The Morning Wire / Fri Jul 31, 2026

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The Morning Wire

The trading day in one page — Fri, Jul 31
● Written from USDA reportsEvery figure as filed
← Jul 30Jul 31Aug 1 →

The market in a line

Fri, Jul 31
Choice cutout held near $361.38. 7 barns across 7 states reported 473 priced lots.

Feeder steers

National, week of Jul 27 USDA
Weighted across every reported lot, by weight class. Weekly rather than daily — one day's barns are too thin a base for a national figure.
WeightPricevs prior weekHeadBarns
300-399 lb528.70/cwt$14.38 lower2,016127
400-499 lb442.30/cwt$21.17 lower3,021137
500-599 lb399.29/cwt$19.75 lower3,877142
600-699 lb371.94/cwt$15.92 lower3,856139
700-799 lb350.71/cwt$5.75 lower3,237111
800-899 lb342.06/cwt$1.77 lower3,99672

Barn by barn, 500–599 lb steers

Same day, same class USDA
Every barn that sold at least 20 head of this class on Fri, Jul 31, weighted by head. Spread of $34.37 between the top and bottom of 2 barns. An average moves with the cattle that showed up as much as with the buyers in the seats — a yard with better grade will average higher on the same demand. This is where the money landed, not a verdict on the barn.
BarnStateAverageHead
Ft. Pierre Livestock AuctionSD441.91/cwt51
Siler City Livestock AuctionNC407.54/cwt22

Boxed beef

PM close · Jul 31 USDA
Choice $361.38, $0.88 higher. Select $346.23, $4.90 higher. The Choice–Select spread stands at $15.15. 82 loads traded.

Fed cattle

Negotiated cash, week to date USDA
9,268 head traded Jul 25–Jul 31.
RegionBasisPriceHead
Iowa-MinnesotaDressed Delivered364.80354
Iowa-MinnesotaDressed FOB365.0070
Iowa-MinnesotaLive Delivered235.811,432
Iowa-MinnesotaLive FOB233.383,827
KansasLive FOB232.281,513
NebraskaDressed Delivered363.811,920

At the barns

USDA market reporters, as filed USDA
One barn per state, largest first — more states file than fit here. Your own state is linked below.

Slaughter cattle were 4.00 higher this week compared to last week . Feeder cattle were 6.00 to 8.00 higher this week compared to last week . Demand was moderate ; market activity and buyer interest were moderate . Offerings moderate with quality average . 1 hog

Siler City Livestock Auction · North Carolina

Compared to last week: Steer and heifer calves sold steady to slightly higher, with limited comparisons. Feeder steers and heifers had no comparable sales. Slaughter cows and bulls sold 2.00-3.00 lower. Trade and demand good.

Cattlemen's Livestock Auction - Belen, NM · New Mexico

Compared to last week; slaughter and feeder cattle traded 2.00 to 5.00 lower. Slaughter bulls mostly steady on a limited test. There was also two loads of yearling steers off one ranch. Also a few bawling calves on display with active bidding from seats.

Torrington Livestock Commission Company · Wyoming

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher. Yearling steers under 1000lbs sold 4.00 higher with yearling steers over 1000lbs sharply higher. Feeder heifers under 600lbs sold steady. Feeder heifers over 600lbs sold 4.00 to 6.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 higher.

Richmond Livestock Auction · Kentucky

Friday's auction had a very light run of feeders (mostly bulls) that were not tested, but sold with good demand. Slaughter cows sold steady to firm.

Eastern Missouri Commission Company · Missouri

Cows and bulls

National direct, dressed USDA
ClassPriceDirectionHead
Breaker (75% lean)313.46/cwt$3.16 lower504
Boner (85% lean)330.25/cwt$3.61 lower1,923
Cutter (90% lean)332.68/cwt$1.83 higher2,954
Premium White328.22/cwt$0.31 lower1,632
Bull (92% lean)376.44/cwt$1.72 higher346

What published

See every report →
38 USDA reports carried this date — sale barns, state summaries, video and board sales, grain, hay and the national desks.
Source: USDA AMS. Every figure is USDA's as filed, and the direction words — higher, lower, steady— follow the arithmetic rather than an opinion. Quoted comment is the work of USDA market reporters, credited to the sale it came from. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of USDA data, not a copy of USDA's document and not endorsed by USDA.