Boxed beef was essentially flat Tuesday (Choice $375.15, −41¢/cwt; Select $353.67, −46¢) as volume came back strong after a light Monday. Underneath, heavy ribeye sold off about 94¢/lb once real volume traded, sirloin flap and cap-off inside round gave back sharply, and ground beef firmed. Pork turned lower, led by a sharp drop in hams; bellies were the one primal that gained.
Moved: up
- Choice primals higher: loin $465.47 (+$2.74, about 3¢/lb) · round $297.57 (+$1.59, about 2¢/lb) · rib $670.42 (+$1.06, about 1¢/lb, holding near its highs).
- Beef cuts up (Choice, ≥20,000 lb traded): 0x1 short loin (174) $873.01 (+$28.77, about 29¢/lb, though on just 19,469 lb) · Lip-on bone-in ribeye (109E) $1,400.85 (+$25.64, about 26¢/lb, 206,460 lb) · Heavy tenderloin (189A) $1,754.54 (+$25.87, about 26¢/lb, 31,635 lb) · Chuck roll (116A) $583.12 (+$4.80, about 5¢/lb) on a heavy 332,814 lb · Chuck tender (116B) $404.10 (+$2.96).
- Ground beef and trim firmer: 81% $353.77 (+$13.00, about 13¢/lb, 134,116 lb) · 73% $266.76 (+$10.86, about 11¢/lb) · Fresh 50s $90.04 (+$3.11, about 3¢/lb, 248,980 lb), snapping a two-session slide.
- Pork (direction only): bellies firmed, and St. Louis spareribs and cushion meat were higher.
Down / flat
- Choice cutout: $375.15 (−41¢, flat). Select cutout: $353.67 (−46¢, flat). Spread steady at $21.48.
- Choice primals lower: plate $226.32 (−$4.73, about 5¢/lb) · flank $155.29 (−$4.69, about 5¢/lb) · brisket $296.70 (−$3.32, about 3¢/lb, giving back part of Monday's 10¢ gain) · chuck $328.79 (−$2.75, about 3¢/lb).
- Beef cuts lower (Choice, ≥20,000 lb traded): Heavy boneless ribeye (112A) $1,512.38 (−$93.86, about 94¢/lb) on a big 226,590 lb, after Monday's higher print came on thin trade · Cap-off top inside round (169A) $516.65 (−$61.80, about 62¢/lb, 328,483 lb) · Bottom sirloin flap (185A) $717.25 (−$57.46, about 57¢/lb, 215,827 lb), giving back more than Monday's 36¢ gain · Clod arm roast (114E) $479.22 (−$33.76, about 34¢/lb) · Tri-tip (185C) $444.92 (−$24.15, about 24¢/lb) · Deckle-off brisket (120) $420.47 (−$21.15, about 21¢/lb, 154,962 lb) · Top butt (184) $492.16 (−$17.69, about 18¢/lb) · Flank steak (193) $602.07 (−$15.74, about 16¢/lb) · Chuck flap (116G) $779.35 (−$13.52).
- Flat: peeled knuckle (167A) $378.42 (−$4.57, about 5¢/lb) on a heavy 254,698 lb · 0x1 strip loin (180) $973.97 (+88¢, flat) · Ground beef 85% $414.36 (−$4.48).
- Pork (direction only): carcass cutout lower after two firmer sessions. Hams dropped sharply and were the biggest primal mover; loin, butt and picnic also eased. Spareribs were about flat. Ham knuckles, tenderloins, boneless strap-off loins and backribs were among the cuts lower.
- Volume: a much busier Tuesday. Choice cuts 89.81 loads (vs 46.41 Monday); total beef loads about 117 (vs about 80). Pork 317.97 loads (vs 271.81).
Holiday / seasonal buy note
Thanksgiving is six weeks out (Thu Nov 26). USDA hams gave back Monday's bounce and then some on Tuesday, so the soft ham window we flagged yesterday is open again. If you still need Thanksgiving or December ham programs, this dip is a good spot to lock pricing. Heavy ribeye came off sharply on real volume, which is a useful moment to price holiday rib programs before December demand builds, even though the Choice rib primal itself is still near its highs. Turkey isn't in these boxed-beef/pork reports, so we're not calling it. See the holiday buying calendar.
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