DTN Midday Livestock Comments 08/31 11:47
Stronger Trader Support Helps Drive the Livestock Contracts Higher
New showlists for the week are lighter in all the major feeding regions.
ShayLe Stewart
DTN Livestock Analyst
GENERAL COMMENTS:
The livestock complex is rallying mildly into midday Monday as traders are
supportive of the complex early this week. New showlists for the week are
lighter in all the major feeding regions. December corn is down 1 cent per
bushel and December soybean meal is down $3.50. The Dow Jones Industrial
Average is down 340.70 points and the NASDAQ is down 90.51 points.
LIVE CATTLE:
Although morning boxed beef prices are lower and it's fully assumed that fed
cash cattle prices will be lower again this week. Traders are allowing the live
cattle contracts to trade mildly higher as they see no immediate danger in
merely allowing the contracts to remain in their sideways trend. October live
cattle are up $0.75 at $212.47, December live cattle are up $0.87 at $214.60
and February live cattle are up $0.90 at $216.42. New showlists for the week
are lighter in all the major feeding regions.
Last week Southern live cattle traded at mostly $222 which is $3.00 lower
than the previous week's weighted average and Northern dressed cattle traded at
$345 which is $10.00 lower than the previous week's weighted average. Last
week's negotiated cash cattle trade totaled 79,292 head. Of which 74% (58,409
head) were committed to the market's nearby delivery, while the remaining 26%
(20,883 head) were committed to the market's deferred delivery option.
Boxed beef prices are lower: choice down $1.03 ($375.20) and select down
$6.57 ($354.51) with a movement of 132 loads (19.84 loads of choice, 7.99 loads
of select, 100.32 loads of trim and 3.72 loads of ground beef).
FEEDER CATTLE:
The feeder cattle complex is also trading higher as it continues to closely
follow the live cattle market's trend. September feeders are up $1.57 at
$322.47, October feeders are up $1.55 at $318.02 and November feeders are up
$1.47 at $311.40. So long as the live cattle market continues to scale higher,
it's likely that the feeder cattle complex will too.
LEAN HOGS :
The lean hog complex is also trading higher as thankfully its market is
being met with well rounded support as not only are traders helping drive the
contracts higher, but this morning midday pork cutout values are stronger too.
October lean hogs are up $1.55 at $83.45, December lean hogs are up $1.97 at
$74.27 and February lean hogs are up $1.72 at $76.70. The market is nearing a
resistance plane at $75.00, which could cause traders to not push the contracts
beyond that price point. The projected lean hog index for 8/28/2026 is down
$0.66 at $90.86 and the actual index for 8/27/2026 is down $0.62 at $91.52. Hog
prices are lower on the Daily Direct Morning Hog Report, down $1.00 at $88.65,
ranging from $86.00 to $89.00 on 1,147 head and a five-day rolling average of
$90.49. Pork cutouts total 143.25 loads with 133.00 loads of pork cuts and
10.24 loads of trim. Pork cutout values: up $3.49, $99.55.
ShayLe Stewart can be reached shayle.stewart@dtn.com
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