Beef futures slip on profit-taking, weak export gross sales
15 August 2025
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Chicago Mercantile Trade (CME) cattle futures retreated on Thursday in a profit-taking and technical setback after three periods of positive factors and as disappointing weekly beef export gross sales knowledge weighed available on the market, reported Reuters.
Futures, nonetheless, stay supported by tight provides of cattle and powerful beef costs.
Lean hog futures adopted cattle contracts decrease, pressured by rising provides and a drop in pork export gross sales final week.
“Livestock contracts have been deep within the crimson at this time with the heaviest losses seen in cattle. Lengthy liquidation was the first reason for this as contracts have been holding at all-time highs in overbought territory,” Karl Setzer, associate with Consus Ag Consulting, mentioned in a be aware to shoppers.
“Disappointing weekly crimson meat export gross sales weighed on each cattle and hogs.”
The US Division of Agriculture (USDA) mentioned exporters offered a web 4,282 metric tons of US beef within the week ended August 7, down 73% from per week earlier and a marketing-year low. Web US pork export gross sales fell 32% to 21,102 tons, the bottom in three weeks.
CME October stay cattle futures ended 2.600 cents decrease at 226.825 cents per pound, whereas September feeder cattle tumbled 5.600 cents to 346.625 cents per pound. October lean hogs fell 1.650 cents to 89.125 cents per pound.
Earlier than Thursday’s drop, cattle futures had been climbing towards current contract highs, helped by rising wholesale beef costs.
The selection boxed beef cutout worth added one other $3.30 on Thursday afternoon to $393.79 per hundredweight (cwt), up $14.95 within the week to this point, in keeping with the USDA. The choose beef cutout was down $1.08 on Thursday at $366.88 per cwt after leaping by $12.87 over the earlier three days.
