All in all, it was a successful day for the livestock complex, as all three of the markets closed higher, and Friday’s Dec. 1 USDA Cattle on Feed report was bullish, too. At the time of this writing, only a handful of cattle had traded in the South at $228 in Kansas, which is $2 lower than the previous week’s weighted average.
LIVE CATTLE:
The live cattle complex had another successful day, closing fully higher but still not willing to rival the market’s resistance at its 100-day moving average. December live cattle closed $1.97 higher at $230.40, February live cattle closed $2.40 higher at $230.80, and April live cattle closed $1.85 higher at $230. Throughout the day, there were bids offered on the table in both regions, but only a handful of cattle traded in Kansas at $228, which is $2 lower than the previous week’s weighted average. On Thursday, some light cash cattle trade was noted in Nebraska at $358, which is $4 higher than last week’s weighted average. There’s a chance that some light trade could still develop later Friday afternoon, as packers could have been waiting until after the Cattle on Feed report was shared to bid. But at the same time, there’s a chance that packers don’t need many more cattle this week, as they did buy a large volume last week at 103,000 head.
Friday’s slaughter is estimated at 108,000 head — 3,000 head more than a week ago and 9,000 head less than a year ago. Saturday’s slaughter is projected to be around 7,000 head. The week’s total slaughter is estimated at 587,000 head — 9,000 head less than a week ago and 28,000 head less than a year ago.
Boxed beef prices closed higher: choice up $4.35 ($361.63) and select up $2.05 ($346.02) with a movement of 98 loads (61.26 loads of choice, 10.74 loads of select, 14.14 loads of trim and 12 loads of ground beef).
MONDAY’S CATTLE CALL:
Lower. With next week being a holiday-shortened week, it’s unlikely that packers will bid aggressively in the market.
FEEDER CATTLE:
The feeder cattle complex was both active and aggressive throughout the day, as traders rallied the contracts anywhere from $4 to $5 higher through the day’s close. January feeder cattle closed $5.32 higher at $345.60, March feeders closed $4.80 higher at $339.40 and April feeders closed $4.42 higher at $337.60. The monthly Cattle on Feed report was also a bullish factor for the market on Friday, as placements were 11% lower than a year ago. The CME feeder cattle index 12/18/2025: up $0.26, $350.05.
What are cattle Packer margins currently?