Cattle futures down on lower beef demand, profit-taking - CME
April lean hog futures edge down
17 February 2025
1 minute read
By: Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle and feeder cattle futures fell on Friday as boxed beef values weakened and traders booked profits ahead of a long weekend, Reuters reported, citing traders.
Hog futures also tipped down on pre-weekend liquidation, though consumer demand and cash trade remained strong.
Most-active CME April lean hog futures edged down 0.500-cent to 92.600 cents per pound.
CME April live cattle futures ended down 2.275 cents at 194.25 cents per pound. March feeder cattle settled down 1.625 cents at 266.35 cents per pound.
CME will be closed for trading on Monday in observance of President's Day.
Boxed beef values weakened on Friday in a seasonal decline in a month with no major beef-eating holidays and ahead of an outdoor grilling season.
A weakening dollar, which makes US goods more competitive globally, has added some support to futures. The dollar eased after Trump stopped short of imposing more tariffs on Thursday, providing a boost for commodities priced in the US currency.
Trump's decision to order his economics team to prepare plans for reciprocal tariffs was seen by investors as leaving scope for negotiations, though traders remained wary of a possible trade war and retaliation against US agricultural exports.
"This order might have more of an effect over time," Matthew Wiegand, broker at FuturesOne, said.
