USDA Cattle on Feed Report Preview

OMAHA (DTN) -- Friday's Feb. 1 USDA Cattle on Feed report is setting out to add yet more bullish fuel to the market's already blazing fire.

Seeing lower on-feed numbers than a year ago, followed by fewer placements and extremely aggressive marketings paints a bull-spreaders dream for what a "perfect" Cattle on Feed report could be.

The theme of fewer cattle placed and aggressive marketings is something that we should expect for most of the year, as the nation possesses fewer cattle than a year ago and the fewest beef cows in the last 51 years. And not to be forgotten nor overlooked is how excellent beef demand is driving the cash cattle market and helping feedlots maintain extremely current showlists.

All in all, Friday's Cattle on Feed report should be extremely favorable to the market.

USDA will release its Feb. 1 Cattle on Feed at 2 p.m. CST on Friday.

	USDA Actual	Average Estimate	Range
On Feed Feb. 1		96.3%	95.7-99.5%
Placed in January		97.1%	95.5-99.7%
Marketed in January		104.0%	102.7-104.6%

ShayLe Stewart can be reached at ShayLe.Stewart@dtn.com

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