CME LIVESTOCK: Live Cattle: $134.50 (+1.575); Feeder Cattle: $173.30 (+0.60); Hogs: $109.20 (+3.25); Milk: $21.51 (-0.17) (Hogs up $7.10 since June 30th)

CME GRAINS: Corn: $7.4425 (+8.25); Soybeans: $15.8025 (+5.00); Wheat: $7.9225 (-1.50); Cotton: $96.39 (-4.99) (Cotton down more than $28 since June 20th)

ENERGY PRICES: Crude Oil: $98.53 (-0.97); Heating Oil: $3.4106 (-0.191); Natural Gas: $5.51 (-0.013)

STOCK UPDATE: Dow 30: 31,037.68 (+69.86); Nasdaq: 11,361.85 (+39.61); S&P 500: 3,845.08 (+13.69) (Stocks Climb On Stronger-Than-Expected U.S. Economic Data)

Green Again... Since August LC is big time discount to cash prices – which made another who average high last week – it will get more and more difficult to press the August contract. Last week’s average price was north of $146 just a bit and today’s settlement in August LC was $134.50 (The Beef)

MEATBOARD PM: Boxed Beef Choice: $268.05 (+3.39); Pork Carcass: $111.50 (-2.98); Chicken Breast: $300.18 (+2.06) (Pork highest since June 17th)

Boxed Beef PM: Choice: $268.05 (+3.39) Select: $242.93 (+3.06); Ch/Se Spread: $25.12 Total Loads: 121 compared to 109 on Tuesday (C/S spread widens past $25)

USDA estimates daily cattle slaughter at 126K head, compared to 124K last week and 121K last year. WTD slaughter at 254K head, compared to 375K last week and 253K last year (Wed)

CORN PROGRESS: 7% of the corn in the U.S. had silked by July 3rd, compared to 4% last week and 9% last year. The five-year average is 11%

TODAY'S AG WEATHER: In the Corn Belt, robust shower and thunderstorm activity stretches from Nebraska to Ohio. The rain is greatly benefiting corn and soybeans, especially in drier areas of the Midwest

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