The Morning Wire / Mon Oct 5, 2026

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The Morning Wire

The trading day in one page — Mon, Oct 5
● Written from USDA reportsEvery figure as filed
← Oct 3Oct 5latest →

The market in a line

Mon, Oct 5
Choice cutout closed $4.07 higher at $378.26. 7 barns across 6 states reported 331 priced lots.

Feeder steers

National, week of Sep 28 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 lb515.03/cwt$1.01 higher3,854163
400-499 lb462.19/cwt$1.32 higher10,712175
500-599 lb414.98/cwt$9.57 higher17,467179
600-699 lb366.55/cwt$2.93 higher12,280171
700-799 lb344.10/cwt$2.64 lower8,528161
800-899 lb333.11/cwt$1.92 lower10,078114

Barn by barn, 500–599 lb steers

Same day, same class USDA
Every barn that sold at least 20 head of this class on Mon, Oct 5, weighted by head. Spread of $57.22 between the top and bottom of 3 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
West Point Livestock AuctionNE431.06/cwt48
Joplin Regional StockyardsMO393.29/cwt297
Oklahoma National Stockyards MarketOK373.84/cwt197

Boxed beef

PM close · Oct 5 USDA
Choice $378.26, $4.07 higher. Select $358.57, $4.08 higher. The Choice–Select spread stands at $19.69. 67 loads traded.

Fed cattle

Negotiated cash, week to date USDA
34,270 head traded Sep 26–Oct 2.
RegionBasisPriceHead
Iowa-MinnesotaDressed Delivered348.003,264
Iowa-MinnesotaDressed FOB345.00120
Iowa-MinnesotaLive Delivered220.80353
Iowa-MinnesotaLive FOB219.4010,704
NebraskaDressed Delivered346.0012,334
NebraskaLive Delivered226.002,100

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.

Compared to last week: Feeder steers 3.00-8.00 lower. Feeder heifers mostly steady. Demand moderate to good for feeder cattle and buyers more particular for kind. Crossbred cattle starting to see a bigger discount as we head into October. Steer calves mostly steady. Heifer calves 5.00-10.00 higher.

Oklahoma National Stockyards Market · Oklahoma

OPEN Compared to last week feeder steers and heifers are selling steady to 5.00 lower.

Joplin Regional Stockyards · Missouri

Compared to last week: Yearling feeder steers sold with higher undertones, much lighter flesh condition this week as several consignments of yearlings were right off grass. Yearling heifers not well compared.

Sioux Falls Regional Livestock · South Dakota

Compared to the last sale, best test of the market was on yearling feeder heifers from 750 lbs to 850 lbs with those trading 2.00 to 10.00 higher. Few, fresh bawling calves in the run with most having spring time vaccinations. Not enough fresh calves for a market comparison.

West Point Livestock Auction · Nebraska

Compared to last Monday: Feeder steers and heifers steady, moderate demand for feeder classes. Slaughter cows and bulls steady, Moderate demand for slaughter classes.

Stanford Livestock Auction · Kentucky

Slaughter cattle were 6.00 to 8.00 lower this week compared to last week . Feeder cattle were steady 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

Cows and bulls

National direct, dressed USDA
ClassPriceDirectionHead
Breaker (75% lean)252.95/cwt$3.43 lower525
Boner (85% lean)266.14/cwt$1.06 lower2,316
Cutter (90% lean)267.72/cwt$3.92 lower3,743
Premium White287.35/cwt$1.34 lower1,896
Bull (92% lean)322.52/cwt$0.57 higher484

What published

See every report →
29 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.