Livestock and Grain Markets, Prices & Futures
Use the chart below to check futures prices for commodities. Click the links for pricing on grains, livestock, and more and stay on top of what’s going on in the markets. Cash price reflects the USDA Chicago terminal.
Latest News from Markets
The march toward break even for cattle feeders stumbled last week as average losses increased $36 per head, leaving closeouts $113 in the red, according to the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker.
Easter week produced a $3 per cwt. decline in fed cattle prices and a $73 erosion in cattle feeding margins.
Cattle feeding margins gained only modestly, despite the fact feeder cattle factored into closeouts were $40 per head less than the previous week.
Last week’s $2 per cwt. rally in cash fed cattle prices helped feedyard closeouts improve nearly $100 per head.
Cattle feeders generally expected margins to be much better by now. An anticipated spring rally that could have erased a lot of red ink has failed to materialize, leaving feedyard closeouts stuck in neutral with near $200 losses.
Cash fed cattle prices retreated $7.77 per cwt. last week. As a result, closeouts added another $75 of red ink.
A cash market rally helped add $62 per head to feedyard margins last week, ending with total average profits of $212 per head, according to the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker.
Cattle feeding profits declined $20vper head last week, yet closeouts remained $11 in the black.
Feedyards are as close to breaking even on a cash basis as they’ve been during any point in the past 18 months.
Cattle feeders finally found profitability last week after cattle markets posted a $6 to $7 per cwt. rally.