Live cattle futures closed the Thursday session with most contracts down a tick to $1.425. This morning’s Central Stockyards Fed Cattle Exchange online auction saw no sale on the 1,614 head offered, with bids of $184-184 via the BidTheGrid™ method. Feeder cattle futures were down 42 to 75 cents in the nearby contracts, with the rest up 22 to 72 cents. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was down 96 cents at $248.25 on October 21. 

USDA reported export sales of 22,542 MT for beef in the week of 9/26, a 7-week high. South Korea was the largest buyer of 7,900 MT, with China in for 6,200 MT.  Export shipments were a calendar year high of 17,739 MT. Much of  that was sent to South Korea (4,100 MT), Japan (4,000 MT), and China (2,900 MT).

USDA wholesale Boxed Beef prices were lower in the Thursday PM report. Choice boxes were by a penny to $299.80/cwt, with Select 64 cents lower @ $283.29. The Chc/Select spread widened to $16.51. USDA estimated Thursday’s federally inspected cattle slaughter at 124,000 head, taking the weekly total to 491,000 head. That is 4,000 head above the previous week but 7,753 head below the same week last year.

Oct 24 Live Cattle  closed at $186.000, down $1.425,

Dec 24 Live Cattle  closed at $186.400, down $1.300,

Feb 25 Live Cattle  closed at $187.750, down $0.650,

Oct 24 Feeder Cattle  closed at $248.975, down $0.750,

Nov 24 Feeder Cattle  closed at $248.125, down $0.425,

Jan 25 Feeder Cattle  closed at $242.550, up $0.475,