Choice-Select Spread Inverted
Date: Apr 01 2026
| CAB InsiderPosts by Paul Dykstra :
Quality Soaring Higher
Date: Mar 19 2026
| CAB InsiderIncreased Prime carcass production is a boon to sales growth in this category for both Certified Angus Beef and the industry as a whole. A smaller Prime cutout premium above Choice also means greater adoption of this premium product tier by grocers and restaurants. All of the above lead to a firmer foothold for beef as the protein of choice for consumers.
Protein Price Spreads
Date: Feb 25 2026
| UncategorizedThe “all fresh” retail beef price increased 10% from 2024 to 2025, with another 6% the prior year. Yet consumers have a choice in meeting their protein needs, and they continue to demand beef at an impressive level.
Utilization Key to Prime Success
Date: Feb 11 2026
| CAB InsiderMore demand for individual Prime grade cuts is being discovered on the part of packers and wholesalers as they educate downstream users about the opportunities to capitalize on growing Prime demand.
Seasonal Demand Shifts Carcass Values
Date: Jan 28 2026
| CAB InsiderJanuary often presents the lowest beef demand, while February likely vies second. Also, we see a shift in consumer preference away from holiday middle meat roasts toward end cuts for “comfort food” meals.
Price Speaks Volumes
Date: Jan 14 2026
| CAB InsiderWhile the tightest fed cattle supplies in the cycle are projected this year, consumer demand has issued directional support that tight supplies do not necessitate narrowing of price differentiation for quality.
Big Shifts in Quality Grades
Date: Dec 10 2025
| CAB InsiderThe 2025 quality grade trend tracked the USDA Prime grade a full percentage point higher than the prior year through August, averaging 11.5%. Since then, the Prime grade trend has defied seasonal expectations, normally setting a course toward a fall low in both Choice and Prime grade percentages.
Tracking Premiums to the Source
Date: Nov 19 2025
| CAB InsiderCertified Angus Beef faced the same challenges in the formative years, as the first branded beef label set out to garner specification-based premiums in a market where none existed. Now in its 47th year, the brand has successfully carved out premiums over commodity USDA Choice from end to end of the carcass.
Shifting Markets and Quality as the Hedge
Date: Nov 05 2025
| CAB InsiderWhen customers come to expect a repeatable eating experience where product quality, satisfaction and safety are built in, demand will only increase. USDA Choice and Prime carcasses constitute 84% of U.S. fed cattle production, pulling beef demand sharply higher today than in the late 1990s when USDA Select was roughly half of our supply and beef demand was at a modern day low.
Heavy Lifting Ahead for Cutout Values
Date: Oct 22 2025
| CAB InsiderThe typical October beef market is marked by a strong swing in carcass cutout values as a lull in demand follows Labor Day, sending cutout values to a seasonal low beginning in October.