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Cash cattle prices lost another $2 per cwt. last week, a decline of $7 over two weeks. Coupled with higher input costs on feeder cattle, the decline feedyards with an average $22 per head loss last week.

Cash cattle prices stubbornly steady to $1 higher gave a slight boost to feedyard margins and left packer margins nearly unchanged last week.

Sharply lower cash cattle prices erased $100 per head from closeout profit margins last week and left cattle feeders re-evaluating ideas of a spring rally.

Cattle feeding and packer profit margins both declined last week as cash cattle prices were modestly lower.

Feedyards saw closeouts improve dramatically last week after the cash cattle market posted its third consecutive week of higher prices.

Gains in cash fed cattle prices did not translate into higher profits for feedyards last week as higher feeder cattle prices were calculated into breakevens.

Cattle and hogs prices both moved higher last week and both enterprises posted profits on closeouts for the first time in several months.

Packer margins advanced on softer cash cattle prices and gain in the beef cutout prices.

Packer margins have grown to exceptionally high levels in recent weeks, while feedyard profits have eroded.

Feedyard margins climbed back into triple digits last week with a $1 to $2 price rally.