Sort & Cull

Should the markets really be driven by traders' reactions to news headlines as opposed to tangible fundamental developments? While the cattle complex has been losing money during the last seven trading days, boxed beef prices have continued to trade higher.

Comments from the Trump administration have caught beef producers' attention. Prices have been driven by low inventory, and beef producers prefer it to be that way.

It's yet to be seen what the market will do this week; but with traders fully acknowledging the outlook for 2026 is strong, there's still plenty of upside potential.

In today's environment, it seems the increased daily trading limits have had an inflation effect on the market. Seeing a $1.00-move five years ago was normal. Today, the market sees a daily movement of $3.00 to $4.00 with the same $1.00 regard.

It's likely the futures market could struggle again this week because of the seasonal downturn in both boxed beef and fed cash cattle prices.

From Friday's bullish Cattle on Feed report, to the expected announcement that's going to come soon from USDA about revitalizing the American beef industry, traders saw an opportunity to push the cattle contracts sharply higher and didn't waste any time.

With the market's fundamentals not expected to lend much support in upcoming weeks, as seasonally this is a time in which fed prices typically regress and boxed beef prices do too, it's easy to see why the futures complex could be subject to a short season of edginess.

Packers were able to buy a sizeable volume last week in the fed cash cattle market, which likely means that they'll aim to work prices even lower in the weeks ahead.

The market may be trading above anyone's wildest dreams, and while hurdles obviously still loom, there are still reasons to believe even higher prices could be seen.

Between seeing massive gains last week in the cattle complex, to hearing the unsettling news that a positive case of New World screwworm had been detected in a human here in the United States, it wouldn't be unusual to see traders more cautious and timid in their handling of...

USDA's $850 million investment to fight New World screwworm could help prevent losses of billions of dollars in the livestock and general economy.

It's almost presumed that with high prices should come ease and comfort. But that's far from what the cattle complex has seen lately, as nervousness has crept into the futures complex and there's an added level of volatility thanks to the market's historically high prices.

There's an argument to be made that the market should be able to rebound from last Friday's meltdown. On the other hand, there's a strong argument to be made that maybe the futures complex needs a break.

Livestock pioneer Minnie Lou Bradley, first female to win the International Livestock Judging Contest and honored with numerous awards, died recently at 93. The Texas rancher mentored countless people throughout her career.

No one ever expects fed cattle prices to rally through July, as typically it's a time when supplies are heavy, and as boxed beef prices seasonally decline, fed cash cattle prices normally do as well. But feedlot managers have stayed prudent about their marketings and have...

Instead of becoming lackadaisical and complacent behind the wheel, feedlot managers remain steadfast and laser-focused on advancing the market whenever the opportunity presents itself, even though seasonal norms would say this isn't a typical time when cash cattle prices trade...

Although feedlot managers are working with lighter showlists this week, they're going to face some pushback as the board is likely to remain cautious and packers do have more cattle committed to them in the deferred delivery option.

Limited supplies and strong demand have been the biggest reasons why both the live cattle and feeder cattle markets have traded higher, and why for now the market will likely remain strong.

The price you pay for record-high values is the anxiety and volatility that inevitably goes with them. That is one situation where technical analysis helps. With the past outlook being so important to the livestock industry, it's worth a second look.

With the cattle complex off to an aggressive start for the new week, cattlemen are crossing their fingers that prices will remain strong as some set out to market their 2025 calves.