Cattle Current Daily—Nov. 6, 2023

Cattle Current Daily—Nov. 6, 2023

Cattle futures closed lower Friday on likely profit taking and week-end positioning.

Feeder Cattle futures closed an average of $1.74 lower (80¢ to $2.42 lower). However, they were an average of $3.89 higher week to week ($3.45 to $5.02 higher).

Live Cattle futures closed an average of 59¢ lower on Friday (37¢ to $1.20 lower). They gained back a lion’s share of the previous week’s losses, closing an average of $3.19 higher week to week on Friday ($1.65 higher at the front to $3.92 higher at the back).

Soybean futures rallied Friday on bearish weather reports in South America, leading Corn and Wheat futures higher.

Soybean futures closed 19¢ to 24¢ higher through Nov ‘24 and then 10¢ to 17¢ higher.

Corn futures closed mostly 5¢ to 7¢ higher.

KC HRW Wheat closed mostly 2¢ higher.

Negotiated cash fed cattle trade ranged from slow on light to moderate demand to a standstill through Friday afternoon, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service.

Although too few to trend, there were some FOB live prices at $185/cwt. in Nebraska and the western Corn Belt, and a few dressed delivered at $292.

The previous week, FOB live prices were $185/cwt. in the Southern Plains, $183-$186 in Nebraska and mostly $183-$184 in the western Corn Belt. Dressed delivered prices were $290.

Choice boxed beef cutout value was $2.19 lower Friday afternoon at $302.34/cwt. Select was $2.33 lower at $272.01/cwt.

Estimated total cattle slaughter last week was 4,000 head fewer than the previous week at 632,000 head, which was 32,000 head fewer year over year. Estimated total year-to-date cattle slaughter of 27.4 million was 1.3 million head fewer (-4.6%). Estimated year-to-date beef production of 22.5 billion pounds was 1.2 billion pounds less (-5.2%) than the same time last year.

******************************

Major U.S. financial indices extended gains with fewer month-to-month employment gains than expected.

Total nonfarm employment increased by 150,000 in October, leaving the unemployment rate little changed at 3.9%. Average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 7¢ to $34.00. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 4.1%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 222 points higher. The S&P 500 closed 40 points higher. The NASDAQ was up 184 points.

West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil futures (CME) closed $1.57 to $1.95 lower through the front six contracts.

******************************

USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) forecasts total cash labor expenses for U.S. agriculture at $43.35 billion this year. That would be 1.8% more than last year.

“The projected 2023 level would remain below the high set in 2017 in inflation-adjusted labor expenses,” say ERS analysts. “… For every $100 spent on production expenses, almost $10 goes toward labor. Total labor expenses include contract and hired labor payments but exclude non-cash employee compensation.”

2023-11-05T18:06:20-06:00

This Is A Custom Widget

This Sliding Bar can be switched on or off in theme options, and can take any widget you throw at it or even fill it with your custom HTML Code. Its perfect for grabbing the attention of your viewers. Choose between 1, 2, 3 or 4 columns, set the background color, widget divider color, activate transparency, a top border or fully disable it on desktop and mobile.

This Is A Custom Widget

This Sliding Bar can be switched on or off in theme options, and can take any widget you throw at it or even fill it with your custom HTML Code. Its perfect for grabbing the attention of your viewers. Choose between 1, 2, 3 or 4 columns, set the background color, widget divider color, activate transparency, a top border or fully disable it on desktop and mobile.

This Is A Custom Widget

This Sliding Bar can be switched on or off in theme options, and can take any widget you throw at it or even fill it with your custom HTML Code. Its perfect for grabbing the attention of your viewers. Choose between 1, 2, 3 or 4 columns, set the background color, widget divider color, activate transparency, a top border or fully disable it on desktop and mobile.

This Is A Custom Widget

This Sliding Bar can be switched on or off in theme options, and can take any widget you throw at it or even fill it with your custom HTML Code. Its perfect for grabbing the attention of your viewers. Choose between 1, 2, 3 or 4 columns, set the background color, widget divider color, activate transparency, a top border or fully disable it on desktop and mobile.