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DTN Closing Livestock Comment 03/27 15:43

   Cattle Find Mild Support Ahead of Wednesday's Close

   Thursday will be a busy day for the livestock complex with the market 
needing to see more cash cattle traded, and the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report 
will be shared as well.

ShayLe Stewart
DTN Livestock Analyst

GENERAL COMMENTS:

   The cattle contracts were able to close slightly higher following Tuesday's 
sharp descent. The cash cattle market still hasn't seen much trade develop -- 
but packer interest should improve by Thursday. Hog prices closed lower on the 
Daily Direct Afternoon Hog Report, down $1.37 with a weighted average price of 
$79.26 on 3,044 head. May corn is down 5 3/4 cents per bushel and May soybean 
meal is down $0.80. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 477.75 points.

LIVE CATTLE:

   The live cattle complex was able to round the day out on a higher note -- 
but given the severity of Tuesday's decline, today's higher end is hardly worth 
noting. Traders allowed the contracts to rally mildly, but with cash cattle 
prices expected to be lower than last week's record high, traders won't likely 
do much more with the futures complex ahead of the weekend. April live cattle 
closed $0.50 higher at $183.60, June live cattle closed $0.30 higher at $178.67 
and August live cattle closed $0.25 higher at $176.67. There's been a handful 
of trade reported in the South at $185 which is $3.00 lower than last week's 
weighted average. Bids of $296 are currently being offered in the North but no 
dressed trade has been reported at this point. Asking prices remain firm in the 
South at $188 plus, and asking prices are still not established in the North.

   Wednesday's slaughter is estimated at 124,000 head -- 8,000 head more than a 
week ago but 1,000 head less than a year ago.

   Boxed beef prices closed lower: choice down $2.51 ($308.58) and select down 
$1.83 ($298.43) with a movement of 166 loads (103.87 loads of choice, 24.00 
loads of select, 5.45 loads of trim and 32.19 loads of ground beef).

   THURSDAY'S CATTLE CALL: Steady to $1.00 lower. Packer interest will need to 
improve on Thursday, and even though prices are currently being noted at $3.00 
lower in the South, there's still a chance that prices could trade closer to 
last week's weighted average before the week's trade is all said and done.

FEEDER CATTLE:

   The feeder cattle complex was also able to regain some market position 
following Tuesday's landslide. The nearby contracts of April and May say the 
biggest gains, but then the entire complex did round out the day higher. Sales 
in the countryside seemed to be a little stronger today and it's worth noting 
how strong cull bull and cow prices are. At Winter Livestock in Dodge City 
today a high-yielding cull bull brought $1.75 per pound! April feeders closed 
$1.42 higher at $246.87, May feeders closed $1.02 higher at $248.27 and August 
feeders closed $0.80 higher at $257.90. At Winter Livestock Auction in Dodge 
City, Kansas compared to last week feeder steers weighing 850 to 950 pounds 
traded steady to $4.00 higher. Steers weighing 650 to 850 pounds sold unevenly 
steady. Steer calves weighing 450 to 650 pounds sold $8.00 to $10.00 higher. 
Feeder heifers weighing 450 to 900 pounds traded $4.00 to $8.00 lower. 
Slaughter cows sold steady to $3.00 higher, and slaughter bulls sold $10.00 to 
$12.00 higher. Feeder cattle supply over 600 pounds was 78%. The CME feeder 
cattle index 3/26/2024: not available at this time.

LEAN HOGS:

   The lean hog complex mostly kept with its rallying nature through 
Wednesday's end although the deferred contracts pulled back ever so slightly. 
The market seems to be holding its breath until the veil is pulled back on 
Thursday's Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report. I'm not certain that the report will 
be bullish enough to take out the market's long-term resistance, but hog 
enthusiasts can hope. Export sales will also play a big role in Thursday's 
trade direction. Pork cutout prices closed lower again but no one cut was to 
blame as the market saw a decline in the vast majority of the cuts. April lean 
hogs closed $0.52 higher at $86.10, June lean hogs closed $0.25 higher at 
$101.60 and July lean hogs closed $0.12 lower at $103.97. Pork cutouts totaled 
230.10 loads with 190.15 loads of pork cuts and 39.95 loads of trim. Pork 
cutout values: down $1.27, $94.06. Wednesday's slaughter is estimated at 
490,000 head -- steady with a week ago and 13,000 head more than a year ago. 
The CME lean hog index 3/25/2024: up $0.21, $83.69.

   THURSDAY'S HOG CALL: Lower. Given that tomorrow is the last trading day of 
the week and packers are going into a long holiday weekend, it's unlikely that 
they show Thursday's cash market much interest.

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




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