Choice boxed beef slipped for another session, down $3.68/cwt (about 4¢/lb) to $365.79, while Select firmed $2.28 (about 2¢/lb) to $352.69, narrowing the Choice/Select spread to $13.10 from $19.06. Heavy tenderloins fell again on big volume and the plate dropped about 12¢/lb, while grinds firmed across the board. The pork carcass cutout gave back part of Thursday's bounce as ribs and bellies eased.
Moved: up
- Choice primals up: brisket $274.56 (+$0.63, close to flat). Select rib jumped $48.68 to $621.40 on light Select trade, so read it with caution.
- Beef cuts up (Choice, ≥20,000 lb traded): Peeled tri-tip (185D) $700.89 (+$36.66, about 37¢/lb, 24,822 lb) · Clod tender (114F) $790.31 (+$25.52, about 26¢/lb, 23,925 lb) · Eye of round (171C) $401.27 (+$14.97, about 15¢/lb, 138,120 lb) · Flank steak (193) $610.67 (+$13.95, about 14¢/lb, 54,139 lb) · Peeled knuckle (167A) $390.48 (+$11.93, about 12¢/lb, 110,376 lb) · Boneless deckle-off brisket (120) $398.80 (+$11.70, about 12¢/lb, 237,861 lb).
- Grinds: 73% $243.57 (+$9.04, about 9¢/lb, 77,963 lb) · 81% $332.85 (+$3.45, about 3¢/lb) · 85% $423.32 (+$6.31, about 6¢/lb).
- Pork (direction only): picnics rose, and boneless butts and bellies in the 9–13 lb range firmed.
Down / flat
- Beef cutout: Choice $365.79 (−$3.68) · Select $352.69 (+$2.28) · Choice/Select spread $13.10, down from $19.06.
- Choice primals lower: plate $212.41 (−$11.55, about 12¢/lb) · loin $445.29 (−$5.09, about 5¢/lb) · chuck $325.90 (−$4.67, about 5¢/lb) · rib $672.57 (−$1.25) · round $286.95 (−$1.14) · flank $155.21 (−$0.81).
- Beef cuts lower (Choice, ≥20,000 lb traded): Heavy tenderloin (189A) $1,569.86 (−$47.78, about 48¢/lb) on a heavy 494,376 lb, a second straight drop · Top inside round, denuded (169) $392.50 (−$43.35, about 43¢/lb, 107,915 lb) · Bottom sirloin flap (185A) $731.11 (−$27.94, about 28¢/lb, 69,997 lb) · Chuck short rib (130) $579.89 (−$24.71, about 25¢/lb, 62,285 lb) · Chuck flap (116G) $771.67 (−$19.56, about 20¢/lb, 32,016 lb).
- Heavy boneless ribeye (112A): $1,579.79 on 59,840 lb, about 41¢/lb under Thursday's thin 4,230 lb print, so treat the size of the move with caution.
- Trim: fresh 50% lean trim traded at $94.29 on 406,587 lb (20 trades), with no fresh trades Thursday to compare against.
- Pork (direction only): carcass cutout lower after one up day. Ribs fell sharply, with spareribs and St. Louis ribs leading; bellies, hams, butts and loins eased.
- Volume: beef trade held steady at about 124 loads (vs 123 Thursday): Choice cuts 95.47 (vs 77.71), Select 8.35 (vs 23.15), trimmings 10.16, ground beef 10.18. Pork 304.26 loads (vs 300.43).
Holiday / seasonal buy note
Día de los Muertos (Nov 1–2) is 9 days out, and Thanksgiving (Thu Nov 26) is about five weeks away. Picnics turned higher today, so tamale and pozole buyers who were waiting on picnics may want to lock coverage before next week; ribs dropped hard, a good window to price rib programs. On beef, heavy tenderloins fell again on big volume and ribeyes printed lower, a friendlier setup for holiday roast and steak programs, while briskets firmed for barbacoa buyers. Grinds moved up, so ground programs may not get cheaper from here this week. Turkey isn't in these boxed-beef and pork reports. See the holiday buying calendar.
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