Cattle on Feed Report Preview   11/20  11:59

Market Will Closely Watch First New Cattle on Feed Report Since 
Shutdown

By ShayLe Stewart
DTN Livestock Analyst

                      USDA Actual   Average Estimate*      Range

On Feed Nov. 1                           97.9%        96.9-98.6%
Placed in October                        92.2%        90.0-95.5%
Marketed in October                      92.5%        92.0-93.4%

* Estimates compiled by Dow Jones.

OMAHA (DTN) -- Friday's Nov. 1 USDA Cattle on Feed report will 
be one the market studies thoroughly. 

First, no one knows at this point whether the October data will 
be published then too, or if those numbers will simply be 
skipped, as the government was shut down when the Oct. 1 report 
was originally scheduled to come out. Secondly, given that the 
marketplace hasn't received this data in two months, the market 
will scan for any abnormalities, as it is desperate to find 
something bullish and fundamental. 

And finally, it's likely again that Friday's Cattle on Feed 
report will share the same story the market has grown accustomed 
to over the last year: There's a chance placements could be a 
wild card, but they're most likely going to be lighter than a 
year ago. Also, on-feed totals will linger close to year-ago 
levels, and marketings will lag, as turnover in feedlots is 
slower, with cattle spending more time on feed than in years 
past. 

**

USDA will release its Nov. 1 Cattle on Feed report at 2 p.m. CST 
on Friday.

ShayLe Stewart can be reached at ShayLe.Stewart@dtn.com