---
title: "LIVESTOCK-CME cattle futures firm ahead of bullish USDA feedlot data"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/299497204.md"
datetime: "2026-09-19T00:38:08.000Z"
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  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/299497204.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/299497204.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/299497204.md)
generator: "portal-rs"
---

# LIVESTOCK-CME cattle futures firm ahead of bullish USDA feedlot data

By Julie Ingwersen

CHICAGO, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) ended modestly higher on Friday on bargain-buying following a three-session slide and ahead of a monthly feedlot report from the US Department of Agriculture, analysts said.

The USDA’s report, released after Friday’s market close, pegged the number of US cattle on feed as of September 1 at 11.163 million head, up 0.7% from a year ago, while analysts surveyed by Reuters on average had expected a larger increase of 1.7%.

Feedlot placements during August fell well below expectations. The USDA reported placements for the month at 1.617 million head, down 9% year-on-year and the lowest August total in records dating to 1996. Analysts on average had expected only a 3.3% drop.

“On its face, the Cattle on Feed (report) was clearly friendly today. That’s a pretty good down-shift in placements,” said Matt Wiegand, a commodity broker for FuturesOne.

Ahead of the report, CME October live cattle futures (LCV26) settled up 0.275 cent at 215.925 cents per pound. Benchmark December cattle (LCZ26) ended up 0.375 cent at 216.625 cents a pound.

CME feeder cattle futures declined, with the most-active October contract (FCV26) finishing down 0.875 cent at 323.500 cents per pound.

Wholesale beef prices ticked lower, with choice cuts priced at $371.94 per hundredweight on Friday afternoon, the lowest reading since August 11, according to USDA data.

Separately, the USDA said it will proceed with a plan to resume livestock imports from Mexico at a port in the US state of New Mexico next week despite the detection of the New World screwworm parasite in a horse in the state. The US halted livestock imports from Mexico last year to keep out screwworm but began a phased reopening last month.

CME hog futures slid on Friday, with most contract months setting life-of-contract lows, pressured by a seasonal uptick in US hog supplies.

October lean hogs (LHV26) settled down 0.800 cent at 78.100 cents per pound and most-active December (LHZ26) hogs ended down 1.050 cents at 68.550 cents after hitting a contract low at 68.275 cents.

“Every time we think we’ve found a bottom, we find another bottom,” said Altin Kalo, economist at Steiner Consulting.

The USDA priced the pork carcass cutout on Friday afternoon at $86.98 per cwt, down 56 cents from Thursday but above Wednesday’s reading of $86.35, a 2-1⁄2 year low.

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> **Disclaimer: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.**