Cattle Close Lower at Month-End

Live cattle closed out the Friday session with month-end profit taking as contracts were 67 cents to $1.25 lower. June rolled off the board at $193.50. August was up $2.27 on the week and $6.975 on the month. Cash trade was slow to develop this week, with light trade of $198 in NE and $190 in TX. Friday morning’s Fed Cattle Exchange online auction from Central Stockyards showed sales of $198.25 in IA using the BidTheGrid™ method. Feeder cattle closed with $1.35 to $1.85 losses on as August was up 92 cents this week and $2.90 on the month. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was back down 44 cents on June 27 at $258.60.

CFTC data from Friday showed specs net long 55,860 contracts as of Tuesday, a 4,136 contract increase to the position on the week. In feeder cattle managed money cut their net longs by 502 contracts to just 2,507 contracts as of June 25, the smallest net long cine January.

USDA wholesale Boxed Beef prices were higher in the Friday afternoon report. Choice boxes were up $2.99 to $326.32/cwt, with Select $1.80 higher at $304.50. The Chc/Select spread widened to $21.82. USDA estimated this week’s FI slaughter total at 609,000 head. That is down 11,000 head from the previous week and 41,573 below the same week last year.

Jun 24 Live Cattle  closed at $193.500, down $0.675,

Aug 24 Live Cattle  closed at $185.425, down $1.025,

Oct 24 Live Cattle  closed at $184.875, down $0.875,

Aug 24 Feeder Cattle  closed at $259.300, down $1.350,

Sep 24 Feeder Cattle  closed at $259.650, down $1.750,

Oct 24 Feeder Cattle  closed at $260.000, down $1.800,

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