DTN Midday Livestock Comments          12/30 11:31

   Traders Drive Livestock Contracts Higher 

   The livestock complex is trading higher into Tuesday's noon hour as traders 
are willingly supporting the contracts. 

ShayLe Stewart
DTN Livestock Analyst

GENERAL COMMENTS:

   The livestock complex is trading fully higher into Tuesday's noon hour as 
traders are currently more optimistic about supporting the contracts than they 
were Monday. Still no cash cattle trade has developed and no bids are on the 
table. March corn is down 1 1/2 cents per bushel and March soybean meal is down 
$0.40. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 122.49 points and NASDAQ is 
down 15.36 points.

LIVE CATTLE:

   Following Monday's weaker close, the live cattle complex is higher as 
traders remain optimistic about the year to come. As we know now more than 
ever, managing risk remains a critical part of the cattle business and 
volatility is always looming; but there's still much to be excited about in the 
cattle sector as the calendar looks ahead to 2026. February live cattle is up 
$1.65 at $230.62, April live cattle is up $1.70 at $231.22 and June live cattle 
is up $1.87 at $226.05. Still no developments have surfaced in the fed cash 
cattle market.

   Boxed beef prices are mixed: choice down $0.82 ($348.51) and select up $0.06 
($345.68) with a movement of 93 loads (63.14 loads of choice, 11.25 loads of 
select, 9.65 loads of trim and 8.83 loads of ground beef).  

FEEDER CATTLE:

   Upon seeing the live cattle complex trading higher, the feeder cattle 
contracts have elected to up their game as most of the contracts are trading 
$2.00 to $3.00 higher into Tuesday's noon hour. January feeders are up $2.77 at 
$349.77, March feeders are up $3.07 at $344.75 and April feeders are up $3.02 
at $343.45. The market has plenty of upward potential as the contracts have 
already broken through the resistance at the 100-day moving average.

LEAN HOGS:

   The lean hog complex is also higher as traders are no longer up against 
immediate resistance pressure and the contracts are feeling some spillover 
support from the cattle sectors' ambitious morning. February lean hogs are up 
$1.10 at $85.57, April lean hogs are up $0.87 at $90.27 and June lean hogs are 
up $0.52 at $102.95.

   The projected CME Lean Hog Index for 12/29/2025 is down $0.19 at $82.25, and 
the actual index for 12/26/2025 is down $1.40 at $82.44. Hog prices are not 
available on the Daily Direct Morning Hog Report because of confidentiality. 
However, we can see that only 40 head have traded Tuesday morning. Pork cutouts 
total 184.16 loads with 161.80 loads with 22.36 loads of trim. Pork cutout 
values: up $0.41, $95.55.

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




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