Live cattle futures closed last Friday with $1.32 gains in the expiring October contract, with other contracts down $1.42 to $2, as December was down $4.25 last week. Preliminary open interest was up 2,914 contracts. Cash trade shifted from $230 early in the week to $232 in the north on Friday, with Southern sales near $235. Feeder cattle futures pulled off the midday lows to close with losses of $2.10 to $2.95, as November fell $13.325 last week. The CME Feeder Cattle Index fell $4.75 to $327.25 on October 30.
USDA Wholesale Boxed Beef prices were mixed in the Friday afternoon report, with the Chc/Sel spread at $19.48. Choice boxes were down 14 cents to $378.13, while Select was 87 cents lower at $358.65. USDA federally inspected cattle slaughter for last week at 559,000 head. That is 14,000 head below last week and 56,990 head shy of the same week last year.
