Feeder cattle futures climb to two-week peak on CME
CME feeder cattle futures hit a two-week high on Friday, supported by beef processor buying and hopes for firmer cash prices, Reuters reports.
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what happened
Feeder cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange rose to their highest level in two weeks on Friday. Live cattle also gained, as beef processors kept buying and analysts expected cash prices to firm up. Reuters reports that the rally followed a slide in the prior week, when weak cash prices and fund selling pushed futures lower.
Brian Hoops of Midwest Market Solutions said the market was looking past bearish signals such as lower cutouts and heavier animal weights. He also said funds that had cut positions were returning to buy futures. Packer margins improved too: HedgersEdge estimated beef packer margins at $34.40 per head, up from a $20 loss a week earlier, while pork processor margins rose to $35.70 per hog from $22.45.
why it matters
Cheaper cattle is helping processors earn more, so their active buying supports futures prices. Pork margins also widened on low hog prices, though domestic and export demand for US pork remains soft. For traders, the key question is whether cash trade confirms the futures rebound.
market impact
Cattle and hogs: processor demand and fund buying support futures prices
- Feeder cattle futures pressure up — beef processor demand and expectations of higher cash prices
- Live cattle futures pressure up — active packer buying and funds returning to long positions
tags
instruments
sources
- CME feeder cattle futures reach two-week high — Reuters, 13 November 2026 at 22:37 UTC
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