LIVESTOCK COMMENTS: Cattle market participants are certainly displaying interest in the lighter weight calves this week in the Southeast United States

BEEF PRODUCTION: Weekly production reported at 553.7 million pounds, up 11.4% from last week, down 3.2% from last year (EWMP)

NATIONAL CATTLE TRACKER: The largest steer and heifer string sold this week was 371 steers (920#) from Joplin, Missouri at $169.00. The second largest string was 287 steers (956#) from Yankton, South Dakota at $194.00

NATIONAL STEER TRACKER: The largest steer string (700-899#) sold this week was 255 steers (769#) from Joplin, Missouri at $181.50. The average price for the top 10 steer strings sold this week was $181.82, compared to $175.19 last week

CATTLE WEIGHTS: Live weights reported this week at 1,385 lbs., up 2 lbs. from last week, down 8 lbs. from last year (EWMP)

Boxed Beef PM: Choice: $249.93 (-3.64); Select: $224.56 (-0.44); Ch/Se Spread: 25.37; Total Loads: 107 compared to 160 on Thursday. Choice down $4.60 from Monday (U.S. CATTLE REPORT)

CME LIVESTOCK: Live Cattle: $153.35 (+0.30); Feeder Cattle: $182.45 (+1.375); Hogs: $82.425 (-0.70); Milk: $20.22 (+0.02) (Feeders highest since Nov 21st)

CME GRAINS: Corn: $6.35 (-15.00); Soybeans: $14.385 (+8.75); Wheat: $7.3725 (-21.50); Cotton: $83.20 (-1.65)

STOCK UPDATE: Dow 30: 34,429.88 (+34.87); Nasdaq: 11,461.50 (-20.95); S&P 500: 4,071.70 (-4.87) (Stocks Fall as Labor Market Strength Keeps an Aggressive Fed in Play)

ENERGY PRICES: Crude Oil: $80.22 (-1.00); Heating Oil: $3.1773 (-0.0851); Natural Gas: $6.232 (-0.506)

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