By: NATHAN STUEDLE
GRAINS:
March corn closed up 2 1/4 cents and May corn was up 2 1/2 cents. January soybeans closed up 2 1/4 cents and March soybeans were up 1 3/4 cents. March KC wheat closed down 1 cent, March Chicago wheat was up 4 cents, March Minneapolis wheat was up 1 cent.
Soybean futures alternated between marginal losses and gains multiple times through Tuesday's session, ultimately settling slightly higher. Meanwhile, corn and wheat futures were also very indecisive, with corn prices remaining in prevailing price range, and wheat futures themselves mixed, with lower Kansas City futures but higher Chicago and Minneapolis markets. In outside markets, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has moved to new record highs on Thursday following the interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve on Wednesday. Meanwhile, energy prices provided some pressure to Ag futures on Thursday, with crude oil futures lower for the third session out of the past four, hitting the lowest price for most active futures since mid-October, which is among the lowest of 2025 as well.
LIVESTOCK:
The live cattle complex grew more brave as the market pushed a $1.00 to $2.00 rally into Thursday's noon hour, but in doing so has grown increasingly closer to pushing the market's resistance at its 100-day moving average. But until this point, traders haven't been convinced that the market possesses enough support to break above that threshold. Upon seeing some sharply higher sales develop in the fed cash cattle market, traders have grown braver. A few deals have been marked this morning at $355 dressed in Nebraska, which is $12.00 higher than last week's weighted average. Boxed beef prices are mixed: choice down $0.42 ($358.94) and select up $0.77 ($345.65) with a movement of 114 loads (52.95 loads of choice, 9.31 loads of select, 40.08 loads of trim and 11.42 loads of ground beef).
The feeder cattle complex has taken the brave leap of faith as it's seeing its spot January contract trade above its 100-day moving average.With the bullish developments in the fed cash cattle market, there's a chance that the market could close with this momentum.
The lean hog complex has also broken through its resistance at $82.00 as the spot February contract is currently trading above $84.00. A bullish tone has seemed to overtake the livestock complex, which is helping lend the lean hog complex a little more support, and it's also favorable that pork cutout values were higher again this morning.