Live Cattle Futures Climb on Thursday as Cash Trade Gains Momentum

Live cattle futures climbed between $1.82 and $3.52 per hundredweight on Thursday, extending gains across the board. Cash market activity rose to $220 per hundredweight on Wednesday, up $2 from Tuesday, with a handful of dressed cattle selling for $345 in the northern region. Meanwhile, the Fed Cattle Exchange’s Thursday morning online auction recorded dressed sales at $340–$341 on 80 of the 2,002 head offered, while other bids settled near $220.

Feeder cattle futures also rose, gaining $3.10 to $3.97 for the session, with the August contract up $1.00 to $333.75. However, the CME Feeder Cattle Index slipped another 80 cents on August 26, closing at $333.47.

USDA export sales data for beef in 2026 showed modest activity, with 9,172 metric tons sold for the week ending August 20 – a six‑week low. Japan led purchases at 2,200 MT, followed by South Korea with 2,100 MT. Shipments for the period totaled 11,806 MT, also a six‑week low, while South Korea accounted for the largest destination share at 3,700 MT, with an additional 2,700 MT bound for Japan.

Wholesale boxed beef prices fell in Thursday’s afternoon report, with the Choice/Select spread tightening slightly to $22.17. Choice boxed beef dropped $1.77 to $381.36, while Select eased $2.49 to $359.19. USDA reported Thursday’s federally inspected cattle slaughter at 105,000 head, bringing the weekly total to 415,000 head – an increase of 6,000 head from the prior week but still 50,423 head below the comparable week in 2023.

Key contract settles on August 26: Live cattle closed at $220.300, up $1.825; October 26 Live cattle ended at $212.925, up $2.150; December 26 Live cattle settled at $214.800, up $2.225. For feeder cattle, the August 26 contract finished at $333.750, up $1.000; the September 26 contract closed at $322.450, up $3.450; and the October 26 contract settled at $318.075, up $3.825.

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