Boxed beef fell again, with Choice down $3.12/cwt (about 3¢/lb) to $369.47 and Select down $4.93 (about 5¢/lb) to $350.41, widening the Choice/Select spread to $19.06. Trade picked up to 123 loads from about 91. Middle meats and grinds led beef lower, while the pork carcass cutout snapped a three-day slide on a sharp jump in bellies.
Moved: up
- Choice primals up: plate $223.96 (+$2.73, about 3¢/lb). Chuck $330.57 was flat (−8¢/cwt). Select rib rose $3.19 to $572.72.
- Beef cuts up (Choice, ≥20,000 lb traded): Short plate short rib (123A) $753.87 (+$144.09, about $1.44/lb) on a lighter 27,435 lb, recovering Wednesday's drop · Top inside round (168) $365.42 (+$17.05, about 17¢/lb) on a heavy 320,819 lb · Short loin (174) $818.59 (+$5.00, about 5¢/lb, 71,126 lb) · Chuck short rib (130) $604.60 (+$13.19, about 13¢/lb, 24,817 lb) · Chuck flap (116G) $791.23 (+$8.70, about 9¢/lb) on 125,151 lb, about double Wednesday's volume.
- Lean grinds: 93% $514.99 (+$22.26, about 22¢/lb, 39,630 lb) · 85% $417.01 (+$3.02, about 3¢/lb, 25,708 lb).
- Pork (direction only): carcass cutout higher for the first time in four sessions. Bellies jumped sharply and ribs firmed.
Down / flat
- Beef cutout: Choice $369.47 (−$3.12) · Select $350.41 (−$4.93) · Choice/Select spread $19.06, up from $17.25.
- Choice primals lower: loin $450.38 (−$8.07, about 8¢/lb) · brisket $273.93 (−$5.33, about 5¢/lb) · round $288.09 (−$3.98, about 4¢/lb) · rib $673.82 (−$3.02) · flank $156.02 (−$2.42).
- Beef cuts lower (Choice, ≥20,000 lb traded): Heavy tenderloin (189A) $1,617.64 (−$93.69, about 94¢/lb, 48,641 lb) · Flank steak (193) $596.72 (−$35.96, about 36¢/lb, 44,864 lb) · Bone-in ribeye (109E) $1,374.54 (−$23.43, about 23¢/lb, 181,873 lb) · Eye of round (171C) $386.30 (−$19.98, about 20¢/lb) on a heavy 331,351 lb · Outside round (171B) $374.90 (−$19.47, about 19¢/lb, 196,467 lb) · Shoulder clod (114A) $415.34 (−$14.81, about 15¢/lb, 90,932 lb) · Boneless strip (180) $929.28 (−$1.76, close to flat, 204,696 lb).
- Heavy boneless ribeye (112A): only 4,230 lb traded at $1,620.33, too thin to read as a move.
- Grinds: 73% $234.53 (−$17.51, about 18¢/lb, 105,559 lb) · 81% $329.40 (−$15.76, about 16¢/lb) on a heavy 644,560 lb.
- Trim: no fresh 50% trim trades reported today.
- Pork (direction only): butts fell, and loins, picnics and hams eased slightly.
- Volume: busier beef trade. Choice cuts 77.71 loads (vs 63.27 Wednesday), Select 23.15 (vs 9.71), ground beef 21.65; total beef 123 loads (vs about 91). Pork 300.43 loads (vs 320.53 Wednesday).
Holiday / seasonal buy note
Día de los Muertos (Nov 1–2) is 10 days out, and Thanksgiving (Thu Nov 26) is about five weeks away. Picnics and hams eased again while butts dropped, so tamale, pozole and holiday ham coverage still looks worth pricing now; bellies bounced hard, so belly buyers may want to wait for the next dip. On beef, tenderloins fell about 94¢/lb and strip loins held close to flat, a friendlier setup for holiday roast programs, while short ribs rebounded on light trade. Grinds and briskets both softened, which helps barbacoa and ground programs this week. Turkey isn't in these boxed-beef and pork reports. See the holiday buying calendar.
USA Meats boards snapshot
- Deals: new this week: next week's fresh chicken list (fryers to wings, livers and necks, halal available), good through Fri 10/30. The shrimp list, this week's pork items and the November beef list are still up. Deals board
- Poultry: the weekly fresh list for Oct 19–23 is up, 25 items, delivered, full pallets, with mix-and-match pallets in the Chicago area. Poultry board
- Pork: updated today, 7 fresh, cryovac items (cutout plus the six primals), full pallets, Delivered Illinois. For other states, use the landed-cost calculator or ask sales. Pork board
- Seafood: 9 shrimp and tilapia items: 6 in stock, 2 low stock, 1 coming soon. Seafood board
What to do with this
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Price pages: Boxed beef cutout · Wholesale beef primals · Wholesale pork · Chicken leg quarters
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