Live cattle futures saw losses ranging from 85 cents to $1.15 on Wednesday. Additionally, there were another 20 deliveries tendered on the same day. Cash trade activity has been slow this week, with a few early sales reported at $229.
The Wednesday Fed Cattle Exchange online auction showed no sales out of the 1,708 head listed. Bids were at $227 live and ranged from $347.50 to $354 dressed.
Feeder cattle futures also declined, down between $1.25 and $1.80 across the front months. Meanwhile, the CME Feeder Cattle Index from December 16 rose 94 cents from the previous day to $349.79.
According to the Commitment of Traders data for the week ending December 2, speculative funds in live cattle futures and options reduced their net long positions by 10,703 contracts, bringing the total to 82,208 contracts. Managed money continued trimming positions the following week, cutting another 2,630 contracts from their net long to 13,418 contracts — the smallest since November 2024.
The December Cattle on Feed report is scheduled for release this Friday. Traders anticipate November placements to be down 8% year-over-year, with marketings expected to decline by 11.3%. The December 1 “on feed” number is also projected to be 1.6% below last year’s level.
USDA Wholesale Boxed Beef prices were higher in Wednesday afternoon’s report, with the Choice/Select spread narrowing to $9.66. Choice boxes decreased by $2.79 to $356.09, while Select boxes were down $2.67 to $346.43.
USDA federally inspected cattle slaughter was estimated at 118,000 head on Wednesday. The weekly total reached 349,000 head, which is 12,000 head fewer than last week and 13,062 head below the same week last year.
Key live cattle and feeder cattle futures closing prices on Wednesday were as follows:
– December 2025 Live Cattle: $230.30, down $0.85
– February 2026 Live Cattle: $229.55, down $1.15
– April 2026 Live Cattle: $229.13, down $1.15
– January 2026 Feeder Cattle: $341.53, down $1.80
– March 2026 Feeder Cattle: $336.33, down $1.28
– April 2026 Feeder Cattle: $335.03, down $1.28
*Note:* On the date of publication, Austin Schroeder did not hold positions, either directly or indirectly, in any of the securities mentioned in this article.
All information and data provided are for informational purposes only. For more details, please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy [here](https://www.barchart.com/disclosure).
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*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Nasdaq, Inc.*
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/cattle-closes-lower-wednesday
