Live cattle futures are trading with $2.25 to $3.10 across most contracts on Thursday. Cash trade has been quiet so far this week, with a few sparse $365 dressed sales in the North, down $5 on the week. The Thursday morning Fed Cattle Exchange online auction showed no sales on the 2,144 head offered, with bids at $232. Feeder cattle futures are up a nickel in the expiring September contract, with other contracts down $6 to $7. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was back up 21 cents at $361.31 on September 23.
Export Sales data showed just 8,446 MT of beef sold in the week ending on 9/18, a 6-week low. Shipments saw a slight drop from last week to 12,465 MT.
