DTN Early Word Opening Livestock 03/20 06:02
20 Mar 2017
DTN Early Word Opening Livestock 03/20 06:02 Meat Futures Set to Open New Week With Mixed Prices Look for live and feeder cattle futures to open moderately higher, supported by residual buying interest and cash premiums. On the other hand, lean hog contracts are likely to open moderately lower, checked by follow-through selling and sluggish cash prospects. By John Harrington DTN Livestock Analyst Cattle: Steady-$2 HR Futures: 25-50 HR Live Equiv $150.38 + .58* Hogs: Steady-$1 LR Futures: 25-50 LR Lean Equiv $ 87.01 + .24** * based on formula estimating live cattle equivalent of gross packer revenue ** based on formula estimating lean hog equivalent of gross packer revenue GENERAL COMMENTS: If you think that "March Madness" is only about college basketball then you haven't been watching this month's runaway cash cattle market. Can the feedlot market put together another bullish bracket this week? Our guess is that initial asking prices around $130 plus and $212 to $214 plus will clearly reflect a sure confidence in that exact mission. Needless to say, nothing will be decided Monday until we have a better sense of new showlists and ready numbers as we move into the second half of the month. Live and feeder futures are staged to open moderately higher, supported by follow-through buying and tall feedlot cash premiums.