DTN Midday Livestock Comments          04/28 11:50

   Cattle Continue to Scale Higher With Ample Trader Support 

   Bids have surfaced in the fed cash cattle market in Texas and Nebraska 
specifically, but still no cattle have traded. 

ShayLe Stewart
DTN Livestock Analyst

GENERAL COMMENTS:

   The livestock complex is trading mixed into Tuesday's noon hour as the 
cattle contracts continue to surge higher while the lean hog complex keeps a 
mixed tone. Some bids have surfaced in the fed cash cattle market, but no 
cattle have traded just yet. July corn is up 4 3/4 cents per bushel and July 
soybean meal is down $1.80. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 44.13 points 
and NASDAQ is down 337.22 points.

LIVE CATTLE:

   The live cattle complex has traded in an unwavering, upward manner Tuesday 
and as the noon hour nears the same bullish attitude remains. June live cattle 
are up $4.25 at $253.20, August live cattle are up $3.52 at $248.90 and October 
live cattle are up $2.90 at $243.95. More than anything it appears traders have 
more than enough technical support flooding the complex and there's speculation 
fed cash cattle prices may even trade higher later this week. It's odd to see 
it this early in the week, but some bids have already surfaced in the 
countryside; but no cattle have traded yet. Asking prices remain elusive at 
this point.

   Boxed beef prices are lower: choice down $0.38 ($389.18) and select down 
$1.31 ($387.29) with a movement of 52 loads (38.43 loads of choice, 4.05 loads 
of select, zero loads of trim and 9.93 loads of ground beef).

FEEDER CATTLE:

   With the help of the live cattle market's bullish attitude, the feeder 
cattle complex remains bold heading into Tuesday's noon hour as most of the 
contracts are $3.00 to $4.00 higher at this point. The market originally was 
mixed to mostly lower at the day's start, but upon seeing the live cattle 
contracts so bullish, the feeder cattle market changed its tune and began to 
trade higher as well. May feeders are up $3.50 at $370.95, August feeders are 
up $3.92 at $372.20 and September feeders are up $4.17 at $370.42.

LEAN HOGS:

   The lean hog complex is trading mixed into Tuesday's noon hour as the market 
yearns to trade higher. But until traders see enough fundamental support arise 
in the marketplace, a mixed tone will likely remain. June lean hogs are up 
$0.15 at $102.32, July lean hogs are down $0.32 at $104.70 and August lean hogs 
are down $0.47 at $105.12. It is helpful to note that midday pork cutout values 
are a tick higher. It would be supportive if that trend were to continue 
through the day's close.

   The projected CME Lean Hog Index for 4/27/2026 is down $0.07 at $91.19, and 
the actual index for 4/24/2026 is down $0.18 at $91.26. Hog prices are higher 
on the Daily Direct Morning Hog report, up $1.93 with a weighted average price 
of $92.25, ranging from $89.00 to $93.25 on 1,130 head and a five-day rolling 
average of $90.73. Pork cutouts total 156.87 loads with 142.86 loads of pork 
cuts and 14.01 loads of trim. Pork cutout values: up $0.72, $99.95.

    

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




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