DTN Midday Livestock Comments          12/11 11:40

   Dressed Cattle Traded $12 Higher at $355

   Upon seeing some sharply higher sales noted in the fed cattle market, the 
spot January feeder cattle contract has broken above the market's resistance, 
and the spot February live cattle contract is growing closer to its resistance 
threshold. 

ShayLe Stewart
DTN Livestock Analyst

GENERAL COMMENTS:

   With the help of some bullish developments in the fed cash cattle market, 
the cattle complex is beginning to push on the market's resistance at its 
100-day moving average. A light trade has developed in Nebraska where dressed 
cattle are trading at $355, $12.00 higher than last week's weighted average. 
March corn is up 1/2 cent per bushel and January soybean meal is up $1.00. The 
Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 628.45 points and the NASDAQ is down 146.91 
points.

LIVE CATTLE:

   The live cattle complex is growing braver as the market is currently pushing 
a $1.00 to $2.00 rally into Thursday's noon hour, but in doing so has grown 
increasingly closer to pushing the market's resistance at its 100-day moving 
average. But until this point, traders haven't been convinced that the market 
possesses enough support to break above that threshold. Upon seeing some 
sharply higher sales develop in the fed cash cattle market, traders have grown 
braver. A few deals have been marked this morning at $355 dressed in Nebraska, 
which is $12.00 higher than last week's weighted average. December live cattle 
are up $3.75 at $230.55, February live cattle are up $2.72 at $231.22 and April 
live cattle are up $2.35 at $230.72.

   Boxed beef prices are mixed: choice down $0.42 ($358.94) and select up $0.77 
($345.65) with a movement of 114 loads (52.95 loads of choice, 9.31 loads of 
select, 40.08 loads of trim and 11.42 loads of ground beef).

FEEDER CATTLE:

   The feeder cattle complex has taken the brave leap of faith as it's 
currently seeing its spot January contract trade above its 100-day moving 
average. January feeders are up $5.10 at $343.47, March feeders are up $4.82 at 
$337.65 and April feeders are up $4.52 at $336.42. With the bullish 
developments in the fed cash cattle market, there's a chance that the market 
could close with this momentum.

LEAN HOGS:

   The lean hog complex has also broken through its resistance at $82.00 as the 
spot February contract is currently trading above $84.00. A bullish tone has 
seemed to overtake the livestock complex, which is helping lend the lean hog 
complex a little more support, and it's also favorable that pork cutout values 
are higher again this morning. February lean hogs are up $1.77 at $84.20, April 
lean hogs are up $1.87 at $89.22 and June lean hogs are up $1.07 at $100.80.

   The projected lean hog index for 12/10/2025 is up $0.41 at $82.57, and the 
actual index for 12/9/2025 is up $0.27 at $82.16. Hog prices on the Daily 
Direct Morning Hog Report averaged $72.04, ranging from $66.00 to $74.00 on 
3,674 head and a five-day rolling average of $71.80. Pork cutouts total 133.01 
loads with 118.97 loads of pork cuts and 14.04 loads of trim. Pork cutout 
values: up $0.83, $98.10.

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




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