(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle slump, cash prices disappoint

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle on Thursday reversed some of their recent gains, pressured by profit-taking following this week’s initial cash prices that fell short of expectations, said traders. To avoid cattle deliveries, some investors sold the October contract either outright or simultaneously bought deferred months in a trading strategy known

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Most CME live cattle futures gain on spreads

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle gained modestly on Wednesday during a trading strategy known as bear spreading in which investors sold October futures and simultaneously bought deferred months. Some market participants used the spreads to avoid possible deliveries on Monday evening against the October contract. Profit-taking and uncertainty about this week’s


A bacon-wrapped pork chop. (PorkBeInspired.com)

U.S. livestock: Cash, pork prices send CME hogs higher

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures gained for a second day in a row on Tuesday, strengthened by upward-trending prices for market-ready, or cash, hogs and the morning’s firmer wholesale pork values, said traders. They said October futures led advances after investors actively bought that contract and simultaneously sold deferred months,

(Regis Lefebure photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: Bargain hunters, fund buying boost CME hogs

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures finished sharply higher on Monday, fueled by bargain buying in the technically oversold market, said traders. They said funds helped accelerate market advances after contracts punched through technical resistance levels. October hogs, which will expire on Oct. 13, ended 1.85 cents/lb. higher at 57.25 cents,



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U.S. livestock: CME hogs settle mostly lower before USDA report

Chicago | Reuters — Most Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog contracts closed lower on Thursday, pressured by profit-taking ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s quarterly hog report at 2 p.m. CT. “The industry will no doubt show herd expansion and record-large production, it’s just a question of how much,” said Archer Financial Services broker


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Short-covering pulls up CME live cattle

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Wednesday reversed some of their recent losses, with strength from technical buying and investors who covered previously held short positions, said traders. “Anyone who was short the market took a little money in profits,” said Oak Investment Group president Joe Ocrant. Wednesday morning’s wholesale



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Spreads help drive up CME live cattle futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle closed higher on Thursday after investors bought October futures and simultaneously sold deferred months in a trading strategy known as bull spreads, traders said. Some market participants, also through spreads, purchased live cattle futures and at the same time sold CME lean hog contracts. There are

(Canada Beef Inc. photo)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle gain on firmer beef prices

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures settled moderately higher on Wednesday, with help from short-covering and improved wholesale beef values, said traders. December received added support from fund buying after the contract topped the 10-day moving average of 109.648 cents (all figures US$). October live cattle finished up 0.275 cent/lb. at