Cattle Look to New Week After Gaining Cash Strength

Live cattle futures rose $0.65 to $2.15 on Thursday, with the April contract up $7.70 on the week. Open interest declined by 3,156 contracts (mostly in April) while cash trade accelerated with nationwide sales at $245–$246, up $8–$10 versus the prior week. The combination of strong cash bids and rising futures points to near-term bullishness in the cattle complex, though lower open interest may reflect short-covering or reduced new positioning.

Analysis

Live cattle futures rose $0.65 to $2.15 on Thursday, with the April contract up $7.70 on the week. Open interest declined by 3,156 contracts (mostly in April) while cash trade accelerated with nationwide sales at $245–$246, up $8–$10 versus the prior week. The combination of strong cash bids and rising futures points to near-term bullishness in the cattle complex, though lower open interest may reflect short-covering or reduced new positioning.