Tuesday Midday Livestock Market Summary - Contracts Trade Higher

GENERAL COMMENTS:

The livestock complex is trading fully higher into Tuesday's noon hour as traders continue to welcome the idea of mildly supporting the marketplace. Still no cash cattle trade has developed, and bids and asking prices remain elusive. December corn is down 4 cents per bushel and December soybean meal is up $1.30. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 338.52 points and the NASDAQ is up 13.05 points.

LIVE CATTLE:

Although the live cattle complex originally started the day off weaker, the market has since changed its direction and is again trading higher into the day's noon hour. December live cattle are up $1.85 at $245.50, February live cattle are up $1.87 at $246.40 and April live cattle are up $1.75 at $246.50. The market continues to recover some of the position lost last Friday as traders believe that the market's fundamentals will continue to support the market's bullish underpinning. Still no developments have occurred in the fed cash cattle market, and trade will likely be delayed until the second half of the week.

Boxed beef prices are mixed: choice up $2.93 ($372.11) and select down $1.18 ($352.28) with a movement of 71 loads (48.63 loads of choice, 14.28 loads of select, zero loads of trim and 7.78 loads of ground beef).

FEEDER CATTLE:

The feeder cattle complex is also trading higher into Tuesday's noon hour, but the market isn't doing so wildly. Currently, the feeder cattle contracts are trading around $1.00 higher throughout most of the contracts, seeming to keep right in line with the live cattle market's pace, but not storming $3.00 to $5.00 higher like the contracts did just a couple of weeks ago. More than anything, traders seem to respect and acknowledge the strong fundamental position, but at the same time, they see and are keenly aware of the technical risk that lingers. November feeders are up $1.05 at $373.72, January feeders are up $1.27 at $370.45 and March feeders are up $1.45 at $367.95.

LEAN HOGS:

The lean hog complex is trading higher as well into Tuesday's noon hour as the market is potentially finding somewhat of a bottom in the futures complex. After trailing mostly lower since late September, the lean hog complex could be establishing a support plane. December lean hogs are up $0.80 at $82.87, February lean hogs are up $0.67 at $85.40 and April lean hogs are up $0.67 at $89.62.

The projected lean hog index for 10/20/2025 is down $0.60 at $94.98 and the actual index for 9/17/2025 is down $0.54 at $95.58. Hog prices are higher on the Daily Direct Morning Hog Report, up $0.06 with a weighted average price of $90.66, ranging from $87.00 to $93.00 on 7,585 head and a five-day rolling average of $91.77. Pork cutouts total 184.22 loads with 162.70 loads of pork cuts and 21.52 loads of trim. Pork cutout values: down $0.09, $101.99.