Cattle Fading Lower Ahead of USDA Data

Live cattle futures are trading with midday losses of 97 cents to $1.90. The Thursday Fed Cattle online auction showed no sales on the 1,466 head offered, with bids at $254. Cash trade has been slow this week. Feeder cattle futures are down 50 cents to $1.25 so far at Thursday’s midday. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was up 2 cents on June 16 to $364.02. The market will round out the week today, with Friday off in observance of Juneteenth.

USDA will release Cattle on Feed data later today, as traders are looking for May placements to be down 5.5% from a year ago. Marketings are seen down 10.6% compared to 2025. June 1 on feed is expected to total 2.5% larger than the same period last year.

The weekly Export Sales report showed 10,449 MT of beef sold for 2026 in the week ending on June 11, nearly half of what was reported for last week. Shipments were pegged at 13,022 MT, back down from the week prior.

Wholesale Boxed Beef prices were lower in the Thursday AM report, with the Chc/Sel spread at $18.29. Choice boxes were down $1.23 to $393.27, while Select was $2.28 lower at $374.98. USDA’s federally inspected cattle slaughter for Wednesday was estimated at 109,000 head, with the weekly total at 317,000 head. That is up 1,000 from the previous week but 15,258 head below the same week last year.

Jun 26 Live Cattle  are at $254.750, down $0.975,

Aug 26 Live Cattle  are at $247.025, down $1.825,

Oct 26 Live Cattle  are at $240.350, down $1.500,

Aug 26 Feeder Cattle  are at $366.925, down $0.500

Sep 26 Feeder Cattle  are at $364.900, down $0.750

Oct 26 Feeder Cattle  are at $361.725, down $1.125