Live cattle futures closed out the Thursday session with gains of 15 cents to $2.325. Cash trade has been quiet this week, with Thursday’s Central Stockyards Fed Cattle Exchange auction showing sales of $191 on a couple TX lots using their BidTheGrid™. Outside of that, there were sales of $190 in the South. Feeder cattle futures were up 32 cents to $1.50. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was up 67 cents at $259.06 on July 24. 

Weekly beef Export Sales totaled 13,400 MT during the week that ended on July 18, a 13% decline from last week. Actual sales totaled 16,300 MT, a 5% increase on the week.

The monthly NASS Cold Storage report reported 410.3 million lb of beef stocks at the end of June. That was 0.11% below the same month in 2023 and a 2.68% decline vs. May 31.

USDA wholesale Boxed Beef prices were back to mixed in Thursday afternoon’s report, with Choice boxes down 22 cents at $312.46 and Select products $1.15 higher @ $295.11. The Chc/Sel spread has narrowed to $17.35.  USDA estimated Thursday FI slaughter at 120,000 head, putting the week to date at 480.000. That is 5,000 head above last week and 16,768 head below a year ago. 

Aug 24 Live Cattle  closed at $188.900, up $2.000,

Oct 24 Live Cattle  closed at $188.600, up $2.325,

Dec 24 Live Cattle  closed at $188.900, up $1.625,

Aug 24 Feeder Cattle  closed at $258.625, up $1.500,

Sep 24 Feeder Cattle  closed at $257.900, up $1.200,

Oct 24 Feeder Cattle  closed at $257.075, up $0.700,