DTN Midday Livestock Comments          11/02 11:44

   Traders Handle the Livestock Contracts Gingerly Heading into Monday's Noon 
Hour 

   New showlists for the week are lower in Texas, but slightly higher in 
Nebraska, and noticeably higher in Kansas. 

ShayLe Stewart
DTN Livestock Analyst

GENERAL COMMENTS:

   Mixed tones dominate the livestock complex at Monday's noon hour as traders 
continue to yearn for greater fundamental support. New showlists for the week 
are lower in Texas, but slightly higher in Nebraska, and noticeably higher in 
Kansas. December corn is down 3/4 cent per bushel and December soybean meal is 
steady. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 498.89 points and the NASDAQ is 
up 77.19 points.

LIVE CATTLE:

   Following last week's mixed trade, the live cattle complex is continuing the 
trend with the market's nearby contracts falling slightly lower, while the 
deferred contracts have been able to thus far maintain a slightly stronger 
position. December live cattle are down $0.70 at $220.25, February live cattle 
are down $0.22 at $223.97 and April live cattle are down $0.20 at $226.42. 
Friday's decline pushed the spot December contract back below the market's 
100-day moving average, and with the nearby contracts continuing to trade 
lower, today's action has pushed the market even further from that threshold. 
New showlists for the week are lower in Texas, but slightly higher in Nebraska, 
and noticeably higher in Kansas. 

   Boxed beef prices are higher: choice up $0.14 ($364.80) and select up $2.75 
($354.73) with a movement of 42 loads (18.25 loads of choice, 3.32 loads of 
select, 12.98 loads of trim and 7.79 loads of ground beef). 

FEEDER CATTLE:

   The feeder cattle contracts are trading mostly higher into Monday's noon 
hour, as traders remain hopeful that the market may be able to change its 
trajectory in the nearing day's from late last week's lower trend. November 
feeders are down $0.20 at $337.57, January feeders are up $0.42 at $332.30 and 
March feeders are up $0.77 at $328.05. But if the live cattle contracts don't 
turn higher, it's unlikely that the feeder cattle contracts will be able to 
trade higher for much longer. 

LEAN HOGS:

   And the market's mixed tones are also being seen in the lean hog complex as 
the nearby contracts trade lower, but some of the deferred months are trading 
mildly higher. December lean hogs are down $0.80 at $58.07, February lean hogs 
are down $0.17 at $63.57 and April lean hogs are down $0.10 at $69.40. Luckily 
pork demand is higher at the week's start -- but in order for it to mean much 
to traders, they're going to need to see higher prices for multiple days. The 
projected lean hog index for 10/30/2026 is down $0.82 at $65.75, and the actual 
index for 10/29/2026 is down $0.73 at $66.57. Hog prices are unavailable on the 
Daily Direct Morning Hog Report, but we can see that only 505 head have traded 
and that the five-day rolling average now sits at $59.44. Pork cutouts total 
188.68 loads with 169.19 loads of pork cuts and 19.49 loads of trim. Pork 
cutout values: up $2.36, $72.46. 

   ShayLe Stewart can be reached shayle.stewart@dtn.com




(c) Copyright 2026 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.