Weekly Cattle Market Drops as Traders Await Key USDA Report

Friday, February 20, 2026 at 5:01 PM

Cattle trading contracts declined at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as market participants waited for direct business activity and an upcoming federal report. Both live and feeder cattle prices fell across multiple contract months.

Trading contracts for cattle experienced declines at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as market participants held back, anticipating the development of direct business activity and the release of Friday’s On Feed report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Live cattle contracts for April delivery dropped $1.42 to settle at $242 per hundredweight, while June contracts fell $1.35 to close at $237.52. Feeder cattle also saw significant losses, with March contracts declining $2.25 to finish at $368.02 per hundredweight, and April contracts posting similar decreases.

The market pullback reflects trader caution as they await key industry data that could influence future pricing trends in the livestock sector.

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