DTN Midday Livestock Comments          06/17 11:32

   Cattle Retreat After Tuesday's Massive Rally 

   Cash cattle asking prices are noted at $260 to $262 in Texas, but still no 
cash cattle trade has developed Wednesday. 

ShayLe Stewart
DTN Livestock Analyst

GENERAL COMMENTS:

   The livestock complex is trading mixed into Wednesday's noon hour as the 
cattle contracts retreat mildly following Tuesday's massive surge, but the lean 
hog contracts are slightly higher. No trade has developed yet in the cash 
cattle market. July corn is up 4 1/4 cents per bushel and July soybean meal is 
down $0.10. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 216.47 points and NASDAQ is 
up 20.72 points.

LIVE CATTLE:

   Following Tuesday's wild rally, the live cattle contracts are trading in a 
more subtle nature Wednesday, longing to see increased fundamental support 
after such a bold run higher. June live cattle are up $0.02 at $255.32, August 
live cattle are up $0.60 at $248.60 and October live cattle are down $0.70 at 
$241.30. No cash cattle trade has developed yet and there's a chance the week's 
trade could be delayed until Thursday as feedlot managers are hopeful of seeing 
the market trade higher this week. Asking prices are noted in Texas at $260 to 
$262, but no trade has developed at this point.

   Boxed beef prices are mixed: choice down $3.47 ($396.11) and select up $0.57 
($377.42) with a movement of 81 loads (60.33 loads of choice, 4.53 loads of 
select, 7.97 loads of trim and 8.07 loads of ground beef).

FEEDER CATTLE:

   The feeder cattle complex is also trading slightly lower, seeming to be 
unwilling to advance the market as aggressively as it did on Tuesday without 
the support of the live cattle contract's higher trend and without knowing 
what's going to be on Thursday's Cattle on Feed report. August feeder cattle 
are down $1.00 at $365.87, September feeders are down $1.12 at $364.15 and 
October feeders are down $1.32 at $361.10. Sales continue to be strong at the 
Superior Livestock Auction Corn Belt Classic and a full market report of the 
sale will be available later in the week.

LEAN HOGS:

   The lean hog complex is higher as traders are willing to advance the 
contracts mildly following the setback earlier this week. Unfortunately, the 
market won't likely see much more of a price advancement later this afternoon 
as the contracts are nearing resistance and as midday pork cutout values are 
lower. July lean hogs are down $0.42 at $94.37, August lean hogs are up $1.07 
at $96.12 and October lean hogs are up $0.85 at $80.77. The projected CME Lean 
Hog Index for 6/16/2026 is up $0.49 at $92.43 and the actual index for 
6/15/2026 is down $0.16 at $91.93. Hog prices are higher on the Daily Direct 
Morning Hog Report, up $2.08 with a weighted average price of $97.50, ranging 
from $86.00 to $98.00 on 3,625 head and a five-day rolling average of $96.69. 
Pork cutouts total 180.16 loads with 161.45 loads of pork cuts and 18.70 loads 
of trim. Pork cutout values: down $0.52, $95.05.

   **

   NOTE:

   The cattle complex has seen record-high prices in the last year. But it's 
also been saddled with record-high risk and volatility, among many other 
challenges. To better understand these cattle market challenges, join DTN 
Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart for the inaugural Beef Industry Exchange 
webinar hosted by Senior Livestock Editor Jennifer Carrico at 9 a.m. CDT on 
June 24. 

   In addition to ShayLe's cattle market update, DTN Ag Meteorologist John 
Baranick shares how variability and a building Super El Nino might save or doom 
U.S. pastures. Due to widespread drought conditions across the U.S., cow-calf 
producers may be considering a reduction of the herd. To prepare for this, 
University of Nebraska Lincoln Beef Systems Extension Educator Aaron Berger 
shares different strategies to set up cow herd rebuilding when it rains again. 
Register for the free webinar today: 
https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdtn.link%2FBee
fIndustryExchange&data=05%7C02%7CCheri.Zagurski%40dtn.com%7C807fda3c4c664a981f56
08dec80477bd%7Cd945da26f07f451496e79b8f78a743d0%7C0%7C0%7C639168118702874444%7CU
nknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiI
sIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=CiVrIWXNYNj1JBgWhdg1CI8GUKR
aMhxlgI4NiJV2SwE%3D&reserved=0

   **

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




(c) Copyright 2026 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.