MEATBOARD: Boxed Beef Choice: $292.38 (-1.12); Pork Carcass: $92.46 (-3.20); Chicken Breast: $241.25 (+1.06) (Tue pm)

Boxed Beef PM: Choice: $292.38 (-1.12); Select: $283.32 (-1.47); Ch/Se Spread: 9.06; Total Loads: 143 compared to 80 on Monday

Not Great... After a bloody down day yesterday and a late session rally off the lows, CME cattle futures have begun today choppy both sides of steady but spending more time red than green. To say this is disappointing action following yesterday’s plummet is an understatement (The Beef)

USDA estimates daily cattle slaughter at 118K head, compared to 117K last week and 117K last year. WTD slaughter at 233K head, compared to 230K last week and 233K last year (Tue)

CME LIVESTOCK: Live Cattle: $140.10 (+0.025); Feeder Cattle: $159.85 (-1.40) Hogs: $97.25 (+1.925); Milk: $20.80 (-0.75)

CME GRAINS: Corn: $6.20 (-1.00); Soybeans: $14.0725 (+4.25); Wheat: $8.18 (+17.50); Cotton: $120.92 (+0.54)

STOCK UPDATE: Dow 30: 34,297.73 (-66.77); Nasdaq: 13,539.29 (-315.84); S&P 500: 4,356.45 (-53.68)

COLD STORAGE: Beef in freezers totaled 503.8 million pounds in December, up 3% from last month, down 6% from last year (VIEW REPORT)

NATIONAL CALF TRACKER: The largest calf string sold on Monday was 56 heifers (353#) from Madras, Oregon at $193.00. The average price paid on Monday for the top 10 calf strings was $185.85 (VIEW REPORT)

NATIONAL CATTLE TRACKER: The largest steer and heifer string sold on Monday was 239 steers (811#) from Joplin, Missouri at $154.10. The second largest string was 192 steers (803#) from Joplin, Missouri at $156.85 (VIEW REPORT)

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