Meat market read, Friday, July 3, 2026

Short plate's at 688¢/lb, up 29¢/lb on the week, and the four-week seasonal forward adds another 25¢/lb on average from here. That's one of the cleaner seasonal setups in the complex right now. The sirloin side of the loin is the mirror image: tri-tip down 72¢/lb on the session, down 52¢/lb on the month, and history peels off another 64¢/lb over the next four weeks on average. The loin complex is fading the right direction and probably isn't done. Choice cutout gave back $4.20/cwt at last close, loads thin, and the packer margin is deep in the red. The supply picture tightens from here regardless of what the holiday weekend does to the tape. Next fresh USDA print lands Tuesday.

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