Date: Jul 24 2024
| CAB InsiderThe fed cattle market was defensive last week, pressured by slippage in boxed beef values and an underperforming futures market. Taking a broader view, the USDA Prime grade has been the beneficiary of longer feeding periods with the national average Prime share at 10.5%.
Date: Jul 11 2024
| CAB InsiderEasily one of the top themes for the first half of 2024, carcass weights have averaged a 21 lb. surplus above the same time a year ago. In the past seven weeks, the weight increase bulged to average 32 lb. heavier than a year ago. Read more of the details in the CAB Insider.
Date: Jun 26 2024
| CAB InsiderBeef market veterans know the onset of summer brings on the “dog days of summer” for beef consumption trends. This means that middle meat steak items, perfect for grilling during spring holidays, begin to take a backseat.
Date: Jun 14 2024
| CAB InsiderPrice spreads between quality grades are beginning to seasonally widen—as expected this time of year—but the magnitude of the spread movement is less pronounced than in recent years.
Date: May 30 2024
| CAB InsiderBeef Month is nearing its end and with that the anticipation of spring holiday and grilling season demand begins to tarnish. Father’s Day remains a target in mid-June and spot market wholesale beef demand will likely hold up through that period.
Date: Jan 04 2024
| CAB InsiderWith the arrival of the new year the beef market will rapidly adjust to changes in consumer buying habits. This will remove demand pressure from ribs and tenderloins, realigning the contribution of these most valuable beef cuts to a smaller percentage of carcass value
Date: Dec 11 2023
| CAB InsiderFew things in cattle market trends are entirely predictable but the fact that carcass weights peak in November is as close to a sure bet as one could identify. Genetic selection for growth and advancing mature size has fueled the long-term increase in carcass weights.
Date: Nov 22 2023
| CAB InsiderWe focused on fourth-quarter middle meat demand as a beef price driver in the last edition of the Insider. This is certainly the case in the current data as rib and tenderloins are pricing near their annual highs. However, a look at annual price trends across the beef carcass shows increasing contributions to CAB premiums from both ends of the carcass.
Date: Nov 08 2023
| CAB InsiderAt the retail level, November brings a brief shift in focus, away from beef to turkey and ham, for Thanksgiving meals. Turkeys are the classic “loss leader” item in grocery stores during November as retailers practically give them away to lure a volume of shoppers to spend on the high-margin center of the store goods.
Date: Oct 25 2023
| CAB InsiderIn this CAB Insider,shifting market dynamics have already marked trend changes in the 2023 cattle and beef markets. These shifts are most succinctly summarized through two factors, fewer cattle and higher prices, that will further entrench themselves in near term trends.
