Market News & Headlines >> Feedlot Inventory Seen Down 2.2% Versus Last Year

Friday afternoon’s monthly Cattle-on-Feed report from USDA is expected to show the U.S. feedlot inventory declined during August with both August feedlot placements and marketings falling below a year earlier.

Ahead of Friday’s Cattle-on-Feed report, trade estimates of the Sept. 1 feedlot inventory average 97.8% of a year earlier in a range from 97.2%-98.6%, according to a Dow Jones Newswires survey of 8 analysts. At the average of trade estimates, the feedlot inventory would total 11.031 million head, down 258,000 head from a month earlier and 203,000 head from a year earlier.

Pre-report trade estimates of August placements average 94.8% of a year earlier in a range from 92.0%-98.1%. At the average of trade estimates, August placements would total 2.002 million head, up 384,000 head from July, but down 110,000 from a year earlier.

Pre-report expectations for August feedlot marketings average 94.4% of a year earlier in a range from 92.2%-$94.7%. At the average of trade estimates, August marketings would total 1.892 million head, up 274,000 from July, but down 112,000 from a year earlier.