Cattle futures were mixed Thursday with support from growing optimism about cash fed cattle prices this week but pressure from bearish outside markets.
Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were mixed, from unchanged to an average of 22¢ lower in four contracts to an average of 48¢ higher. Feeder Cattle futures were an average of 60¢ lower, except for unchanged to an average of 20¢ higher in three contracts.
Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was mostly inactive on very light demand in all major cattle feeding regions through Thursday afternoon, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service.
Last week, FOB live prices were $197/cwt. in the Southern Plains and $200-$202 in the North. Dressed delivered prices were $315-$317 in Nebraska and $315-$320 in the western Corn Belt.
Choice boxed beef cutout value was $1.41 lower Thursday afternoon at $319.69/cwt. Select was 6¢ lower at $307.47
Grain and Soybean futures were higher Thursday, helped along by stronger weekly exports.
Toward the close and through Sep ’25 contracts, Corn futures were 3¢ to 6¢ higher. Kansas City Wheat futures 13¢ to 15¢ higher. Soybean futures were 5¢ to 11¢ higher.
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Major U.S. financial indices closed sharply lower Thursday amid more tariff threats from the White House.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 537 points lower. The S&P 500 closed 77 points lower. The NASDAQ was down 345 points.
Through midafternoon, West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil futures on the CME were 98¢ to $1.12 lower through the front six contracts.