Robin Schmahl

Traders pressured the August live cattle contract Thursday as we headed to the last trading day, with some positioning ahead of the extended weekend in later contracts. Hogs continued to slowly grind higher with demand optimism...

Livestock futures closed higher Wednesday with both cattle and hogs extending gains to new highs. A few cattle were traded in the country but not enough to indicate direction for the week. Cash hogs were higher but that may be...

The cattle market is possessed by a bullish sentiment that will not subside. Futures posted new contract highs again across the complex Tuesday. Hogs moved above technical resistance with the April and later months making new...

Cattle futures exhibited volatility with a wide trading range throughout Monday, resulting in a mixed close at the end of the day. Traders grappled with Friday's report and the news of the New World screwworm. Hog futures closed...

New contract highs were made in the cattle market Friday as traders anticipated a friendly Cattle on Feed report and were not shy about buying futures in response to higher cash paid in the country. Hogs followed suit, seemingly...

Both cattle and hog futures were mixed Thursday as there was little for traders to hang their hats on. Limited cash cattle trade and the upcoming report kept the cattle trade choppy. Hogs had little fundamental support.

Traders were not shy about pushing cattle futures to new contract highs Wednesday with feeder cattle leading the way. There was no caution shown over the upcoming Cattle on Feed report. Hog futures were mixed with traders...

Trading was not quite as exuberant Tuesday as it has been recently, but most live cattle contracts and all feeder cattle contracts closed at new highs. Hog futures closed mixed with uncertainty dominating the market. Cash was...

Cattle futures pushed higher Monday after spending a little time in negative territory. Most contracts closed at new highs, fueled by strong demand. Hogs closed slightly higher, which was impressive given the benign fundamentals of...

Friday was an explosive day in the cattle market as the announcement that the Mexican border will remain closed propelled the market higher. Light cash cattle trade at steady to higher prices also provided support. Hogs...

It seemed as if traders wanted to get ahead of a possible Friday selloff and took profits a day earlier just in case. The fundamentals did not suggest negativity. Hog futures posted triple-digit losses Thursday, due to cash and...

Cattle futures spent about as much time in the negative as they did in the positive Wednesday, closing mixed. That hesitancy may continue Thursday until cash is confirmed. Hogs were under pressure from the sharp losses in...

Cattle futures found footing Tuesday as traders continued to buy the break, similar to the pattern of 1 1/2 weeks ago. Demand remains strong with boxed beef prices higher. Hog traders were uncertain of price direction, ultimately...

Cattle traders were not sure what they wanted to do Monday. There was some follow-through selling during the day, but that did not continue as the underlying fundamentals remain bullish. Hog futures closed higher with support...

Cattle futures took a beating as lower cash trade triggered liquidation. The market was poised to fall on any negative news, and Friday was the day. Hogs withstood the negativity of the cattle market as traders held their...

After a cautious opening Thursday, futures found footing as boxed beef prices showed impressive gains for the third consecutive day. Hog futures showed pressure on the nearby months due to weakness in the cash market.

Cattle futures found further footing Wednesday with the October live cattle contract the only one unable to make new highs in the entire complex. Feeder cattle showed substantial gains, leading the complex. Hog futures were mixed...

Livestock had a strong Tuesday with feeder cattle leading the way. New contract highs were achieved in the August cattle contracts. Boxed beef prices posted substantial gains. Hogs were higher on aggressive buying by packers.

Both cattle and hog futures were higher Monday, supported by higher product values. It has been unusual recently to see both categories of boxed beef higher on the same day. Hog futures moved above technical resistance in the...

Cattle futures found some footing Friday, with August live cattle showing an impressive gain as it needs to narrow the gap to cash. Higher cash prices Friday will support the market. Hog futures closed higher, moving contracts...

The castle complex came under severe pressure Thursday, which seemed to be more technical than anything else. An overbought market eventually corrects, and that is what took place. Hogs defied any spillover pressure and cash...

Live cattle futures found substantial support from traders Wednesday with nearby contracts outpacing feeder cattle. Light cash trade fueled the fire. Hog futures found minor support but were unable to regain the losses of...

Cattle futures continue higher despite the weakness of boxed beef. Traders seem to just focus on the uptrend that continues to show new highs on nearly a daily basis. Hogs moved in the other direction as futures fell below the...

New contract highs were seen across the cattle complex. Recent reports have shown no reason to believe the market may be near a top. The uptrend remains intact. Hog futures continue to remain rangebound. There was little...

Traders were not afraid to support cattle futures ahead of two major reports. Cash trading $1.00 higher provided support. Hog futures could not find further support, maintaining a sideways market pattern.

Cattle futures pulled back Thursday as anticipated due to traders positioning ahead of two major reports Friday. The market remains bullish, but the reports may increase volatility next week. Hog futures held their own again on...

Cattle futures found solid buying interest Wednesday as contracts continue to reach for the sky. The upcoming reports have not hindered the upward momentum, as the market continues to surge higher. Hog futures did not share...

Most cattle futures contracts closed at new contract highs Tuesday. Traders do not seem to be concerned about packers having more cattle surrounding them or the Cattle on Feed report. Hog futures were higher in most...

New highs were made across the cattle complex Monday with no sign of slowing down. Price weakness has been a buying opportunity. Fund traders continue to add to their long positions. Hog futures struggled during the day but...

Traders took a wait-and-see attitude in the market Friday. Cash cattle traded steady to $1.00 higher, but the weakness in boxed beef is cause for concern. Hog futures closed higher on renewed optimism over pork demand. Trade...

Traders took a wait-and-see attitude in cattle Thursday as the uncertainty over cash and the direction of boxed beef was the focus. Hog futures moved to reduce the losses of earlier in the week as traders gained confidence...

