DTN Midday Livestock Comments          04/23 11:46

   Live Cattle Contracts Break Through Resistance Barriers  

   Still no cash cattle trade has developed but with the board trading higher 
feedlot managers have their sights set on at least steady prices.

ShayLe Stewart
DTN Livestock Analyst

GENERAL COMMENTS:

   Thus far through Wednesday's trade, it's been a mostly successful day as the 
livestock contracts are trading higher. Still no cash cattle trade has 
developed but trade is likely delayed until Friday. May corn is down 2 cents 
per bushel and May soybean meal is down $1.10. The Dow Jones Industrial Average 
is down 527.16 points.

LIVE CATTLE:

   The live cattle complex has been able to successfully maintain its higher 
position thus far through Wednesday's trade which is quite commendable given 
that the market gapped higher at the day's start and is trading slightly above 
the spot June contract's previous resistance level. June live cattle are up 
$1.25 at $207.52, August live cattle are up $0.97 at $203.42 and October live 
cattle are $0.92 at $201.40. Traders are likely to monitor fundamental support 
closely this afternoon and through the later part of the week as they're hoping 
to see support from both cash prices and boxed beef prices compliment their 
higher push this morning. Still no developments have surfaced in the cash 
cattle market and trade will likely be delayed until Thursday, or even Friday.

   Boxed beef prices are mixed: choice up $0.63 ($332.36) and select down $1.20 
($316.45) with a movement of 62 loads (34.35 loads of choice, 13.33 loads of 
select, 4.47 loads of trim and 9.99 loads of ground beef).

FEEDER CATTLE:

   The feeder cattle complex isn't seeing quite as much momentum in its market 
this morning as compared to the live cattle contracts, but they're still 
trading higher, nonetheless. May feeders are up $1.60 at $288.52, August 
feeders are up $0.30 at $291.55 and September feeders are up $0.42 at $290.67. 
The feeder cattle complex seems more concerned about its technical resistance 
pressure as traders haven't taken on the looming resistance at $293.00 in the 
spot August contract.

LEAN HOGS:

   The lean hog complex's rally has been slightly broken as the nearby 
contracts are trading lower while the deferred months continue to push mildly 
higher. It was pretty impressive that the lean hog complex had a nine straight 
day consecutive rally which helped propel the spot June contract to the highest 
price the market has traded since late February. But after such aggressive 
technical footwork, the market seems to cool its momentum as traders look 
around to see if the markets' fundamentals are going to support such a move. 
June lean hogs are down $0.07 at $100.20, July lean hogs are up $0.05 at 
$100.32 and August lean hogs are up $0.22 at $98.45.

   The projected lean hog index for 4/22/2025 is up $0.67 at $86.75, and the 
actual index for 4/21/2025 is up $0.37 at $86.08. Hog prices are higher on the 
Daily Direct Morning Hog Report, up $4.22 with a weighted average price of 
$91.59, ranging from $83.00 to $95.00 on 6,977 head and a five-day rolling 
average of $89.57. Pork cutouts total 149.19 loads with 128.06 loads of pork 
cuts and 21.14 loads of trim. Pork cutout values: down $0.26, $95.52.

    

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




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