Live cattle futures lower by 15 to 60 cents on the shortened session. Feeder cattle futures are 87 cents to $1.20 lower so far. The 11/26 CME Feeder Cattle index was $145.02 after a 33 cent bump. Weekly export sales data from the USDA this morning showed beef sales were 26,673 MT for the week ending 11/21. That’s a 25.87% increase wk/wk and 147.2% above the same week last year (which was shortened due to the Thanksgiving). Accumulated exports from the same report revealed that 737,315 MT of beef have been shipped this year, that is 4.03% behind last years’s pace. Wholesale boxed beef prices were mixed on Wednesday. Choice boxes were $0.40 higher, and select boxes dropped by $1.65. The USDA has reported minimal cash sales activity, with KS reporting some $118 activity later Wednesday afternoon. USDA estimated the FI cattle slaughter weekly total to be 341,000 head through Wednesday. The shortened week is 12,000 head behind last week’s total as well as 15,000 head behind the same Wednesday last year.
DEC 19 Cattle are at $121.275, down $0.150, |
FEB 19 Cattle are at $126.150, down $0.550, |
APR 20 Cattle are at $126.275, down $0.600, |
JAN 19 Feeder Cattle are at $142.125, down $1.200 |
MAR 19 Feeder Cattle are at $142.875, down $1.050 |
APR 19 Feeder Cattle are at $144.750, down $0.875 |
--provided by Brugler Marketing & Management