Cattle Current Market Update with Wes Ishmael
Wes Ishmael: cattle business analyst and journalist
▶ Webplayer
Wes Ishmael: cattle business analyst and journalist
▶ WebplayerWhether you trade cattle once a year or every day, Cattle Current with Wes Ishmael helps you stay in the market with a daily morning snapshot of the previous day's market action and news shaping the market ahead. Cattle market highlights and commentary include: market news; cash calf and feeder cattle price trends at auction; relevant futures prices and trends; cash fed cattle prices; overview of the cash grain market; trends in major Equity indexes. Stay in the market.
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Sep 29, 2026 · 6:28
Cattle futures were mixed to mainly higher on Tuesday. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of 11¢ lower to an average of 28¢ higher. Feeder Cattle futures were…
Sep 28, 2026 · 6:59
Cattle futures softened Monday, pressured by bearish outside markets, along with month-end and quarter-end positioning. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of…
Sep 27, 2026 · 8:58
Cattle futures closed higher Friday and for the week with strength from tight numbers, higher cash feeder cattle prices and stronger wholesale beef values. Live Cattle futures…
Sep 23, 2026 · 4:47
Cattle futures boomeranged back Wednesday, helped by oversold conditions and lower corn futures prices. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $2.31 higher.…
Sep 22, 2026 · 3:27
Cattle futures pulled back Tuesday, with some likely profit taking from the previous session’s strong gains. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $1.90 lower.…
Sep 21, 2026 · 8:46
Cattle futures stepped confidently higher Monday, buoyed by Friday’s Cattle on Feed report with placements 9.2% less year over year and 6.5% less than pre-report estimates with…
Sep 19, 2026 · 7:18
Cattle futures sputtered Friday and ended the week lower with apparent squeamishness about the Cattle on Feed report that was published after the session and wonderment about the…
Sep 17, 2026 · 6:40
Cattle futures were lower again Thursday, with steady to lower negotiated cash fed cattle prices and likely positioning ahead of Friday’s Cattle on Feed report. Depending on the…
Sep 16, 2026 · 4:46
Cattle futures softened further Wednesday, pressured by bearish outside markets, and likely profit taking as traders await the week’s negotiated cash fed cattle direction. Toward…
Sep 15, 2026 · 5:54
Cattle futures were lower Tuesday with likely profit taking from the recent gains. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $1.70 lower. Feeder Cattle futures…
Sep 13, 2026 · 9:07
Cattle futures ended Friday and the week higher, supported by the step higher in negotiated cash fed cattle prices and lower grain futures. Live Cattle futures closed an average…
Sep 10, 2026 · 4:32
Cattle futures strengthened on Thursday, supported by stronger cash feeder cattle prices and thoughts that negotiated cash fed cattle prices could follow suit. Toward the close,…
Sep 9, 2026 · 6:48
Cattle futures mainly held or extended gains on Wednesday, in the face of another day of bearishness in outside markets. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of…
Sep 5, 2026 · 7:36
Cattle futures closed mixed Friday on caution ahead of the three-day weekend. Live Cattle futures closed an average of 99¢ lower, except for an average of 11¢ higher in the back…
Sep 3, 2026 · 5:29
Cattle futures finally bounced higher Thursday, supported by oversold conditions and some renewed strength in cash prices. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average…
Sep 2, 2026 · 4:41
Cattle futures continued trying to carve a bottom Wednesday, with pressure including steady to lower cash fed cattle prices. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average…
Sep 1, 2026 · 5:39
Cattle futures were lower Tuesday amid struggling cash fed cattle prices and higher feed costs. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $1.14 lower. Feeder…
Aug 31, 2026 · 6:50
Cattle futures overcame more government intervention in the cattle business (see below) on Monday to eke out gains with oversold conditions. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures…
Aug 29, 2026 · 7:19
Cattle futures were unable to build on recent gains Friday, bogged down by more political rhetoric. Live Cattle futures closed an average of 92¢ lower. Feeder Cattle futures…
Aug 27, 2026 · 6:46
Cattle futures continued higher Thursday, boosting hopes that the bottom had been etched. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $2.79 higher. Feeder Cattle…
Aug 26, 2026 · 7:16
Cattle futures firmed and mostly gained Wednesday, supported by oversold conditions. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of 46¢ higher, except for an average of…
Aug 25, 2026 · 5:20
Cattle futures continued to unravel Tuesday with follow-through pressure and another significant step lower in negotiated cash fed cattle prices. Toward the close, Live Cattle…
Aug 25, 2026 · 7:48
Cattle futures opened higher Monday, supported by the lower July feedlot placements in Friday’s Cattle on Feed report but then turned negative with pressure including last week’s…
Aug 24, 2026 · 8:27
Cattle futures were able to fade early pressure from President Trump’s announcement to waive tariffs for 90 days on imported beef products for ground beef (see below). Live…
