Insights and Stories on Margins

Aug. 22, 2019 at 7:20 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures advanced for a fourth straight session on Thursday, led by the nearby August contract as robust profit margins for beef packers fueled expectations of strong demand for cash cattle, traders said. “Packers are just raking it in, so the incentive […]

By Julie Ingwersen

Apr. 26, 2019 at 3:05 pm CDT

New York/Chicago | Reuters — Biofuels pioneer Archer Daniels Midland took another step toward abandoning its pure-play ethanol assets on Friday, the latest sign of the industry’s struggles with U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade wars, thin margins, and overproduction. U.S. law requires ethanol to be blended into gasoline but domestic […]

By Chris Prentice, Jarrett Renshaw, P.J. Huffstutter

Mar. 5, 2019 at 8:18 am CST

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets were steady to $4 lower while calves were steady to $2 higher. Barley prices have jumped $3-$6 per tonne over the past week, with winter conditions hindering off-farm logistics. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle in the range of $149-$150 last week; […]

By Jerry Klassen

Dec. 11, 2018 at 3:04 am CST

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle sold $4-$6 lower on average. Feedlot operators backed away from the markets due to stronger feed grain prices and weakness south of the border. Certain regions of the U.S. Midwest and southern Plains have experienced adverse weather, which caused U.S. feeder cattle […]

By Jerry Klassen

Nov. 13, 2018 at 2:05 pm CST

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $3 to as much as $6 lower. Eastern Prairie regions experienced demand from Ontario and Quebec, which limited the downside; however, Alberta markets faltered as buyers, having factored in a higher deathloss due to adverse weather. Light wet snow along […]

By Jerry Klassen