What Are Live Cattle Futures?
Live Cattle Futures (LE) are futures contracts based on the price of live cattle, which are raised for beef production. These contracts allow traders and livestock producers to hedge against price fluctuations or speculate on changes in the live cattle market. The LE contract is heavily influenced by feed prices, beef demand, and seasonal trends in the cattle market.
Contract Size
- Contract Size: 40,000 pounds of live cattle.
Trading Hours
The Live Cattle Futures contract trades nearly 24 hours a day, five days a week, providing consistent access to the global livestock markets.
- Monday – Friday: 8:30 AM to 1:05 PM CT
- Time Zone: Central Time (CT).
Tick Value and Increment
- Tick Size: $0.0025 per pound.
- Tick Value: $100 per tick.
- Minimum Price Fluctuation: $0.0025 per pound.
This makes Live Cattle Futures an excellent choice for traders seeking liquidity, leverage, and exposure to the livestock markets.
Trading Symbol
- Platform Symbol: LE
Margins
To trade Live Cattle Futures, you’ll need to meet specific margin requirements. Check out Ironbeam’s Margins Page for the latest margin rates and details.
Why Trade Live Cattle Futures?
- Liquidity: High liquidity ensures tight spreads and efficient execution.
- Hedging Opportunities: Widely used by cattle ranchers and beef processors to hedge against price fluctuations in the live cattle market.
- Global Influence: Live cattle prices are affected by feed costs, beef demand, and market conditions, making it an important commodity in agriculture.
- Diversification: Add exposure to the livestock market to complement equity or agricultural investments.
- Price Discovery: Futures markets offer a key mechanism for determining the fair price of live cattle.
Start Trading LE with Ironbeam
Ironbeam provides a robust trading platform and API to help you access Live Cattle Futures with ease. Trade confidently with free real-time Level 2 market data and personal broker support.
DISCLAIMER: There is a substantial risk of loss in trading commodity futures and options products. Losses in excess of your initial investment may occur. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Please contact your account representative with concerns or questions.