Beef futures rise on tight supply, firm prices - CME
Hog market slides as pork prices, cash trade weaken
1 July 2025
2 minute read
By: Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures fell on Monday in a profit-taking and fund selling retreat as wholesale pork values tumbled and the cash hog market weakened, Reuters reported, citing analysts.
The actively traded August hog contract ended down 2.775 cents at 107.500 cents per pound after hitting its lowest point in more than three weeks. The 2.5% drop was the contract's largest percentage loss since May 7.
Wholesale pork values appear to have reached a recent top, according to analysts. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said the pork carcass cutout value fell $2.09 on Monday to $115.37 per cwt, down $7.74 from a nearly three-year high posted last week.
"The cash market is just losing steam," said Doug Houghton, an analyst at Brock Associates. "Other than that, you have speculators heavily long the market ... The boat is overloaded on the long side and it is ripe for profit taking."
CME live cattle futures ended higher for a third consecutive trading session on tight cattle supplies and elevated beef prices, although gains were capped by concerns about an expected seasonal softening of beef demand typical of the hotter summer season, analysts said.
The choice boxed beef cutout was down 93 cents on Monday afternoon at $395.56 per cwt after hitting a more-than-five-year high on Friday.
August live cattle ended 0.575 cent higher to 213.875 cents per pound.
Feeder cattle futures rallied in tandem with stronger live cattle, supported by tight supplies following a May closure of the US border to Mexican cattle imports to help contain the livestock pest screwworm.
After the close, however, the USDA announced that it would reopen the US-Mexico border in phases beginning on July 7.
August futures finished the day up 2.775 cents at 310.675 cents per pound.
