Live cattle futures are up 45 cents in June but down 40 to 50 cents in other front months on Wednesday. The Wednesday Fed Cattle online auction showed no sales on the 1,466 head offered, with 1 lot bid at $400 dressed. Feeder cattle futures are down 40 to 60 cents in the nearbys. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was back up $1.33 on June 12 to $364.00. The market will round out the week on Thursday, with Friday off in observance of Juneteenth.
USDA will release Cattle on Feed data on Thursday, as traders are looking for May placements to be down 5.5% from a year ago. Marketings are seen down 10.6% compared to 2025. June 1 on feed is expected to total 2.5% larger than the same period last year.
Wholesale Boxed Beef prices were mixed in the Wednesday AM report, with the Chc/Sel spread at $18.69. Choice boxes were down $3.47 to $396.11, while Select was 57 cents higher at $377.42. USDA’s federally inspected cattle slaughter for Tuesday was estimated at 109,000 head, with the weekly total at 208,000 head. That is down 3,000 from the previous week and 10,822 head below the same week last year.
Jun 26 Live Cattle are at $255.750, up $0.450,
Aug 26 Live Cattle are at $248.800, down $0.400,
Oct 26 Live Cattle are at $241.525, down $0.475,
Aug 26 Feeder Cattle are at $366.450, down $0.425
Sep 26 Feeder Cattle are at $364.675, down $0.600
Oct 26 Feeder Cattle are at $361.950, down $0.475
