Live Cattle Futures Gain Ground Amid Mixed Market Signals

Live cattle futures are climbing at midday, posting gains ranging from 97 cents to $2 across the front months. Cash trade activity has increased, with a few transactions reported at $355 to $360. Meanwhile, the Thursday morning Fed Cattle Exchange online auction saw no sales among the 1,520 head offered, despite bids coming in between $223 and $225. Feeder cattle futures are also showing upward movement, trading up by 25 cents to $1.50 so far. The CME Feeder Cattle Index declined another $1.19 on August 18, settling at $342.36.

USDA Export Sales data revealed that beef export sales for 2026 reached 9,299 metric tons for the week ending August 13—a five-week low. However, beef shipments showed strength, totaling 12,646 metric tons, marking a six-week high.

Wholesale boxed beef prices were lower in Thursday’s morning report, with the Choice/Select spread narrowing to $28.58. Choice boxes dropped $2.85 to close at $392.14, while Select values fell 61 cents to $363.56. According to USDA, Federally Inspected Cattle slaughter for Wednesday was estimated at 106,000 head, bringing the weekly total to 309,000 head. This represents a slight decrease of 1,000 head compared to the prior week and a significant drop of 25,047 head from the same period last year.

Latest Futures Prices:

• Aug 26 Live Cattle: $224.400, up $0.975
• Oct 26 Live Cattle: $218.825, up $1.600
• Dec 26 Live Cattle: $219.150, up $2.000
• Aug 26 Feeder Cattle: $337.100, up $0.250
• Sep 26 Feeder Cattle: $329.725, up $0.600
• Oct 26 Feeder Cattle: $323.475, up $1.425

As of the date of publication, Austin Schroeder did not hold any positions, either directly or indirectly, in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All content is provided for informational purposes only.

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