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
Cattle feeders found higher prices as 2020 came to a close, but their ability to push the market higher may hinge on how Live Cattle futures perform in the first weeks of the New Year.
Cattle feeders gained enough leverage to push negotiated cash cattle prices higher during both holiday weeks as 2020 drew to a close. Supplies of fed cattle will tick lower during the first quarter of 2021.
Cash cattle in the South traded steady, and futures contracts had a decent week but packer needs during the holidays seem to have more of an effect than the futures market.
Fed cattle treaded steady in the South to weaker in the North, with wholesale beef prices posting additional declines for the week. Friday’s cattle on feed report was as advertised and will be viewed as neutral.
Placements in feedlots during November totaled 1.91 million head, 9 percent below 2019. Net placements were 1.85 million head.
Cash cattle trade began on Tuesday last week, but bids were scarce even at lower money. Some feeders held strong for higher money, but with the decline in the CME board a higher market never surfaced.
Cattle markets limped through a lackluster week for cash sales as wholesale beef prices plummeted. Despite lower cash cattle prices, packer margins likely declined significantly with lower cutout values.
Negotiated cash cattle traded started at higher money mid-week, but in their rush to move cattle some feeders agreed to lower prices and the week ended on a softer note.
The post-Thanksgiving negotiated trade was mixed, with higher prices mid-week, falling off $1 to $2 by week’s end. Feeder cattle sold uneven, $2 lower to $3 higher.
The first shipments of the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand arrived in China in November, ushering in the potential for a new, powerful buyer for high-quality U.S. beef.