Monday Midday Livestock Market Summary - Cattle Keep Trading Higher

GENERAL COMMENTS:

Overall, the livestock complex is off to a mostly stronger start as the cattle complex has been blessed with ample fundamental support, and now traders are just trying to decide how far they should push the contracts. The lean hog complex is again trading mixed as traders are looking to see what demand shapes up to be this week. September corn is down 5 3/4 cents per bushel and August soybean meal is down $2.60. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 25.67 points and the NASDAQ is up 62.83 points.

LIVE CATTLE:

Following the slew of positive developments late last week, the live cattle complex hasn't shied away from trading higher as the market has seen a plethora of fundamental support gush into the marketplace. Whether that be last week's bullish Cattle on Feed report, or the noting on the mid-year Cattle Inventory report that no signs of herd build back have started yet, or the steady to $2.00 higher in the fed cash cattle market, or the unseasonal uptick in boxed beef prices. There are almost too many bullish factors currently playing in the marketplace to keep trade off. August live cattle are up $0.65 at $227.12, October live cattle are up $0.40 at $223.55 and December live cattle are up $0.72 at $224.12. No bids or asking prices have been posted yet.

Last week Southern live cattle traded at mostly $230 to $232, which is steady to $2.00 higher than the previous week's weighted average, and Northern dressed cattle traded at mostly $380, which $1.00 higher than the previous week's weighted average.

Boxed beef prices are higher: choice up $1.13 ($367.81) and select up $2.04 ($346.91) with a movement of 30 loads (15.83 loads of choice, 9.20 loads of select, zero loads of trim and 4.72 loads of ground beef).

FEEDER CATTLE:

After fully evaluating the market's triumphant success last week, it's almost as if traders noted the positive developments and merely said, "say less," as they shot the feeder cattle contracts higher. August feeders are up $0.67 at $332.05, September feeders are up $0.90 at $333.10 and October feeders are up $1.12 at $332.12. Once again today, the market's higher push in the futures complex scored another new contract high for many of the nearby contracts.

LEAN HOGS:

Following last week's choppy trade, the lean hog complex is again skating sideways into Monday's noon hour. August lean hogs are steady at $108.70, October lean hogs are up $0.02 at $90.62 and December lean hogs are up $0.47 at $82.72. It will be imperative that demand remains strong this week if trades are going to be successfully able to advance the contracts. Packers could be slightly less aggressive in this week's cash market as they bought a sizeable volume last week.

The projected lean hog index for 7/25/2025 is up $0.04 at $110.32 and the actual index for 7/24/2025 is up $0.33 at $110.28. Hog prices are lower on the Daily Direct Morning Hog Report, down $0.24 with a weighted average price of $109.02, ranging from $106.00 to $114.00 on 951 head and a five-day rolling average of $113.61. Pork cutouts total 133.39 loads with 119.52 loads of pork cuts and 13.88 loads of trim. Pork cutout values: up $2.20, $121.06.