than-expected decline in the price for market-ready, or cash, cattle. "Judging by big futures losses on Thursday and[...]

LIVESTOCK: CME live cattle futures climb before USDA report

Reuters -- Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Friday, supported by positioning before the U.S. Department of Agriculture's monthly Cattle-On-Feed report at 2 p.m. CDT (1900) GMT. Analysts expect the report to show fewer cattle entered feedlots in July as expensive calves discouraged some feedyards from buying them. On Friday, USDA will[...]


Livestock: Healthy pastures drop U.S. June cattle placements by 6 pct

Reuters — The number of cattle placed in U.S. feedlots in June fell 6 per cent from a year ago as plentiful grazing land allowed animals to be fattened outside of feedyards longer, a government report showed on Friday. Feedyards are drawing from a shallow pool of market-ready animals after years of drought in parts[...]

Cargill, citing shrinking cattle herd, to shut Wisconsin beef plant

Reuters — Cargill Inc, one of the nation's largest beef processors, said on Wednesday it plans to close its Milwaukee, Wisconsin, beef-processing plant on Friday, because the size of the U.S. herd has fallen to its smallest in 63 years. The ground beef production side of the plant, which employs about 200 people, will remain[...]