Beef Profit Tracker: Choice Steer Prices Pushing Toward $737/head

ZISK
Jul 17, 2025
1 min read

Packers again saw black ink last week with Sterling’s estimated kill and cut margin at $34/head. As I have indicated, last week’s estimate used the prior week’s cattle cost ($230.56/cwt).

However, if this week’s early weakness in the Cutout persists through the entire week, coupled with an $8/cwt. gain in the 5-Area Choice steer price last week, packer margins will once again fall into the red this week.

Feedlot margins gained nearly $100 per head last week with the gain in Choice steer prices pushing toward $737/head against an estimated breakeven price of $186/cwt.

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