Cattle Market Pulse

Hope Livestock Auction Market Report

Hope, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, September 17, 2026

594 head sold ·Official USDA report

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $341.17/cwt +25.06 vs last sale · ≈ $2,115/hd at 620 lb · 13 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $352.86/cwt +29.08 vs last sale · ≈ $2,004/hd at 568 lb · 12 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $387.69/cwt +47.46 vs last sale · ≈ $2,008/hd at 518 lb · 10 head
Hope, AR 5-weight steers brought $360/cwt, below the state average at $16/cwt below the AR average ($376) and $25/cwt under Ozark, AR ($385). The class was up $24 from the week before, though still $22 under the early-August peak of $404. What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 594 250 0
Feeder cattle 422 220 0
Slaughter cattle 83 22 0
Replacement cattle 89 8 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold 20.00- 30.00 higher, while feeder heifers sold 10.00-20.00 higher. Not enough comparable data to establish a trend on slaughter cattle. Replacement cattle sold strong with high demand as this week was the stock cow special. Link to video sale;https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/ams_3628.pdf

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 445.00 $445.00 $1,246 +20.09
315–335 328 3 520.00–560.00 $542.11 $1,778 +112.26
365 thin fleshed 365 1 485.00 $485.00 $1,770 —
365–390 383 4 415.00–455.00 $440.38 $1,687 +20.38
405–445 421 7 415.00–450.00 $434.11 $1,828 -15.89
460–480 465 4 420.00–440.00 $431.34 $2,006 +43.10
500–535 518 10 370.00–403.00 $387.69 $2,008 +47.46
550–590 568 12 343.00–381.00 $352.86 $2,004 +29.08
605–645 620 13 329.00–361.00 $341.17 $2,115 +25.06
650–690 669 5 327.00–337.00 $330.54 $2,211 +16.65
700–735 718 5 290.00–316.00 $304.78 $2,188 +4.05
765–795 778 3 289.00–310.00 $301.39 $2,345 +12.62
810–815 813 2 293.00–300.00 $296.51 $2,411 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 430.00 $430.00 $1,312 —
370–385 375 4 400.00–405.00 $401.23 $1,505 +1.23
430–445 438 2 365.00–370.00 $367.46 $1,609 +27.42
460–495 478 4 375.00–395.00 $379.97 $1,816 +27.17
510–545 530 5 345.00–349.00 $346.62 $1,837 +30.35
550–590 568 5 329.00–339.00 $335.00 $1,903 +38.00
610 610 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,891 +25.00
900 900 1 250.00 $250.00 $2,250 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–390 376 8 410.00–430.00 $420.59 $1,581 +0.56
405 fancy 405 1 455.00 $455.00 $1,843 —
430–445 437 3 365.00–390.00 $373.21 $1,631 -46.79
465–470 468 2 370.00–385.00 $377.54 $1,767 +46.47
500–530 513 3 355.00–390.00 $376.79 $1,933 +1.14
555–590 569 7 316.00–341.00 $333.78 $1,899 +16.20
570 fancy 570 1 353.00 $353.00 $2,012 —
600–645 621 9 316.00–342.00 $328.43 $2,040 +9.13
650 650 1 310.00 $310.00 $2,015 +4.58
720 720 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,088 +3.00
720 720 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,268 +28.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,219 -10.00
365–385 379 4 390.00–415.00 $398.55 $1,511 —
405 405 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,863 +134.00
515–540 527 5 325.00–347.00 $339.74 $1,790 —
555 555 1 321.00 $321.00 $1,782 -7.00

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
565 565 1 314.00 $314.00 $1,774 -13.00
605–635 626 4 285.00–316.00 $303.25 $1,898 +7.73
650–695 673 7 285.00–315.00 $300.32 $2,021 —
750 750 1 270.00 $270.00 $2,025 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1300 1182 80-85% 7 135.00–145.00 $140.29 $1,658 —
1205 1205 80-85% 1 131.00 $131.00 $1,579 —
1350–1425 1388 80-85% 2 155.00–156.00 $155.51 $2,158 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235–1465 1364 75-80% 4 149.00–154.00 $150.94 $2,059 —
1325–1645 1510 75-80% 4 159.00–169.00 $161.72 $2,442 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
835–1090 948 85-90% 5 124.00–128.00 $126.34 $1,198 —
1100–1305 1203 85-90% 2 129.00–130.00 $129.54 $1,558 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1425 1425 1 173.00 $173.00 $2,465 —
1100–1990 1589 5 175.00–185.00 $181.04 $2,877 —
1805 1805 1 196.00 $196.00 $3,538 —

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1035–1380 1208 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,200.00–2,400.00 $2,314.29
1210 1210 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,250.00 $2,250.00
1100–1335 1225 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 5 1,900.00–2,050.00 $1,991.80
1150–1310 1249 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 2,300.00–3,150.00 $2,578.38

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1135 1135 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 3,650.00 $3,650.00 —
1140 1140 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 3,050.00 $3,050.00 —
1075–1315 1219 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 4 2,500.00–3,300.00 $2,812.21 —
1210–1235 1223 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 2,850.00–3,200.00 $3,023.21 —
1410 1410 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 3,350.00 $3,350.00 —
1440 1440 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 3,400.00 $3,400.00 —

↑ Back to top

Open Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
700–1010 813 (<2 yrs)N/A 21 2,450.00–3,050.00 $2,835.73 —

↑ Back to top

Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.