DTN Midday Livestock Comments          04/22 11:40

   Traders Drive Livestock Contracts Higher

   All three livestock contracts are trading higher into Tuesday's noon hour as 
traders remain hopeful that fundamental support will return later this week.

ShayLe Stewart
DTN Livestock Analyst

GENERAL COMMENTS:

   The livestock complex is having a fruitful day as all three of the markets 
are back to trading higher. But with resistance pressure looming for the cattle 
contracts, it will be vital that fundamental support remain active in the 
market later this week. May corn is down 2 cents per bushel and May soybean 
meal is down $1.10. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 527.16 points.

LIVE CATTLE:

   The live cattle complex is back in action as the market is fronting a 
promising $1.00 to $2.00 push heading into Tuesday's noon hour. The market is 
close to nearing resistance pressure in the spot June contract, but if 
fundamental support is ample this week (especially in the form of strong box 
prices and fed cash cattle prices) there's a chance that traders could take on 
the market's resistance. The only other key fundamental component that needs to 
be monitored this week is throughput, as Monday's slaughter was light at just 
100,000 head. June live cattle are up $2.45 at $206.22, August live cattle are 
up $2.47 at $202.47 and October live cattle are up $2.37 at $200.60.

   Boxed beef prices are higher: choice up $1.53 ($335.05) and select up $1.40 
($320.17) with a movement of 54 loads (40.28 loads of choice, 6.51 loads of 
select, zero loads of trim and 7.37 loads of ground beef).

FEEDER CATTLE:

   The bullish front of the cattle complex is being spurred on by the feeder 
cattle complex as all of its contracts are trading $2.00 to $3.00 higher into 
the day's noon hour. May feeders are up $1.92 at $287.45, August feeders are up 
$2.55 at $291.65 and September feeders are up $2.82 at $290.82. Like the spot 
June live cattle contract, the spot May feeder cattle contract is nearing 
market resistance that could be problematic for traders if they don't see 
continued fundamental support later this week.

LEAN HOGS:

   The lean hog complex is also enjoying a fruitful day where most of its 
nearby contracts are at least trading above $1.00 higher. It's rather 
impressive to see the spot June contract trading at the highest it's been since 
the end of February, and the market is also on its ninth consecutive day of 
higher trading. June lean hogs are up $1.80 at $99.85, July lean hogs are up 
$1.60 at $99.85 and August lean hogs are up $1.22 at $98.10. The additional 
support of stronger pork cutout values is lending a helping hand as well, which 
is mainly to thank again this morning because of the $3.47 jump in the belly.

   The projected lean hog index for 4/21/2025 is up $0.37 at $86.08, and the 
actual index for 4/18/2025 is up $0.25 at $85.71. Hog prices are higher on the 
Daily Direct Morning Hog Report, up $2.95 with a weighted average price of 
$87.37, ranging from $83.00 to $91.00 on 1,567 head and a five-day rolling 
average of $86.00. Pork cutouts total 181.37 loads with 167.60 loads of pork 
cuts and 13.77 loads of trim. Pork cutout values: up $0.31, $96.70.

    

   ShayLe Stewart can be reached shayle.stewart@dtn.com




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