Beef packer margins improved to -$172/head last week, up $31 from the prior week as sharply lower fed cattle prices more than offset a seasonal decline in the Choice cutout. The cutout fell to $382/cwt while fed cattle prices dropped to $248/cwt, allowing packers to recover some of the margin compression seen over the past several weeks. Even so, margins remain well below historical norms as cattle costs continue to pressure profitability. Feedlot placement margins weakened to ...