# Live Cattle Futures Trade Mixed as Feeder Cattle Advance

- URL: https://stocks.freetheai.org/news/live-cattle-futures-trade-mixed-as-feeder-cattle-advance-9fd804
- Published: 2026-10-19T17:13:30Z
- Category: commodities; sentiment: mixed; impact: low
- Symbols: [CME:LE1!](https://stocks.freetheai.org/symbols/CME-LE1!)
- Written by our AI from expert market sources across the web for FreeTheAI Stocks, built by Vibhek Soni
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Cattle markets started the week with mixed trading across active contracts. Live Cattle Futures (CME:LE1!) traded from a 10-cent loss to a 35-cent gain at midday, with October contracts rising 27.5 cents to $227.825 and December contracts easing 10 cents to $228.250. Meanwhile, feeder cattle futures posted gains ranging from $1.20 to $1.80, supported by a higher cash index.

Cash sales and wholesale supply fundamentals showed contrasting trends. Northern dressed cattle traded at $350 to $355, while live sales reached $222 to $227 in the north and $228 in the south. Wholesale boxed beef prices were divided, as Choice boxes dropped 57 cents to $371.74 while Select boxes jumped $8 to $361.05, narrowing the Choice/Select spread to $10.69. Weekly federally inspected slaughter totaled 553,000 head through Saturday, up 2,000 from the prior week but 26,191 head below last year.

Investors will monitor upcoming cash trading negotiations and institutional positioning. Managed money accounts recently reduced their net long position in live cattle futures and options by 2,172 contracts to 47,748 contracts, while adding 65 contracts to their feeder cattle net long position for a total of 8,852 contracts. Market participants will watch how wholesale price movements affect feeder demand in coming sessions.

## Key points

- Live cattle futures traded mixed on Monday, moving between a 10-cent decline and a 35-cent gain across active contracts.
- Feeder cattle futures advanced between $1.20 and $1.80, while the feeder cattle cash index rose 90 cents to $343.54.
- Choice boxed beef prices dropped 57 cents to $371.74, whereas Select boxed beef climbed $8 to $361.05.
- Weekly cattle slaughter reached 553,000 head, remaining 26,191 head lower than the same period last year.

## Questions and answers

### How did live cattle futures perform on Monday?

Live cattle futures traded mixed, with prices ranging from a 10-cent drop in December contracts to a 35-cent gain in February contracts.

### Why did feeder cattle futures move higher?

Feeder cattle futures climbed $1.20 to $1.80 across most contracts, supported by a 90-cent increase in the CME Feeder Cattle Index to $343.54.

### What were the latest cattle slaughter figures?

Weekly slaughter was estimated at 553,000 head through Saturday, up 2,000 from the previous week but down 26,191 head compared to the same week last year.