Hog futures edge higher on firm pork cutout - CME
Feeder cattle futures stabilise ahead of feedlot report
27 July 2026
1 minute read
By: Feeder cattle futures firmed up Friday, consolidating after a slide earlier in the week, as market players awaited the US Department of Agriculture's cattle on feed report, released after the close of the trading session, reported Reuters.
Earlier in the week, hot weather in the US Midwest made feeder cattle buyers reluctant to buy animals to place on feedlots, causing a huge sell-off of feeder cattle futures.
"This week's cash trade for cattle was really pretty weak overall, but is showing a little bit of stabilization after the big collapse that we've seen there," said Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist at StoneX.
On Friday, CME August feeder cattle futures rose 1.55 cents to finish at 345.325 cents per pound.
Live cattle futures firmed, with CME August live cattle settling 1.60 cents higher at 222.275.
Boxed beef prices fell with choice cuts of beef losing $1.63 to $361.24 per hundredweight (cwt), according to the US Department of Agriculture on Friday afternoon. Select cuts fell $2.04 to $346.71 per cwt.
Meat packers were in the red, losing $195.80 per head of cattle on Friday, compared with losses of $255.55 the previous day, according to livestock marketing advisory service HedgersEdge.com.
The USDA's cattle-on-feed report, released on Friday afternoon, showed cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market up 2% since July 1, 2025. Placements on feedlots were 3% below 2025 and marketings of fed cattle were also 3% below 2025, all lower than trade estimates.
Lean hogs also firmed, following strength in the cattle futures.
CME October hogs firmed 0.125 cent to finish at 89.025 cents per pound.
The CME's Lean Hog Index, a two-day weighted average of cash hog prices, was last quoted at $97.48, up from $97.08 the previous day.
The USDA priced the pork carcass cutout late on Tuesday at $104.63 per cwt, up $0.15.
