Live cattle futures posted $1.25 to $1.50 gains across the front months at the Thursday close. A few Southern sales have been reported at $239-240 this week, with Northern dressed sales at $370, down $5-8 wk/wk. The Thursday morning Fed Cattle Exchange online auction from Central Stockyards saw no sales on the 1,250 head offered, with bids at $232-238. Feeder cattle futures closed out the Thursday session with contracts up $2.50 to $3.15. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was back up $1.26 at $362.62 on September 17.

Weekly Export Sales data showed a total of 15,777 MT of beef sold in the week ending on 9/11, an improvement from last week.  The largest buyer was South Korea at 8,000 MT, with 1,700 MT sold to Mexico. Shipments were tallied at 13,169 MT, which was a 6-week high. The top destination was Japan at 4,000 MT, with 3,200 MT shipped to South Korea.

USDA will release their Cattle on Feed report on Friday, with August Placements seen down 9% and markets expected to be 12.8% below last year. September 1 on feed data is estimated down 0.9% vs. 2024.

USDA Wholesale Boxed Beef prices are continuing the weaker trend in the Thursday PM report, with the Chc/Sel spread at $24.50. Choice boxes were down $2.37 at $385.81, while Select was $5.06 lower to $361.61. USDA federally inspected cattle slaughter for Thursday was estimated at 112,000 head, with the weekly total at 460,000 head. That was just 1,000 head above last week, but 34,579 head lower vs. the same week in 2024.

Oct 25 Live Cattle  closed at $232.375, up $1.275,

Dec 25 Live Cattle  closed at $234.150, up $1.475,

Feb 26 Live Cattle  closed at $235.775, up $1.425,

Sep 25 Feeder Cattle  closed at $358.175, up $3.150,

Oct 25 Feeder Cattle  closed at $351.725, up $2.600,

Nov 25 Feeder Cattle  closed at $347.225, up $3.100,