GENERAL COMMENTS:
Cash cattle deals this week are being marked at mostly $155 live basis (steady with last week) or $249 dressed basis ($4 higher than last week), although additional volume later on Friday could reveal more about packers' appetites. Meanwhile, more losses in the feed grains markets have set the feeder cattle futures contracts knocking at last week's highs, and lean hogs, too, are following through on their recent recovery with additional gains Friday. December corn is down 14 cents per bushel and December soybean meal is up $0.40 per ton. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 51 points.
LIVE CATTLE:
The November jobs number came in better than expected Friday morning, and a strong economy is generally supportive to the beef and cattle markets, but stock market prices aren't necessarily surging in response, and live cattle futures are showing only mild gains so far Friday. December live cattle are up $0.40 at $153.45, February live cattle are up $0.625 at $156.05 and April live cattle are up $0.475 at $159.725. Rather than reacting to outside market influences and obscure economic numbers, live cattle futures traders appear to be guided by the cash market this week, which churned higher yet again. Southern live cattle sales have been marked at mostly $155, fully steady with last week's weighted averages and faithfully reflected in the nearby futures prices. Northern dressed deals were marked at mostly $249, $4 higher than last week's weighted averages. More volume is expected to trade on Friday, and asking prices for cattle left on showlists are around $157-plus in the South and $250 to $252 in the North.
Friday's slaughter is estimated at 123,000 head, which is 3,000 more than a week ago and also 3,000 more than a year ago at this time. It's expected to be followed by a Saturday kill of 38,000 head.
Boxed beef prices are mixed Friday morning: choice down $2.02 ($251.55) and select up $0.66 ($225.66), tightening the spread, with a movement of 46 loads (30.54 loads of choice, 5.26 loads of select, 0 loads of trim and 10.15 loads of ground beef).
FEEDER CATTLE:
Nearby feeder cattle futures contracts have been the leader of gains in the livestock sector so far Friday morning. January feeders are up $1.325 at $182.40, March feeders are up $0.85 at $185.15 and April feeders are up $0.60 at $188.40. This sort of performance may simply be the kneejerk reaction of futures traders and their algorithms on a day when nearby corn futures are falling by double-digits, but the charts are certainly within striking distance of last week's highs, and if trading volume picks up during the afternoon, there is a possibility of developing fresh bullish momentum in this market. Contracts for timeframes past mid-2023 are already trading above $200 per cwt, so in some senses, the psychological resistance against pursuing historical highs has already been broken.
LEAN HOGS:
Low trading volume so far during the Friday trading session has given the lean hog futures contracts some gently higher prices. December lean hogs are down $0.375 at $82.75, February lean hogs are up $0.425 at $89.625 and April lean hogs are up $0.925 at $95.175. At these levels, the charts are staying inside comfortable, well-tested previous trading ranges, no longer at the volatile whim of whichever bullish or bearish sentiment was wafting off of Chinese COVID-19 headlines. The situation there seems to be resignation that imports of many commodities (including pork) are likely to still be limited by Covid and its associated restrictions on consumers, but provincial governments have responded to some of the protests and the fear of a more draconian lockdown seems to have passed. Here in the U.S., pork prices and hog prices have been dented this week, and although packers' slaughter pace remains aggressive, there seems to be no bullish urge to bid up the market value for stable swine supplies at this point. Friday's slaughter is projected at 487,000 head, which is 17,000 more than a week ago and 15,000 more than a year ago at this time. Saturday's hog slaughter is projected at 139,000 head, which is less than half what was seen during last Saturday's Thanksgiving catchup, but is nevertheless a sustainable volume.
The projected CME Lean Hog Index for Nov. 30 is down $0.65 at $83.24 and the actual index for Nov. 29 was down $0.32 at $83.89. Friday's Daily Direct Morning Hog Report showed a weighted average price of $81.88 (down $3.18) on 3,350 head. Prices ranged from $81 to $88, and the five-day rolling average is now $84.70. Pork cutouts total 235.80 loads with 219.91 loads of pork cuts and 15.90 loads of trim. Pork cutout values: up $2.62, $89.14.
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