DTN Midday Livestock Comments          06/15 11:48

   Cattle Rally Monday While Hogs Remain Cautious 

   With stronger boxed beef prices, the cattle futures contracts are trading 
higher Monday. 

ShayLe Stewart
DTN Livestock Analyst

GENERAL COMMENTS:

   The livestock complex is trading mixed into Monday's noon hour as the cattle 
contracts are scaling higher upon stronger consumer demand, but the lean hog 
contracts are trading lower. New showlists appear to be mixed, higher in Kansas 
and Nebraska/Colorado, but lower in Texas. July corn is up 2 cents per bushel 
and July soybean meal is up $0.50. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 
717.04 points and NASDAQ is up 776.98 points.

LIVE CATTLE:

   With the help of supportive boxed beef prices, the live cattle contracts are 
trading higher at the week's start and inching even closer to the market's 
resistance at its 40-day moving average. At this point, traders remain focused 
on the support stemming from strong consumer demand, but there's a possibility 
the contracts could soften later Monday or even later this week if not enough 
fundamental support arises. June live cattle are up $0.25 at $250.12, August 
live cattle are up $0.92 at $242.12 and October live cattle are up $1.92 at 
$235.72. New showlists appear to be mixed, higher in Kansas and 
Nebraska/Colorado, but lower in Texas.

   Do note that later this week the markets will be closed on Friday, June 19 
for the Juneteenth holiday, so the monthly Cattle on Feed report will be 
released on Thursday, June 18.

   Boxed beef prices are higher: choice up $2.45 ($394.38) and select up $2.65 
($375.37) with a movement of 29 loads (22.04 loads of choice, 4.15 loads of 
select, zero loads of trim and 2.75 loads of ground beef).

FEEDER CATTLE:

   With the support of the live cattle futures' higher trend, the feeder cattle 
contracts are rallying into Monday's noon hour, pushing anywhere from a $3.00 
to $5.00 rally. This week is going to be a heavy hitter for the feeder cattle 
market as Superior's Corn Belt Classic is set to happen on June 16-17 and this 
will be the first real test of the summer for feeder cattle sales. With right 
over 73,000 head set to sell, the market will have a strong test of what feeder 
cattle demand is for the upcoming summer sales. August feeders are up $3.72 at 
$361.15, September feeders are up $4.65 at $359.20 and October feeders are up 
$4.85 at $355.77.

LEAN HOGS:

   Meanwhile, the lean hog complex is trading mostly lower as the market 
desperately longs for continued support. Yes, midday pork cutout values are 
higher, but traders are leery of being too supportive when demand has been a 
mixed bag in recent weeks. July lean hogs are down $0.25 at $97.20, August lean 
hogs are down $0.10 at $96.22 and October lean hogs are down $1.00 at $80.37. 
The projected CME Lean Hog Index for 6/12/2026 is down $0.66 at $92.09, and the 
actual index for 6/11/2026 is down $0.15 at $92.75. Hog prices on the Daily 
Direct Morning Hog Report are not available because of confidentiality, however 
we can see that only 993 head have traded Monday morning and the market's 
five-day rolling average now sits at $96.85. Pork cutouts total 194.53 loads 
with 183.58 loads of pork cuts and 10.95 loads of trim. Pork cutout values: up 
$1.60, $98.99.

    

   **

   NOTE:

   The cattle complex has seen record-high prices in the last year. But it's 
also been saddled with record-high risk and volatility, among many other 
challenges. To better understand these cattle market challenges, join DTN 
Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart for the inaugural Beef Industry Exchange 
webinar hosted by Senior Livestock Editor Jennifer Carrico at 9 a.m. CDT on 
June 24. 

   In addition to ShayLe's cattle market update, DTN Ag Meteorologist John 
Baranick shares how variability and a building Super El Nino might save or doom 
U.S. pastures. Due to widespread drought conditions across the U.S., cow-calf 
producers may be considering a reduction of the herd. To prepare for this, 
University of Nebraska Lincoln Beef Systems Extension Educator Aaron Berger 
shares different strategies to set up cow herd rebuilding when it rains again. 
Register for the free webinar today: 
https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdtn.link%2FBee
fIndustryExchange&data=05%7C02%7CCheri.Zagurski%40dtn.com%7C807fda3c4c664a981f56
08dec80477bd%7Cd945da26f07f451496e79b8f78a743d0%7C0%7C0%7C639168118702874444%7CU
nknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiI
sIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=CiVrIWXNYNj1JBgWhdg1CI8GUKR
aMhxlgI4NiJV2SwE%3D&reserved=0

   **

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




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