Profit Tracker
Last week’s $4-plus rally in cash fed cattle prices cut average feedyard losses in half, leaving the red ink totaling $90 on every animal shipped.
Feedyard margins improved last week despite a $3 per cwt. decline in cash cattle prices.
Cattle feeders turned a tidy profit for the second consecutive week.
Last week’s $2 per cwt. decline in cash cattle prices left feedyard margins at near breakeven levels.
Cowboys and packers finished 2016 on a high note, maintaining per head profits north of $100 for the week ended Dec. 30.
Feedyard margins declined $28 per head last week to total an average loss of $70 per head, according to the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker.
Feedyard margins dropped another $20 last week to total an average loss of $90 per head, according to the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker.
Calling losses of $193 per head an improvement may be painful, but it’s accurate.
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.
Last week’s $3 per cwt rally in cash fed cattle prices pulled feeding margins out of the red and cut beef packer profit margins by 20%.
Feedyard profit margins rebounded slightly after last week’s $2 rally in the cash fed cattle market.
Leverage shifting from feedyards to packers as summer begins.
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.
Cattle feeding margins improved last week after a $1 boost to cash fed cattle prices.
A mid-July rally across all regions lifted feedyard margins out of the red for the week ending July 13, and cut into the extreme profit margins packers have enjoyed most of the year.
Cattle feeding profit margins retreat further with a weaker cash market and limited packer interest.
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.
Average cattle feeding losses totaled $106 per head for the week ending June 21.
As expected, beef packer margins jumped wildly higher the week ending Aug. 17, while cattle feeding margins slipped into the red.
Cattle feeding margins slipped further into the red last week on soft cash prices, while packer margins climbed to extreme heights.
Pork producer margins dropped $15 per head last week due to a $7.59 per cwt. decline in lean carcass prices.
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.