CattleFax is reporting that Cattle Slaughter & Cutout Prices are trending upward. According to Terrel Platt, Analyst for CattleFax, cattle slaughter placed against supplies are the smallest in the May and June windows, favoring cattle feeder leverage and limit packer margins into summer compared to historical norms. In the past two weeks, total cattle slaughter was up 12,000 head from the prior week and estimated fed slaughter increased 14,000 head with an expected seasonal increase in May and June. According to Platt, Higher retail prices are also expected this summer supporting both the cutout and fed cattle prices. “Wholesale as a percentage of retail may decline slightly in the near term but tends to increase seasonally into May and June as grilling demand supports beef prices. The cutout is projected to stage a modest pullback in the near term with support expected between $320-$330/cwt.” With the strengthening of the seasonal demand, Platt expects this should lead to a higher trend in cutout in May with expected price potential towards $340-345/cwt.