The livestock complex showed gains across the board Wednesday with feeder cattle leading the way. The strength in cattle defied the weakness in boxed beef. Hog futures found support Wednesday after the liquidation phase concluded.

Live cattle regained the losses of Monday on Tuesday, with some contracts closing at new highs. Cash cattle have not yet traded, but the discount to cash should provide further support to the market. Hog futures fell for the...

The livestock complex suffered substantial losses Monday with significant declines in both cattle and hogs. Beef demand seems to be showing a seasonal downtrend as boxed beef prices decline. Hog futures and cutouts have been...

Cattle futures pushed higher, fueled by stronger cash. The expectation of no better than steady cash was put to rest as packers turned aggressive. Hog futures were under pressure as the packers pulled back, resulting in...

Cattle futures were a case study in volatility on Thursday. A higher opening and sharply higher trade ran its course with futures falling back substantially after new contract highs. Hog futures tried to build on recent minor...

Follow-through buying continued on Wednesday as traders felt confident of further gains, given the trend has turn higher. The pressure on boxed beef had no significant impact. Technical traders seemed to provide support to the...

Cattle futures found solid buying interest from traders, pushing all cattle contracts to new highs. Hogs did not follow suit, closing mixed with uncertainty over the cash price and returning cutout weakness.

Live cattle may return to test the highs, even though cash is questionable this week. The packers will want to maintain their strong margins and keep cash at steady or lower levels compared to last week. Hogs showed a significant...

Live cattle closed higher ahead of the holiday weekend as most of the cash cattle trade developed at steady prices. That provided some confidence to traders that maybe the slide was done. Hog futures were under pressure in...

Cattle futures turned on their heels Wednesday and regained much of what was lost on Tuesday. Traders looked past the news of cattle imports resuming from Mexico and returned to market fundamentals. Hog futures exhibited bull...

Traders were quick to react Tuesday to the announcement that imports of cattle from Mexico will resume next week. The pressure was a psychological reaction and not a fundamental change. Hog futures posted another day of lower...

Live cattle closed moderately higher in nearby contracts Monday, while deferred contracts showed strong gains along with feeder cattle. Traders seemed confident to buy back into the market after it corrected from being...

The cash cattle trade was very limited and took place late on Thursday after the markets closed. Live cattle futures showed little strength due to price uncertainty. Hogs closed lower ahead of the Hogs and Pigs report, as...

Cattle could not keep the early momentum Wednesday following the pattern of futures movement on Tuesday. Live cattle closed lower, with feeder cattle mixed. Traders remain bullish on the market but cautious over cash. Hogs were...

Cattle futures could not maintain the momentum that began Tuesday and most contracts closed with minimal losses. The potential for lower cash this week is weighing on the market. Hog traders finally decided to liquidate the...

Cattle traders were torn between a friendly Cattle on Feed report and cash weakness last week. The uncertainty of Monday may continue until cash trade develops. Hog futures closed at new contract highs Monday, keeping the...

Traders did not want to support the market ahead of the Cattle on Feed report Friday and sold some positions due to cash weakness. Hog futures remained supportive on strong pork demand and trader interest in remaining long...

Cattle futures seem top-heavy but closed higher Wednesday. Traders remained optimistic, but any negativity may send futures lower. Light cash trading took place on Thursday. Hogs closed mostly higher on Wednesday but may...

Cattle futures have been wild since Friday with large price swings. The maket fundamentals are supportive, but the market may be tired and in need of a larger retracement. Hogs seemed to move in sympathy with cattle Tuesday, as...

The price retracement in cattle futures was short-lived Monday, with contracts nearly regaining the losses of Friday. Demand remains strong. Hog futures moved to new contract highs with strong support from cash and cutouts.

Traders decided to liquidate some cattle futures positions Friday ahead of the weekend due to concern over continued cash strength. Hogs closed mixed, with the June contract moving off the board and traders decided to wait for...

The cattle market continued to consolidate Thursday, giving the impression traders may be getting a little uncomfortable at these price levels. However, steady to higher cash should provide support. Hogs closed slightly higher...

Cattle futures took a breather on Wednesday. Traders are waiting to see at what price level cash trade will develop. Demand remains strong. Hog futures held gains and closed at new contract highs in most months Wednesday...

Cattle futures experienced a significant price swing Tuesday, with live cattle moving over $3.00 and feeder cattle over $4.00 from low to high. Light cash trade turned the market higher. Hog futures had some spread unwinding on...

Livestock futures found support Monday, closing higher after spending some time in negative territory. Higher beef prices provided some optimism. Hogs closed higher as traders remained friendly to the market.

Last week was an exceptional week for cattle with cash and futures exceptionally higher. The large increase in cash continued to support the market. Cash hogs were lower, but that was offset by spillover buying from cattle and...

Cattle futures exploded Thursday with traders buying with both hands. The substantial increase in cash fueled the frenzy. Contracts left a gap on the open and never looked back. Hog traders were rather oblivious to the...

Livestock futures increased Wednesday with only the June hog contract closing lower. Cattle futures received support from the higher cash cattle trade. Hog futures were supported by aggressive buying by packers.

Cattle futures did an aboutface Tuesday after spending time in positive territory. At midmorning, they quickly turned lower, as if someone had flipped a direction switch. Hogs showed continued spread trading with pressure on the...

Live cattle futures remained in positive territory throughout the day Monday, while feeder cattle spent a little time trading slightly lower. However, cattle had a strong close in both categories, with feeder cattle outperforming...

Cattle futures could not hold onto their early gains Friday, succumbing to selling ahead of the weekend despite higher cash trade. Feeder cattle closed their chart gaps. Hogs had a strong day with traders focusing on the...