Is There More Upside Left in Cattle Futures Prices?



Cattle futures were able to firm in Tuesday’s trade as the market continues to repair some of the technical damage that was done in the prior two weeks. How much more upside is there?

GardinerAngusRanch_KS_MB-PH-8425.jpg
Gardiner Angus Ranch
(Morgan Marley Boecker )

Live Cattle

Technicals (October – V)

Consolidation continues to be the theme as the CME CVOL index (measure of volatility) retreats from the recent highs. With the consolidation, not much has changed on the technical landscape as support and resistance levels remain intact from yesterday’s commentary, as well as our intermediate term bias which has a bearish tilt to it.

Resistance: 181.175-181.50, 182.675-183.275*
Pivot: 180.575-181.175
Support: 179.35-180.50, 176.35-176.22

Daily Livestock Summary

Yesterday afternoon’s cutout values firmed again with choice cuts 1.10 higher to 316.93 and select cuts up .44 to 300.61. Daily slaughter was reported at 122k head, 4k head less than the same day last year.

Below: Daily chart of October live cattle which illustrates the accelerated selling pressure following the breakdown of trendline support. Also included is a set of Fibonacci retracements from the high to low of the recent move.

Check out the graphs:

Is There More Upside Left in Cattle Futures Prices?

Seasonal Tendencies

Below is a look at prices averages for October live cattle over the last 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 years. As referenced many times last month, August can be a tricky year to stage a meaningful rally. Those headwinds start to subside some when we turn the calendar over to September. *Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.

Feeder Cattle

Technicals (September- U)
September feeder cattle futures were able to rally to close at their highest level in nearly two weeks. With that said, it wasn’t enough to alter the technical levels we have an eye on. Significant resistance comes in from 244.20-244.90, a breakout above there could spur an extension of the relief rally towards 248.77. We remain in the “sell rallies camp”, but with the potential of meaningful relief rallies it’s going to be important to manage position sizing.

Resistance: 244.20-244.90, 248.675*, 252.50-253.55
Pivot: 240
Support: 236.57-236.75, 233.05-233.95*

Below: Daily chart of September feeder cattle that illustrates the accelerated selling pressure that took place following a break below trendline support. Also included is a set of Fibonacci retracements from this year’s trading range.

Check out the graphs:

Is There More Upside Left in Cattle Futures Prices?

Seasonal Tendencies

Below is a look at prices averages for November feeder cattle over the last 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 years. We are using November so you can see the longer trend as opposed to the front months which are on a much shorter time frame. As referenced many times last month, August can be a tricky year to stage a meaningful rally. Those headwinds start to subside some when we turn the calendar over to September, but that strength has often been short lived. *Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.

Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. Therefore, carefully consider whether such trading is suitable for you in light of your financial condition. Trading advice is based on information taken from trade and statistical services and other sources Blue Line Futures, LLC believes are reliable. We do not guarantee that such information is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. Trading advice reflects our good faith judgment at a specific time and is subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee that the advice we give will result in profitable trades. All trading decisions will be made by the account holder. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.Blue Line Futures is a member of NFA and is subject to NFA’s regulatory oversight and examinations. However, you should be aware that the NFA does not have regulatory oversight authority over underlying or spot virtual currency products or transactions or virtual currency exchanges, custodians or markets. Therefore, carefully consider whether such trading is suitable for you considering your financial condition.With Cyber-attacks on the rise, attacking firms in the healthcare, financial, energy and other state and global sectors, Blue Line Futures wants you to be safe! Blue Line Futures will never contact you via a third party application. Blue Line Futures employees use only firm authorized email addresses and phone numbers. If you are contacted by any person and want to confirm identity please reach out to us at info@bluelinefutures.com or call us at 312- 278-0500
Performance Disclaimer
Hypothetical performance results have many inherent limitations, some of which are described below. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those shown. In fact, there are frequently sharp differences between hypothetical performance results and the actual results subsequently achieved by any particular trading program.
One of the limitations of hypothetical performance results is that they are generally prepared with the benefit of hindsight. In addition, hypothetical trading does not involve financial risk, and no hypothetical trading record can completely account for the impact of financial risk in actual trading. For example, the ability to withstand losses or to adhere to a particular trading program in spite of trading losses are material points which can also adversely affect actual trading results. There are numerous other factors related to the markets in general or to the implementation of any specific trading program which cannot be fully accounted for in the preparation of hypothetical performance results and all of which can adversely affect actual trading results.

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