Cattle futures firmed Thursday.
Before settlement, Live Cattle futures were an average of 28¢ higher, except for 5¢ lower in the back contract. Feeder Cattle futures were an average of $1.04 higher.
Negotiated cash fed cattle trade ranged from slow with light to moderate demand in the North to inactive with very light demand in the South through Thursday afternoon, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service.
So far this week, FOB live prices are $2 lower in the Southern Plains at $188/cwt., steady in Nebraska at $198 and steady to $2 lower in the western Corn Belt at mostly $198. Dressed delivered prices are $2 lower in Nebraska at $312. Dressed delivered prices in the western Corn belt the previous week were $312-$315.
Choice boxed beef cutout value was $2.40 lower Thursday afternoon at $321.65/cwt. Select was 56¢ lower at $303.38/cwt.
Grain and Soybean futures gained Thursday on oversold conditions. Toward the close and through Jly ’25 contracts, Corn futures were 3¢ to 5¢ higher. Kansas City Wheat futures were 15¢ to 22¢ higher. Soybean futures were mostly 1¢ to 2¢ higher.
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Major financial indices closed mixed Thursday with much of the give and take attributed to the lower inflation reading than expected, boosting hopes for an interest rate cut.
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers declined 0.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis in June, after being unchanged in May, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.0% before seasonal adjustment.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 32 points higher. The S&P 500 closed 49 points lower. The NASDAQ was down 364 points.
Heading into the close, West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil futures on the CME were 30¢ to 83¢ higher through the front six contracts.