Cattle Ease After Rally as Hogs Advance; Grains Close Mixed on Strong Trade Signals

Traders are recalibrating to confirmed supply tightness, with USDA data keeping bids firm despite day-to-day volatility.

Overview

Live cattle slipped 35 to 60 cents on Tuesday after Monday’s $1-plus gains, while feeders were mostly 50 to 60 cents lower as cash trade waits to develop following last week’s $233–$236.50 live and $370 dressed sales.
USDA’s latest cattle-on-feed count sits near 11.5 million head, about 3% below a year earlier, and December beef stocks were the lowest for that month since 2009, reinforcing tighter beef supply.
Lean hog futures added 10 to 75 cents Tuesday, supported by an elevated CME Lean Hog Index and historically tight December pork inventories, though the afternoon cutout eased to $95.69 per cwt.
Corn eased 1 to 2 cents while soybeans rebounded 5 to 6 cents and wheat finished slightly higher, with recent USDA reports showing outsized mid-January export bookings and a fresh 110,000 MT U.S. corn sale to unknown destinations.
New World Screwworm detections in Mexico, including a USDA-confirmed case roughly 197 miles from Texas, remain a noted downside risk for cattle despite supportive fundamentals.