Live cattle futures are rallying $1.00 to $1.50 higher on Friday. A few Friday Southern bids have been reported at $240, with Northern bids of $236-237. The Friday morning Fed Cattle Exchange online auction from Central Stockyards saw $239-241 BidTheGrid™ sales on 183 of the 1,250 head offered, with other bids at $240. Feeder cattle futures are posting gains of $1 to $3.85 so far on Friday. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was back up $1.26 at $362.62 on September 17.
USDA will release their Cattle on Feed report this afternoon, with August Placements seen down 9% and markets expected to be 12.8% below last year. September 1 on feed data is estimated down 0.9% vs. 2024.
USDA Wholesale Boxed Beef prices are continuing the weaker trend in the Friday morning report, with the Chc/Sel spread at $23.92. Choice boxes were down $2.80 at $383.01, while Select was $2.22 lower to $359.09. USDA federally inspected cattle slaughter for Thursday was estimated at 112,000 head, with the weekly total at 460,000 head. That was just 1,000 head above last week, but 34,579 head lower vs. the same week in 2024.
Oct 25 Live Cattle are at $233.400, up $1.025,
Dec 25 Live Cattle are at $235.575, up $1.425,
Feb 26 Live Cattle are at $237.250, up $1.475,
Sep 25 Feeder Cattle are at $359.225, up $1.050
Oct 25 Feeder Cattle are at $354.050, up $2.325
Nov 25 Feeder Cattle are at $351.050, up $3.825
