DTN Closing Livestock Comment 11/19 16:27
   Meat Futures Launch Holiday Week With Moderate to Solid Price Progress

   Lean hog issues closed higher with triple-digit gains in the new year
contracts. The cattle complex settled moderately higher with the help of
early-week short-covering and clues of better packer demand in the country.

By John Harrington
DTN Livestock Analyst



   GENERAL COMMENTS:

   Activity in feedlot country Monday was limited to the assessment of
pre-holiday ready steers and heifers. New showlists appear to be lower in
Texas, Colorado and Nebraska, but higher in Kansas. Our guess is buyers and
sellers will try hard to complete marketing chores by late Wednesday (reserving
Friday for football and cold turkey sandwiches). According to the closing
report, the national hog base is .17 higher compared with the prior day
settlement ($46.00-53.00, weighted average $51.77). Corn futures closed 2 to 3
cents lower, pressured by lower bean prices and discouraging progress in
U.S./China talks. The stock market closed in the red with the Dow off 395
points and the Nasdaq down by 219.