Episode 249: Cattle Market Outlook for What’s Left of 2025

An unprecedented era in U.S. cattle markets continues as what was supposed to be a hot and dry summer looks wetter and more temperate than anyone expected. In light of that, the idea of record cattle prices is increasingly becoming standard fare, as market fundamentals like herd size remain at historic levels. DTN’s recent Ag Summit Series event on the Future of the Cowherd dug into the weather, the economics, the latest news, and the market reactions to current conditions, and today on the podcast we’re sharing highlights of the event from DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart’s markets outlook. ShayLe covers a lot of ground today, including taking a deeper look at the current slaughter pace, how it relates to margins for packers, and where the interplay between herd size and carcass weights fits in. She also brings us up-to-date on the latest trade news affecting beef, from declining exports to China in April to the impacts of limited imports of live cattle from Mexico. Then she’ll dive into the fed cattle and feeder cattle complex, identifying both bearish and bullish factors that are likely to be at play in the weeks and months ahead.