Cattle Current Market Update with Wes Ishmael

Cattle Current Podcast—Aug. 4, 2025
Cattle futures bounced back Friday after the previous session’s sharp decline and despite bearish outside markets.
Live cattle futures closed an average of 98¢ higher. Feeder Cattle futures closed an average of $1.59 higher.
Cattle futures were mostly higher week to week on Friday, which says plenty when considering the sharp downward correction on Thursday. Except for $3.65 higher in spot Aug. and 30¢ lower at the back, Live Cattle futures closed an average of 47¢ higher. Feeder Cattle futures closed an average of 86¢ higher (20¢ higher at the back to $2.80 higher at the front).
Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was inactive on moderate demand in the Texas Panhandle through Friday afternoon, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service. Trade was light on moderate demand in the western Corn Belt and moderate on moderate demand elsewhere.
For the week, FOB live prices were $3-$5 higher in the Texas Panhandle at $235/cwt., $4-$5 higher in Kansas at $235-$236, $2-$3 higher in Nebraska at $245-$247 and mostly $5 higher in the western Corn Belt at $245. Dressed delivered prices were $3 higher at $383.
Choice boxed beef cutout value was $1.90 higher Friday afternoon at $363.22. Select was 87¢ lower at $340.50. Week to week on Friday, Choice boxed beef cutout value was $3.46 lower and Select was $4.37 lower.
Estimated total cattle slaughter of 535,000 head least week was 14,000 head fewer than the previous week. Estimated year-to-date total cattle slaughter of 17.3 million head was 1.2 million head fewer (-6.6%) than the same time last year. Estimated year-to-date beef production of 15 billion pounds was 549 million pounds less (-3.5%).
Turning to the grain complex, ongoing favorable weather and growing prospects of monster crops pressured Corn futures 2¢ to 4¢ lower through new-crop contracts on Friday. Kansas City Wheat futures closed mostly 4¢ to 5¢ lower. Soybean futures were unchanged to 1¢ higher through new-crop contracts and then 2¢ higher.