Cattle Market Reports and Analysis
The Nebraska and Iowa/Minnesota reporting regions continue to lead the way with a trading range from $239 to $244/cwt.
Check out Sterling Marketing’s Profit Tracker for week of June 14.
Cattle producers are holding on to a younger cow herd and retaining fewer heifers.
Check out the latest Sterling Marketing Profit Tracker for week of June 7.
CattleFax recently shared the results of its 2024 cow-calf survey representing more than 350,000 cows.
Check out Sterling Marketing’s Profit Tracker from week of May 31.
Lee Schulz and Chip Flory discuss current supply and demand in the beef and pork industries and what’s ahead.
Check out Sterling Marketing’s Profit Tracker for the week of May 24.
While the current market is solid evidence for the demand outlook, the weeks beyond the Memorial Day weekend through the 4th of July will be the critical time for assessing long-term strength of beef demand.
Live cattle futures continue to ignore the strength in spot cash trade with a sharp downside correction last Wednesday, extending into Thursday, pulling $5/cwt.
Check out the latest Sterling Marketing Profit Tracker from week of May 17.
Check out the Sterling Marketing Beef Profit Tracker ending week of May 10.
Unpack two key factors likely resulting in record cattle prices and impacts to the industry.
Fundamental supply and demand have taken control of spot fed cattle values over April Live Cattle futures lows.
Check out the Sterling Marketing’s Profit Tracker ending the week of May 3.
Check out the Sterling Marketing Profit Tracker for the week ending April 26.
Check out the Beef Profit Tracker for week of April 19.
The fed cattle market was sharply higher last week with a $4.29/cwt. upward move.
Check out the Sterling Marketing Beef Profit Tracker ending April 12.
The 2025 fed cattle harvest has run very close to a year ago with the full production weeks averaging 473,000 head, a 1,600-head increase over the same period last year.
Check out Sterling Marketing’s Beef Profit Tracker for week ending April 5.
Check out the Sterling Marketing Beef Profit Tracker ending March 29.
Last week’s fed cattle trade was highlighted by sales late Friday that featured substantially higher prices as packer demand for spot market cattle pressed prices higher in all regions.
The Sterling Marketing Beef Profit Tracker shows current breakeven price in the $170s/cwt compares to $200/cwt for currently placed cattle.
Check out the Sterling Marketing’s Profit Tracker ending for week of March 14.
Total beef cattle harvest last week was up 12,000 head from the prior week at 578,000 head, 6,000 head fewer than the same week last year.
Feedlot margins jumped from $198 to $366. Choice steers were up slightly to $201.
Shrinking cattle inventories in recent years leads to a wide range of impacts on the multi-sectored cattle industry.
Total beef cattle harvest last week was slightly larger than the prior week at 563,000 head, an increase of 2,000 head.
USDA’s latest Cattle Inventory report showed U.S. beef cattle numbers fell to the lowest level in 64 years to start the year. Tight supplies and strong demand could push cattle prices to even higher highs in 2025, but uncertainty is infusing more risk and volatility into the markets.