Cattle Chatter

This week brought a softer — and earlier — cash market, with a clear sense that leverage slipped away from producers. On this week's Cattle Chatter, Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek says ideal weather has cattle gaining well, adding pounds heading into processing, and that's contributing to what he calls a little "processing greed" right now. With Thanksgiving next week, it's a shortened run, but the hope is that holiday demand will kick in and shift the focus toward beef as we move through the holiday stretch.

Fragile Cattle Market Faces Reality Check After Monday's Surge

Was Monday's limit-up cattle trade a fluke? The market right now could best be described as fragile. On this week's Cattle Chatter, Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek breaks down the leverage lost in the trade, the tough go for feeders, and how markets continue to chase headlines. Cash cattle? Brad says it's like catching a falling piano.

He also takes a look at how current the South is, whether calves will start heading to feedlots soon, and why getting past Thanksgiving may be the key for this market to stabilize.

Markets continue to move on headline reactions — from questions of if or when the Mexican border will reopen, to concerns over tariffs and product movement out of Argentina and Brazil. Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek breaks it down on this week's Cattle Chatter. Even with a limit-down trading day earlier this week, boxed beef prices have climbed to two-week highs, keeping volatility front and center for the cattle market.

Cattle Market Breathes Relief as Mexican Border Stays Closed — after a week of market worries over the potential for an early reopening. On this week's Cattle Chatter, Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek discusses market stabilization and the limiting factors ahead. While the China trade talks may not directly influence cattle prices, they do offer some psychological relief to the market. And speaking of relief, Brad shares from the heart about the mental strain this week's volatility has placed on cattle producers.

There's been plenty of outside noise in this week's cattle market. President Trump's midweek comments on cattle gave both the market and producers a boost of energy. On this week's Cattle Chatter Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek breaks down the pressuring factors facing the industry. Cash continues to hold strong despite the volatility, and as Kooima reminds, "we can't change supply in the next 150 days." A bit of a Thursday bounce added optimism, but long-term speculators are questioning how much pressure Brazil, tariffs, and the ongoing border closure with Mexico will continue to weigh on market movement.

Feeders once again led the trade today, showing strength amid continued market uncertainty. On this week's Cattle Chatter, powered by John Deere, Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek breaks down the renewed jump in the feeder market and ongoing pressure to open the border with Mexico — even after another case of New World Screwworm was discovered just 170 miles away. He also looks at what kind of market movement could follow the recent tariff discussions between the U.S. and Brazil. Meanwhile, pressure remains on the cash market to perform after Thursday's trade closed $1 higher.

The cattle market is once again dealing with heavy volatility this week. On this week's Cattle Chatter-powered by John Deere, Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek points to a number of outside pressures—from headline-driven algorithm trading to the tightness of supplies in Texas and another drop in cash prices weighing on the market. Questions also remain about when the border with Mexico will reopen following approval of new vaccinations. And with the government shutdown still in play, Kooima says that uncertainty will only add to the challenges in upcoming trading sessions.

Volatility is the theme in the cattle market this week, with cash trending lower and charts looking unsteady. On this week's Cattle Chatter, Brad Kooima of Kooima Kooima Varilek discusses the run-up to Thanksgiving and shares insight on USDA's clarification of cattle incentives. He also notes that feeder cattle remain expensive at the sale barns, as orders continue to shift south from the northern plains.

The roller coaster ride in the cattle market carried over into Thursday's trade, as volatility remained the theme. On this week's Cattle Chatter with Brad Kooima of Kooima Kooima Varilek we assess the chart damage from last week's selloff, which left the market searching for support. One factor in play is the regional difference in supply. The South continues to show larger cattle numbers, while the North is running tighter, yet more cattle are being moved south to fill pens. At the same time, carcass weights are edging higher, adding additional tonnage to overall supplies. On the technical side, analysts are keeping a close eye on the 20- and 40-day moving averages. Those levels will be key in determining whether the market can stabilize or if more downside pressure is ahead. For now, the tone remains cautious as traders weigh both fundamentals and technical signals.

This cattle market has been all over the board. On this week's Cattle Chatter, Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek breaks down the price action, including why Wednesday's trade made an about-face. Right now, the South is carrying a premium over the North, yet more northern cattle are being trucked south to fill pens. Cash has been trending lower, but with feed costs and weather still working in their favor, feeders continue to hold the advantage.