The Cattle Market Guys Podcast
Aug 18, 2026 · 11 min · 11 segments
``` Tyson just pulled the trigger on a historic contraction—closing or selling three beef plants while bracing for a staggering $650 million operating loss in fiscal 2026. With roughly 10,000 head per…
All right, let's get into it.
It's Tuesday, August 18th, and the latest numbers are showing some real softness across the feeder cattle complex.
Looking at the 500 to 549 weight steers, we're sitting at $413.45 per hundred weight, and that's down $7.80 from the prior week.
Month over month, that class is down $29.30 from where it was back on July 12th.
That's a big move for one month, Brock.
That ain't just a wobble.
That's a trend.
It is, and it's showing up in the heavier weights, too.
The 600 to 649 steers are at $375.86 per hundred weight, down $4.94 week over week, and down $31.15 compared to a month ago.
According to the forecast data, that class is projected at $368.97 next week, and if you stretch it out four weeks, we're looking at $351.38. That's a pretty steady downward glide, not a cliff, but definitely a trend line pointing south.
Well, that's not just noise, Brock.
Four weeks running in the same direction is a real slide.
The articles back this up, too.
The cattle site reported cattle futures hit two and a half week lows on fund and technical selling, and that was echoed again just today, with futures edging lower on what they're calling consumer sentiment concerns.
Traders are basically questioning whether beef demand can hold up through the back half of the year.
Volume's been average on both weight classes we track, so this isn't some thin, illiquid move.
Real money is behind this repricing.
I'll tell you, when the funds start selling on technicals instead of on cattle numbers, that's when regular producers get whipsawed the worst.
That's a fair way to put it.
So bottom line for this snapshot, lighter weights are still commanding a premium over heavier weights, which tells you feeder demand for grow out cattle hasn't disappeared, but both ends of the market are trending lower and the forecast data suggests that continues into September.
All right, let's get into it.
It's Tuesday, August 18th, and the latest numbers are showing some real softness across the feeder cattle complex.
Looking at the 500 to 549 weight steers, we're sitting at $413.45 per hundred weight, and that's down $7.80 from the prior week.
Month over month, that class is down $29.30 from where it was back on July 12th.
That's a big move for one month, Brock.
That ain't just a wobble.
That's a trend.
It is, and it's showing up in the heavier weights, too.
The 600 to 649 steers are at $375.86 per hundred weight, down $4.94 week over week, and down $31.15 compared to a month ago.
According to the forecast data, that class is projected at $368.97 next week, and if you stretch it out four weeks, we're looking at $351.38. That's a pretty steady downward glide, not a cliff, but definitely a trend line pointing south.
Well, that's not just noise, Brock.
Four weeks running in the same direction is a real slide.
The articles back this up, too.
The cattle site reported cattle futures hit two and a half week lows on fund and technical selling, and that was echoed again just today, with futures edging lower on what they're calling consumer sentiment concerns.
Traders are basically questioning whether beef demand can hold up through the back half of the year.
Volume's been average on both weight classes we track, so this isn't some thin, illiquid move.
Real money is behind this repricing.
I'll tell you, when the funds start selling on technicals instead of on cattle numbers, that's when regular producers get whipsawed the worst.
That's a fair way to put it.
So bottom line for this snapshot, lighter weights are still commanding a premium over heavier weights, which tells you feeder demand for grow out cattle hasn't disappeared, but both ends of the market are trending lower and the forecast data suggests that continues into September.
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