Packer
Feedlot closeouts continue ending on positive notes.
Cattle feeders turned a profit for the eighth consecutive week.
Cattle feeders saw positive margins on closeouts for the ninth consecutive week.
The Sterling Beef Profit Tracker reports average cattle feeding closeouts were in the black last week, but with little room to spare.
Cash cattle prices held steady during the week ended August 2, but cattle feeding margins improved $12 per head.
Feedyard profit margins rebounded slightly after last week’s $2 rally in the cash fed cattle market.
Cash cattle prices were mostly steady last week, helping reduce cattle feeding losses by $46 per head. Packers maintain their leverage with profits at $275.
As expected, beef packer margins jumped wildly higher the week ending Aug. 17, while cattle feeding margins slipped into the red.
Last week’s $2 rally in cash cattle prices helped narrow the spread between feedyard losses and packer profits.
Feedyard closeouts improved modestly last week with a $1 increase in cash fed cattle prices. Packer margins increased on the extended rally to the beef cutout price.
Last week’s $1 increase in cash fed cattle prices did little for feedyard profits, but the $6.40 rally in wholesale beef prices added another $25 onto already large packer margins.
Average feedyard close-outs were printed in black ink last week for the first time in several months after a $3 per cwt. rally in cash cattle prices.
The combination of shrinking packer profits and smaller feedyard losses over the past six weeks has reduced the packer/feeder margin spread by 27%, according to the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker.
Steady improvements in feedayrd margins the past month coupled with declining packer margins has narrowed the spread nearly 50% since late August.
The packer/feeder profit margins spread, historically large a month ago, has shrunk by 50% with gradually improving live cattle prices.
Improvements in feedlot margins were ever so slight last week due to a $1 gain in cash fed cattle prices. Pork producers saw a $5 per head improvement.
Beef packers saw their margins decline to the lowest level since before the Tyson packing plant fire August 9 as beef cutout prices declined and cash cattle prices increased.
After reaching historic levels earlier this fall, beef packer margins have experienced steady declines over the past month as cattle prices have increased.
Sharply higher beef cutout values produced windfall profits for beef packers last week while cattle feeders saw closeouts with average losses about steady, according to the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker.
Beef packer margins increased another $45 per head for the week ending March 27 while a rally in cash prices pulled feedyard closeouts into the black.
Cash fed cattle prices ended last week $10 per cwt. lower than last year while the beef cutout closed $16 higher than the same week a year ago. The result? Packer margins $314 per head more than last year.
Cattle and hog feeding both saw solid average profits for the week ending April 2, boosted by higher average farmgate prices. Cattle were positive for the second week, while positive hog margins entered a third month.
Cattle and hog feeding operations are in the midst of their most profitable time since before the pandemic began. Cattle margins nearly doubled last week and hog margins were positive for the 10th consecutive week.
Cattle and hog feeding operations are experiencing the highest market prices since before the pandemic began more than a year ago. Hog margins were positive for the 11th consecutive week.
Cattle feeding margins improved with a $2 per cwt. increase in cash cattle prices while farrow-to-finish hog margins declined modestly on slightly lower lean carcass prices.
Both cattle and hog finishing estimated margins were positive last week despite rising feed costs across both enterprises. Cattle slaughter totals increased while hog processing numbers were near steady.
Cattle feeders saw average profit margins exceed $200 per head last week while pork producers found losses of $44 per head, according to the Sterling Profit Trackers.
Momentum continues to build for cattle feeders as closeouts saw average profits increasing during the final week of 2021. Farrow-to-finish hog operations continue with negative profit margins.
Average feed costs for finishing cattle and hogs are 25% to 28% higher than the same week last year, according to Sterling Marketing’s weekly calculations.
The average cost of feeding a steer to finish weight was 25% higher for cattle marketed last week and is projected to be 31% higher for cattle placed on feed last week at roughly $600 per head.