USDA released its monthly Cattle on Feed report today showing a total inventory of cattle and calves in feed yards of 11.6 million head on 1 October. That was in-line with pre-report expectations and is the second highest October inventory on record – last year was the highest. Marketings were in line with pre-report estimates as well.
However, the report also contained some bullish news – placements were lower than expected. The pre-report estimate is based on the Olympic average (i.e., eliminating the high and the low before calculating the average) of the various analysts’ forecasts. The range of estimates was wide, with 104 percent on the top end, and 98 percent on the low end. There was a plausible case to be made...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The big news in the cattle markets yesterday was Tyson Foods’ move to close two more beef plants. One of them, the Joslin, Illinois, plant was shuttered immediately after the announcement. The other, in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a case-ready plant that does not slaughter cattle. Tyson also...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...
