Hog futures steady amid quiet trade, limited new signals - CME
Cattle futures rise as outside markets lend support
24 March 2026
1 minute read
By: Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) cattle futures turned higher on Monday as equity markets rallied while traders continued to eye the week's cash trade, Reuters reported, citing analysts.
The three main US stock indexes finished Monday's session up more than 1% as oil prices fell after President Donald Trump said he had ordered the military to postpone strikes against Iranian power plants following "productive conversations" with Tehran.
"Outside markets are being traded today," said Altin Kalo, economist at Steiner Consulting Group.
CME June live cattle settled 1.225 cent higher to 234.65 cents per pound. CME April feeders finished up 1.30 cent to 352.475 cents per pound.
Traders largely put Friday's US Department of Agriculture (USDA) cattle on feed report in the rearview mirror.
The USDA reported after the session ended that cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the US for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totalled 11.55 million head on March 1, slightly below March 1, 2025, which totalled 11.58 million head and above the trade estimate of 99.3 percent of 2025's total.
On Monday, the USDA reported choice cuts of boxed beef fell 61 cent to $399.50 per hundredweight (cwt), and select cuts rose 62 cents to $393.56 per cwt.
Beef packer margins rose to $118.20 per head on Monday, up from $57.10 per head a week ago, according to livestock marketing advisory service HedgersEdge.
Hog futures ended nearly unchanged amid a lack of fresh news.
CME June lean hog futures ended down 0.075 cent at 104.40 cents per pound.
