Tuesday Midday Livestock Market Summary - Traders Drive Contracts Higher

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.