Monthly Archives: May 2025

The cattle complex has been stuck at a crossroad for about a week now, trying to figure out if continued bullish fundamentals can resurrect a really bearish technical picture that was created on the charts. Most contract months a week ago posted bearish key reversals at the contract high and then May feeders gapped lower the following day, leaving an island top. In the midst of all that, futures really haven’t recovered much, yet calf and feeder trade remains stout and cash feedlot trade has been steady to higher since. Actually sharply higher yesterday. Odd times for sure and a little precarious considering fund and managed money has the ability to push futures lower while cash hangs in there. Closes yesterday were mild to moderately…

Last week was full of sharp and sudden losses across the cattle complex. Markets had calmed down somewhat by the end of the week probably catching some support from the cash side of the equation. Some market pullback was most definitely in the back of my mind, and it should be expected when the cattle markets went up nearly continuously for a month straight. Like I said, it is important to wade with caution during those high times of the market. Yesterday was a fairly flat day in the cattle complex. Fats opened slightly higher, didn’t test much of red territory and finished all on the plus side. Feeders were a bit more uncertain as they traded an even range on both sides of the…

Date: May 19, 2025 Livestock futures rebounded back higher after a couple days last week of sharply lower trade. June live cattle hitting a new all-time spot high midweek at $218.62 but then reversing lower as May feeders continue to make new all-time spot highs, now at $303.47. Cash feedlot trade mostly steady in the Southern Plains from $218 to $220 live and steady to $2 higher trade in North at $228 to $229 live and mostly $358 on a dressed basis. Weekly closes for livestock futures and meats… June Live Cattle -$2.45, August -$2.82, May Feeder Cattle -$1.12, August -$2.70, June Lean Hogs +$2.75, July +$3.75. Boxed Beef Choice +$6.52 @ $352.49 & Pork Carcass Cutout +$2.29 @ $100.12. Oklahoma Weekly Cattle Auction Summary…

Date: May 14, 2025 Livestock futures were mixed on Tuesday with little follow through buying from Monday’s sharply higher day, more like a day of just maintaining current levels on the nearby contracts. The all-time spot highs still in place from Monday with June live cattle high at $217.75 and May Feeders high at $303.42. Deferred cattle contracts did make new contract highs. Only light volume cleanup cash feedlot trade so far this week at $225 live. Feedlots asking prices in the Southern Plains at $224 to $225 live. A full recap of last week’s cash fed cattle trade showed feedlots selling 83,514 head of negotiated cash fat cattle, 64% for nearby delivery from $218 to $230 live, weighted average at $224.03 and $352 to…

Date: May 12, 2025 Livestock futures were mixed last Friday, cattle higher week over week while lean hogs drifted lower. June live cattle up to a new contract high at $215.60 and the all-time spot contract high at $217.67 the last trading day for April live cattle before expiration. May feeders continue to make new all-time spot highs now at $298.50. August and September both cleared the $300 level for the first time in history. Cash feedlot trade continues higher with trade in Southern Plains from $218 to $222 live, steady to $4 higher and trade in North $225 to $228 live, $3 to $5 higher and $355 to $360 on a dressed basis, $10 to $15 higher. Weekly closes for livestock futures and meats……

HUGE day for the cattle coming off of a setback on Wednesday. Not that we had any massive gains in anything, but monumental from the standpoint of the numbers. Two different contract months in the Feeders pushed up above the $300 mark for the first time in history yesterday and they were the August and Sept contracts. August didn’t flinch much at that 300 handle either, because it settled north of $301. Feeders were up $2-$3 at the close and live cattle were all up over $1. Cash feedlot trade was feeling some love also with Nebraska dressed trade reportedly showing a few sales at $360 to a regional and mostly $355 to the major, along with $228 live. Crazy good times in cattle and…

Date: May 5, 2025 All livestock futures finished last week higher with triple digit gains for live cattle and feeders but mixed weekly results for lean hogs. April live cattle expired last week and hit a new all-time spot high at $217.67. May feeders hit a new all-time spot high on Friday at $295.62. Cash feedlot trade again posting much higher values this past week with trade in Southern Plains from $214 to mostly $218 live, $4 to $6 higher than the week previous. Trade in North $222 to $223 live, $7 to $8 higher and $340 to $352 on a dressed basis, $5 to $10 higher. Volume important this past week and for this week to see just how packers are sitting now. Weekly…

Cattle complex futures came out of the chute yesterday with a solid bullish start and $1-$2 gains in everything, but they faded fast and spent a lot of the day in red ink. Live cattle finished higher on the front four months and mildly lower on the rest. Feeders were up on the May contract and down on the rest with quite a few down more than $1. In the negotiated feedlot cash, trade has been strung out across multiple days and all of it at considerably higher money. Southern Plains tops have been around $218, which is up $5 from last week’s top. Nebraska dressed trade topped in the $350-$352 area, which is up around $8 from a week ago. Two things to note…