Live cattle futures are trading with 40 to 80 cent gains at Thursday’s midday. Cash trade has yet to get kicked off this week. A few Southern sales were reported at $239 on Wednesday, with bids of $239 this morning and Northern bids if $235. The Thursday morning Fed Cattle Exchange online auction from Central Stockyards saw no sales on the 1,250 head offered, with bids at $232-238. Feeder cattle futures are up $1.50 to $2.40 so far on the Thursday session. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was down 27 cents at $361.36 on September 16.

Weekly Export Sales data showed a total of 15,777 MT of beef sold in the week ending on 9/11, an improvement from last week. Shipments were tallied at 13,169 MT, which was a 6-week high.

USDA will release their Cattle on Feed report on Friday, with August Placements seen down 9% and markets expected to be 12.8% below last year. September 1 on feed data is estimated down 0.9% vs. 2024.

USDA Wholesale Boxed Beef prices are continuing the weaker trend in the Thursday AM report, with the Chc/Sel spread at $22.23. Choice boxes were down $1.73 at $386.45, while Select was $2.16 lower to $366.21. USDA federally inspected cattle slaughter for Wednesday was estimated at 120,000 head, with the weekly total at 351,000 head. That was 9,000 head above last week, but 20,957 head lower vs. the same week in 2024.

Oct 25 Live Cattle  are at $231.525, up $0.425,

Dec 25 Live Cattle  are at $233.475, up $0.800,

Feb 26 Live Cattle  are at $235.125, up $0.775,

Sep 25 Feeder Cattle  are at $357.400, up $2.375

Oct 25 Feeder Cattle  are at $350.625, up $1.500

Nov 25 Feeder Cattle  are at $346.025, up $1.900