Aug 19, 2026 · 6:29
Cattle futures lost ground Wednesday with pressure including lower early negotiated cash fed cattle prices and surging corn prices. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an…
Aug 18, 2026 · 5:30
Cattle futures were mostly higher Tuesday supported by stronger early-week wholesale beef values and perhaps some lift on news that Cargill’s packing facility at Ft. Morgan,…
Aug 18, 2026 · 5:09
Cattle futures tried to firm Monday after last week’s bearish news but were mostly slightly lower. Live Cattle futures were an average of 13¢ lower, except for an average of 48¢…
Aug 16, 2026 · 6:56
Cattle futures continued lower Friday but closed off session lows. Pressure included lower negotiated cash fed cattle prices for the week and response to Tyson’s Thursday…
Aug 14, 2026 · 5:38
Cattle futures were lower again, pressured by weaker early cash fed cattle prices and perhaps prescience about news from Tyson later in the day that it was shuttering its packing…
Aug 12, 2026 · 8:51
Cattle futures stepped lower Wednesday, pressured in part the continued decline in open interest. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $2.48 lower. Feeder…
Aug 11, 2026 · 3:27
Cattle futures lost some steam Tuesday but were mostly higher. Live Cattle futures were narrowly mixed, from an average of 41¢ lower in the front four contracts to an average of…
Aug 11, 2026 · 6:01
Cattle futures were mainly higher Friday, helped along by last week’s stronger negotiated cash fed cattle prices. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures an average of $1.23…
Aug 9, 2026 · 8:27
Cattle futures closed mainly higher Friday, helped along by the week’s stronger negotiated cash fed cattle prices and wholesale beef values. Live Cattle futures closed an average…
Aug 6, 2026 · 3:28
Cattle futures closed lower Thursday, pressured by technical resistance and more negative outside markets, despite stronger cash fed cattle prices. Toward the close, Live Cattle…
Aug 5, 2026 · 6:31
Cattle futures ground higher Wednesday, supported by renewed cash market strength. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures an average of $1.19 higher. Feeder Cattle futures were an…
Aug 4, 2026 · 5:50
Cattle futures were mostly higher Tuesday, helped along by recently stronger Choice wholesale beef values and bullish outside markets. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures an…
Aug 3, 2026 · 7:21
Cattle futures edged lower Monday after starting the session stronger, pressured in part by Corn futures gains and last week’s limited negotiated cash fed cattle trade. Toward…
Aug 2, 2026 · 6:52
Cattle futures continued trying to recover from the early-week selloff on Friday. Live Cattle futures closed narrowly mixed, from an average of 15¢ lower to an average of 39¢…
Jul 30, 2026 · 6:04
Cattle futures on Thursday continued to retrace higher from the early-week meltdown, with odds increasing for steady to higher negotiated cash fed cattle prices this week. Toward…
Jul 29, 2026 · 4:03
Cattle futures gained traction on Wednesday, as traders move past recent bearish news. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $1.71 higher. Feeder Cattle…
Jul 28, 2026 · 4:03
Live Cattle futures were up and Feeder Cattle futures were mixed Tuesday, following the previous session’s steep decline, tied to USDA’s plans to open the U.S. border to Mexican…
Jul 27, 2026 · 6:13
Cattle futures were down hard on Monday, in reaction to USDA’s plans to open the U.S. border to Mexican feeder cattle imports. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an…
Jul 26, 2026 · 10:32
Cattle futures extended gains Friday, clawing back some of the previous weeks’ steep losses with hopes the near bottom has been established. As this week begins, traders will be…
Jul 23, 2026 · 4:25
Cattle futures were sharply lower Wednesday with pressure from lower cash fed cattle prices and wholesale beef values as traders eyed the monthly Cattle on Feed and semi-annul…
Jul 21, 2026 · 4:42
Cattle futures finally found some footing Monday after about two weeks of consecutive down days, helped along by firming wholesale beef values and oversold conditions. Toward the…
Jul 18, 2026 · 6:58
Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was limited on light to moderate demand in Kansas through Friday afternoon, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service. Although too few…
Jul 17, 2026 · 6:15
Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was moderate on moderate demand in Kansas through Thursday afternoon, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service. FOB live prices were…
Jul 15, 2026 · 6:47
Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was moderate on moderate demand in Nebraska through Wednesday afternoon, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service. Early FBO live trades…
Jul 14, 2026 · 5:49
Cattle futures continued to unwind Tuesday with sharply lower Choice wholesale beef values so far this week and last week’s drop in negotiated cash fed cattle prices. Toward the…
Jul 12, 2026 · 9:06
Cattle futures softened further Friday with week’s lower negotiated cash fed cattle prices. Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of $1.04 lower. Feeder Cattle…
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