DTN Closing Livestock Comment 02/27 15:30
   Cattle Markets Weaken in Late Week Trade

   Sharp end-of-the-week pressure in both live cattle and feeder cattle
futures, combined with developing pressure in cash cattle trade, is creating
trader uncertainty at the end of February.

Rick Kment
DTN Analyst

GENERAL COMMENTS:

   Cattle futures posted a strong two-day market slide, closing the month of
February with a less than optimistic view. Aggressive triple-digit losses seen
in all live cattle and feeder cattle futures Friday added to the growing
concern that the ability to hold recent price values and carry the higher
wholesale beef values into the spring and summer months is adding to the
general market pressure. Lean hog trade seems to be holding in very well
despite being surrounded by market weakness in nearly all other markets Friday.
Steady to moderately lower moves in nearby lean hog futures kept overall lean
hog markets away from the liquidation pressure seen in cattle trade. Hog prices
closed lower on the Daily Direct Afternoon hog report, down $0.62 with a
weighted average of $90.38 on 5,079 hogs. May corn closed up 5 at $4.485 and
May soybean meal closed down $0.40 at $320.5. The Dow Jones Industrial Average
is down 521.28 at 48,977.92.