Livestock Mingled on the Weekend
Live Cattle and Feeder Cattle Futures Show Mixed Trends on May 29
Friday trading in live cattle futures displayed a mixed picture, with June contracts advancing 50 cents, while other front-month contracts slipped lower. Cash trade reported sales ranging from $221 to $223 per hundredweight in the South, and from $234 to $235 in the North [1].
Feeder cattle futures experienced Friday losses of 30 to 40 cents at midday. The CME Feeder Cattle Index, on May 28, inched up $1.91 to reach an average price of $297.75 [1].
Recent USDA Export Sales data indicated 14,695 metric tons of beef sales during the week of May 22, recording a six-week high. Export shipments, however, dropped off to 12,644 metric tons [2].
USDA's National Wholesale Boxed Beef report showed a mixed picture, with the Choice/Select spread settling at $9.11. The prices for Choice boxes fell by 10 cents to $365.99 per hundredweight, while Select boxes were quoted $3.24 higher at $356.88/cwt [3]. The USDA's Federally inspected cattle slaughter for Thursday recorded 120,000 head, bringing the weekly total to 355,000 head - down 18,778 head compared to the same holiday week last year [3].
Live Cattle futures for Jun 25 were trading at $216.025, showing a gain of $0.500; Aug 25 Live Cattle were at $209.950, declining by $0.125; Oct 25 Live Cattle were at $207.975, down $0.175; Aug 25 Feeder Cattle were quoted at $299.625, experiencing a decline of $0.300; Sep 25 Feeder Cattle were at $298.500, with losses of $0.350; and Oct 25 Feeder Cattle were priced at $296.400, down $0.375 [1].
The CME Group has updated the price limits for live cattle and feeder cattle futures. As of June 2, 2025, live cattle futures will have a new expanded price limit of $10.75 per hundredweight, while feeder cattle futures will commence with an initial limit of $9.25 per hundredweight [4].
[1] Data obtained from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and relevant sources.
[2] Data obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Export Sales report for the week of May 22, 2025.
[3] Data obtained from the USDA's National Wholesale Boxed Beef report and Federally inspected cattle slaughter reports.
[4] Information on the CME price limit adjustments acquired from the CME Group announcements.
[5] For detailed insights on this topic and analysis on various commodities, consider subscribing to our website's premium content.
- Despite mixed trends in Live Cattle and Feeder Cattle Futures on May 29, it is worth noting that finance experts may want to keep an eye on the CME Group's updated price limits for these futures, effective June 2, 2025.
- In light of the May 29 trading losses in Feeder Cattle Futures, investors might be interested in understanding the potential impact of these changes in price limits on their financial portfolios.
