Friday's Hog Market Quotes Show Continued Pressure Across the Board

StableGenius · 2026-01-04T15:51:14+00:00

Lean hog futures experienced selling pressure, with front-month contracts down 20 to 55 cents. The USDA reported a decline in the lean hog index and slaughter numbers, alongside a mixed performance in primal cuts, affecting market trends.

StableGenius

2026-01-04 15:51:14

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Lean hog futures faced further selling pressure on Friday, with the complex retreating 20 to 55 cents in front-month contracts while February showed minimal movement, gaining just a single tick for the week. This marks a continuation of Wednesday’s downtrend in the pork complex.

USDA Pricing and Index Updates

The USDA’s national base hog price settled at $67.19 in Friday afternoon trading. Meanwhile, the CME Lean Hog Index declined one penny to $83.71 as of December 23, reflecting broader market weakness. The pork carcass cutout value rebounded from recent lows, rising $4.05 to reach $97.71 per cwt according to the Friday PM report.

Primal Cuts Performance

Mixed signals emerged from individual primal values. The loin, butt, and picnic cuts all posted lower values during Friday’s session. However, belly prices recovered sharply, surging $23.44 to offset some of the weakness elsewhere in the breakdown.

Slaughter Volume Concerns

USDA’s federally inspected hog slaughter figures for the week totaled 1.978 million head—a significant decline from the previous week and down 85,628 head compared to the same week a year prior. The reduced processing volume adds another bearish factor to an already pressured market landscape.

Contract Quotes for Friday Close

Front-month futures showed losses across the board: Feb 26 Hogs closed at $84.525, down $0.525; Apr 26 Hogs finished at $89.475, down $0.325; and May 26 Hogs settled at $93.425, down $0.225. These Friday quotes reflect the persistent headwinds facing the entire lean hog complex.

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