DTN Midday Livestock Comments          07/10 12:24

   Cattle Contracts Optimistic While Lean Hogs Lose Momentum

   Heading into the afternoon cattle contracts may be able to close higher as 
the complex is short of support.

ShayLe Stewart
DTN Livestock Analyst

   General Comments

   Heading into Friday's noon hour, cattle contracts are trading sideways after 
the morning progressed the complex higher, but the lean hog complex is trading 
mostly lower as the support needed to rally the complex just isn't surfacing. 
Cattle contracts seem to be firm in their position and could end up closing the 
day with the same strength that the complex offers at midday as the week's 
stronger cash cattle prices seem to somewhat back the rally. December corn is 
down 8 cents per bushel and December soybean meal is down $3.60. The Dow Jones 
Industrial Average is up 166.78 points and NASDAQ is down 13.78 points.

   LIVE CATTLE

   Live cattle contracts are eyeing that $136 resistance level and though it's 
unlikely to make a run for it Friday afternoon, the complex keeps scaling 
slightly higher as the day is progressing. August live cattle are up $1.25 at 
$135.80, September live cattle are up $1.07 at $137.27 and October live cattle 
are up $1.27 at $138.40. Some of the cash market's strength seems to be 
stemming from fact that some (SOME) feedlots are starting to clean out their 
inventory and are showing more current numbers. That isn't to say that the 
entire industry is current but buying is becoming a little spotty as packers 
are having to work just a little harder to get cattle bought. Cash cattle trade 
is still mostly quiet though one major packer has renewed its bid of $155 in 
Nebraska.

   Boxed beef prices are mixed: choice up $1.17 ($204.76) and select down $0.92 
($193.92) with a movement of 56 loads (22.08 loads of choice, 16.23 loads of 
select, 5.58 loads of trim and 11.82 loads of ground beef).

   FEEDER CATTLE

   Feeder cattle contracts are feeling the most ambitious heading into the last 
stretch of the week. August feeders are up $0.80 at $135.32, September feeders 
are up $0.62 at $136.80 and October feeders are up $0.90 at $138.02. Seeing the 
live cattle complex rallying, higher cash cattle prices, and continued 
aggression throughout the feeder cattle sales -- the feeder cattle complex is 
quite optimistic as it closes out the week. The looming concern for cattlemen 
could be higher feeder costs as most of the country is already dry and forage 
could become quite costly this fall/winter.

   LEAN HOGS

   The lean hog complex has seemed to run out of support as the complex is left 
trading lower into the noon hour. August lean hogs are down $0.62 at $49.55, 
October lean hogs are down $1.00 at $49.55 and December lean hogs are down 
$0.80 at $51.77. The market has been posting enormous gains on the midday 
cutout value but hasn't been able to carry the substantial price jump into the 
closing value.

   The projected lean hog index for 7/8/2020 is down $0.17 at $45.18, and the 
actual index for 7/7/2020 is down $0.55 at $45.35. Hog prices are lower on the 
National Direct Morning Hog Report, down $0.17 with a weighted average of 
$29.91, ranging from $26.00 to $32.00 on 6,175 head and a five-day rolling 
average of $29.21. Pork cutouts total 214.80 loads with 173.35 loads of pork 
cuts and 41.45 loads of trim. Pork cutout values: up $4.01, $71.13.

   ShayLe Stewart can be reached shayle.stewart@dtn.com

    




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