NATIONAL FEEDER & STOCKER CATTLE SUMMARY – WEEK ENDING 08/16/2025
By USDA-MO Dept of Ag Market News
RECEIPTS: Auctions Direct Video/Internet Total
This Week: 124,300 24,700 128,700 277,700
Last Week: 134,400 17,800 10,500 162,700
Year Ago: 117,900 61,800 54,300 234,000
Compared to last week, steers and heifers sold 2.00 to 7.00 higher with some instances of 12.00 to 15.00 higher on some lighter weight calves.
Demand was good to very good.
As a whole the cash markets at the auctions have ignored the volatility and extreme trading ranges seen in the futures markets and just continue to push higher each day as concerns about limited supplies are becoming more and more valid.
Cattle feeders continue to hold the leverage in the market and are able to sell cattle much higher than the spot month of the CME Live Cattle futures.
As their outgoing fat cattle are highly profitable the demand for feeder cattle stays red hot.
The market at the auctions is very active and ultra-competitive as the yearlings come to town.
Most auction markets remain on their summer sale schedule, so buyers have to act fast on the day cattle are offered or they might have to wait or have to travel further to find the cattle they need to fill their empty pens.
Prevalent rains across much of the country have helped keep pastures in good shape allowing cattle to stay turned out and not be pulled early.
Condition and health programs are becoming more important each day although some producers are still getting by without complete weaning or shot programs as long as calves don't have to much hair or flesh.
Once weather swings start to arrive in a few weeks buyers will get more and more picky, and discounts will become more extreme as health risks increase.
The CME Cattle Complex was a roller coaster again this past week, with Tuesday and Friday being sharply higher days, and Thursday being a sharply lower day.
For the week, Live Cattle contracts were 3.00 to 4.00 higher while feeder contracts were 5.00 to 7.00 higher.
The corn crop looks to be bountiful as yield expectations are record large, making for low feed costs for cattle producers.
The USDA WASDE report on Tuesday forecasted a record corn crop at a whopping 16.7 billion bushels with record yields projected for corn at 188.8 bushels per acre -- shattering another record.
Negotiated sales of fed cattle in Kansas sold unevenly steady at 235.00 to 237.00. In TX/OK/NM, very limited live sales sold at 235.00.
In Nebraska, live sales were steady at 243.00 to 245.00; while dressed sales were steady to 2.00 higher at 380.00 to 385.00.
For the week, Choice Boxed beef closed on Friday at 400.57, 21.73 higher and Select closed at 370.76, 15.67 higher.
This was the first time that the Choice Daily boxed beef price was above 400.00 since May 2020.
Weekly Cattle Slaughter under federal inspection estimated at 530K, 6K less than last week and 75K less than a year ago.
Auction volume this week included 51 percent weighing over 600 lbs and 39 percent heifers.
