Lean hog futures bounce after recent losses - CME
Live cattle futures rise
16 May 2022
2 minute read
By: Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures rebounded on Friday after dropping a day earlier to their lowest prices since January, reported Reuters.
The market was due for a bounce following a recent slide that was driven by concerns about weakening US demand and technical selling, analysts said.
The most-active June hogs contract ended up 3.275 cents at 100.750 cents per pound. As of the close of trading on Thursday, the contract had dropped about 23% since reaching a high of 127.325 cents per pound on March 31.
July lean hogs closed 3.350 cents higher at 101.200 cents per pound.
Livestock futures came under pressure recently as analysts raised concerns that meat demand could suffer if inflation remains elevated for longer than anticipated. Some analysts said the price declines looked overdone for now.
CME August feeder cattle settled 1.500 cents firmer at 168.025 cents per pound, a day after reaching their lowest price since 13 September. Weakening futures prices for corn, used for livestock feed, helped support feeder cattle, traders said.
Nearby June live cattle rose 0.425 cent to close at 132.075 cents per pound, but deferred contracts ended softer.
Profit margins for beef processors improved on Friday to $87.74 per head of cattle from $66.75 per head on Thursday and $69.65 per head a week ago, according to livestock marketing advisory service HedgersEdge.com.
Pork processors were losing $33.20 per hog, compared with losses of $35.80 per head on Thursday and losses of $11.25 per head a week earlier, HedgersEdge.com said.
