Live cattle futures fell $3.35 to $5.95 lower into the Thursday close. Cash trade has been limited so far this week with a few $260 sales in KS and $265 in the North. The Thursday Fed Cattle Exchange online auction showed no sales on the 652 head offered, with bids of $260. Feeder cattle futures were down $1.60 in the expiring May contract, with the rest of the board down $8.75 to the $9.25 limit. Feeders will have expanded limits of $13.75 on Friday, with expanded live cattle limits of $10.75. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was down $1.72 to $370.72 on May 20.
The Tuesday APHIS update on the New World Screwworm showed a total of 2,014 active cases of in Mexico as of Wednesday. There were 150 active cases in the bordering state of Tamaulipas (8 within a range of 82-96 miles of the US border), 94 active in Nuevo Leon (14 within a range of 57-99 miles of the US border), and 15 in Coahuila (1 within 72 miles of the US border).
USDA will release Cattle on Feed data on Friday, as traders are looking for April placements to be up 3.4% from a year ago. Marketings are seen down 9.3% compared to 2025. May 1 on feed is expected to total 1.6% larger than the same period last year,.
The weekly Export Sales report showed 8,095 MT of beef sold for 2026 in the week ending on May 14. That was the back up slightly from the week prior. Shipments were pegged at 12,263 MT, which was the third lowest for the calendar year.
Wholesale Boxed Beef prices were lower in the Thursday afternoon report, with the Chc/Sel spread at $5.83. Choice boxes were down $2.14 to $391.48, while Select was $5.48 lower at $385.65. USDA estimated federally inspected cattle slaughter for Thursday at 109,000 head, with the weekly total at 427,000 head. That was up 1,000 head from the week prior but 47,733 head below the same week last year.
Jun 26 Live Cattle closed at $249.150, down $4.125,
Aug 26 Live Cattle closed at $239.350, down $5.950,
Oct 26 Live Cattle closed at $230.950, down $5.825,
May 26 Feeder Cattle closed at $369.125, down $1.600,
Aug 26 Feeder Cattle closed at $356.525, down $9.250,
Sep 26 Feeder Cattle closed at $353.375, down $9.250,
