The role of proprietary information in forecasting and market efficiency in the U.S. live cattle futures market is investigated. Using a unique proprietary data source collected by a private firm, we test whether the initial estimates in the USDA Cattle on Feed Report and the Knight‐Ridder...

Marketing agreements between meatpacking and cattle feeding firms have created concerns about their effects on fed cattle prices. Profit-sharing marketing agreements were imposed onto a simulated fed cattle market. Price level and variability differences with and without agreements, between...

We study beef packing margins before and after mandatory price reporting (MPR) was implemented in 2001 using a model that identifies and tests for switching between cooperative and non-cooperative regime pricing. Our results show that after MPR took effect, the duration of non-cooperative...

It has been argued that access to captive supply cattle improve the economic efficiency of beefpacking facilities. However, this argument has not been subject to hypothesis testing. This workmodels the cost efficiencies associated with captive supplies or cattle we refer to as beingsourced...

Information on typical differences in prices and price risk (as measured by the variances ofprices) across marketing arrangements aids fed cattle producers in making choices aboutmethods to use for selling fed cattle to beef packers. This information is also useful for policydiscussions on...

This research examines returns to cattle feeding operations that sort animals prior to marketing using ultrasound technology. The returns to sorting are between $11 and $25 per head depending on the number of groups the pens into which cattle can be sorted. Sorting faces declining returns. These...

Information on prices and price risk differences across marketing arrangements aids fed cattle producers in making choices about marketing methods. As part of the congressionally mandated Livestock and Meat Marketing Study, we investigated fed cattle price and price risk differences across...

Mandatory price reporting legislation will make available to the public on a weekly basis information on terms of trade for forward contracts. The new information will provide marketing intentions details that were previously unavailable to agents in the fed cattle market. An experiment was...