TOP STORIES

 
Hog Slaughter Projected 443,000; Cattle 115,000 - Dec 6 
 
Hogs                            443,000     443,000     439,223 
Cattle                          115,000     115,000     112,487 
 
                                       Today 
                                  Hogs      Cattle 
Allendale Inc.                  443,000     113,000 
HedgersEdge/RJ O'Brien          442,000     116,000 
 
Note: Averages of the estimates are rounded to nearest 1,000 head. 
 

STORIES OF INTEREST

Soybeans Charge Higher on Weather Worries -- Market Talk

9:28 ET - Soybean futures extend gains, marching higher amid concerns over poor world weather and strong margins for soybean processors in China, the world's largest importer. Dry conditions are seen persisting in Argentina for several weeks yet, which traders worry could stress the crops of rival soybean producers, potentially limiting the growth of world supplies. Good returns for soybean crushers in China help buoy the US market further, as do firming prices for soybean meal and oil. CBOT January soybeans rise 1.2% to $10.56 a bushel. Meanwhile, December corn gains 0.1% to $3.50 and March wheat adds 0.2% to $4.09 1/4. (jesse.newman@wsj.com; @jessenewman13)

THE MARKETS

US Cattle Futures Slip As Hogs Edge Higher -- Market Talk

10:08 ET - US cattle futures are narrowly lower as traders await bids and offers from producers in the cash markets, where producers fetched from $1.14 to $1.15 a pound live on average last week. Hogs, meanwhile, are continuing to trot higher as meatpackers pay steady to firmer prices in the cash markets ahead of the Christmas holiday. Demand for hams and other pork products typically featured on menu items and meat cases has soared this month. December live-cattle futures fall 0.525 cent, or 0.5%, to $1.0730/lb, as hogs climb 0.9 cent to 52.40c/lb. (kelsey.gee@wsj.com; @kelseykgee)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 06, 2016 10:39 ET (15:39 GMT)