Boxed beef made some ground back on Thursday, December 18, with the Choice cutout rising to $357.28, up $1.19 from Wednesday’s $356.09, while Select declined to $343.97, down $2.46 from $346.43, widening the Choice/Select spread to $13.31 versus $9.66 the prior day. Movement was lighter with 89 loads traded compared to 170 loads on Wednesday.
At the primal level, ribs increased to $610.96 from $604.44, chucks firmed to $301.22 from $298.21, and rounds edged up to $288.91 from $286.37. Loins softened to $451.76 from $455.83, while briskets were steady to slightly higher at $322.53 versus $322.31. Plates declined to $231.88 from $233.93, and flanks slipped marginally to $162.82 from $162.99.
