DTN Closing Livestock Comment 12/20 16:13
20 Dec 2019
DTN Closing Livestock Comment 12/20 16:13 Cattle Contracts Close Lower, Lean Hogs Close Mixed It wasn't an overly holly-jolly week for livestock contracts leading into the Christmas holiday as most contracts closed lower compared to a week ago. By ShayLe Stewart DTN Livestock Analyst GENERAL COMMENTS: Holidays wreak havoc on the futures market. As traders step out of the market to take a holiday vacation with their families, sale barns close until after the New Year and cash buyers simply want to buy their last pen and head home -- it's not surprising that the week closes lower, as Friday was largely uneventful. Hog prices are higher on the National Direct Afternoon Hog Report up $0.03 with a weighted average of $47.81. February live cattle are up $0.18 at $125.8, January feeder cattle are down $0.45 at $144.275, February lean hogs are down $0.30 at $70.675, March corn is up 1 1/4 cents per bushel and January soybean meal is down $0.50. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 78.13 points and NASDAQ is up 37.74 points.