Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 14, 2026

369 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Powell Livestock Market report →

light 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $456.62/cwt -16.59 vs last sale · ≈ $1,927/hd at 422 lb · 17 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $424.15/cwt -14.28 vs last sale · ≈ $2,057/hd at 485 lb · 17 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 bulls $399.36/cwt -38.79 vs last sale · ≈ $2,105/hd at 527 lb · 17 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 369 252 300
Feeder cattle 312 208 288
Slaughter cattle 57 42 12
Replacement cattle — 2 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were mostly steady. Feeder cattle were mostly steady. Demand was good; market activity and buyer interest were active. Offerings of cattle were moderate. Cattle quality was average.

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
431 431 2 472.50 $472.50 $2,036 -2.50
490 490 1 450.00 $450.00 $2,205 +20.00
504–522 514 8 380.00–432.50 $411.26 $2,114 -18.82
540 540 1 375.00 $375.00 $2,025 -55.08
562–596 577 6 382.50–430.00 $394.08 $2,274 —
600–630 615 3 375.00–397.50 $385.07 $2,368 —
652–690 673 4 351.00–390.00 $372.10 $2,504 —
748 748 2 320.00–345.00 $332.50 $2,487 —
750 750 2 355.00 $355.00 $2,662 —
806–842 822 3 280.00–327.50 $305.56 $2,512 —
840 840 1 277.50 $277.50 $2,331 —
986–998 992 2 243.00–250.00 $246.48 $2,445 —
1008 1008 2 227.50–230.00 $228.75 $2,306 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
456 456 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,824 —
586 586 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,963 —
980 980 1 235.00 $235.00 $2,303 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
208–242 229 4 500.00–535.00 $517.43 $1,185 +47.43
253–290 271 6 485.00–510.00 $501.44 $1,359 +37.76
302–348 311 11 465.00–517.50 $504.13 $1,568 +51.63
356–397 378 14 460.00–485.00 $473.64 $1,790 +12.19
402–446 432 10 450.00–470.00 $461.44 $1,993 -1.08
450–498 477 15 360.00–440.00 $414.48 $1,977 -33.86
510–545 526 14 370.00–395.00 $379.35 $1,995 +20.77
554–574 566 7 345.00–375.00 $363.97 $2,060 +7.77
652 652 1 320.00 $320.00 $2,086 -5.00
666–684 675 2 300.00–320.00 $310.13 $2,093 -14.87
766 766 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,145 -10.00
820 820 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,886 +20.00
914 914 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,828 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 445.00 $445.00 $1,246 +45.00
322–328 325 2 425.00–435.00 $430.05 $1,398 —
360–388 370 3 385.00–410.00 $398.60 $1,475 -21.40
426 426 1 395.00 $395.00 $1,683 -17.50
467 467 2 395.00 $395.00 $1,845 —
550–556 552 3 295.00–315.00 $301.71 $1,665 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
356 356 2 330.00 $330.00 $1,175 —
432 432 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,620 —
630 630 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,575 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
342 342 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,146 -40.04
350–368 359 2 310.00–355.00 $333.06 $1,196 +23.06

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–290 272 16 500.00–572.50 $543.38 $1,478 -37.90
300–346 319 12 510.00–540.00 $526.02 $1,678 -28.70
352–396 375 5 475.00–505.00 $494.25 $1,853 -12.47
404–446 422 17 447.50–472.50 $456.62 $1,927 -16.59
456–495 485 17 390.00–457.50 $424.15 $2,057 -14.28
504–542 527 17 377.50–430.00 $399.36 $2,105 +21.17
551–586 567 14 360.00–415.00 $387.39 $2,197 +2.39
608–632 621 5 345.00–385.00 $371.84 $2,309 +20.57
652–692 675 5 305.00–380.00 $341.42 $2,305 +21.42
730–748 739 2 280.00–305.00 $292.35 $2,160 —
752–786 769 2 260.00–270.00 $264.89 $2,037 -35.11
866–878 872 2 217.50–285.00 $251.48 $2,193 —
936 936 1 240.00 $240.00 $2,246 —
968 968 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,936 -51.51
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
308–348 333 3 435.00–490.00 $458.90 $1,528 —
358–398 379 6 450.00–472.50 $458.49 $1,738 +38.49
416–446 431 2 420.00–445.00 $432.06 $1,862 -17.94
472 472 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,770 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
238 238 1 480.00 $480.00 $1,142 —
304–312 308 2 450.00–475.00 $462.34 $1,424 —
374 374 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,683 —
452 452 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,808 +20.00
514 514 1 345.00 $345.00 $1,773 -27.50
562–590 576 2 305.00–330.00 $317.80 $1,831 -52.20
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
374 374 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,515 -15.05
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,554 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
728–1280 1052 85-90% 7 110.00–130.00 $125.22 $1,317 +3.92
974–1324 1155 85-90% 13 140.00–157.50 $146.63 $1,694 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
978–1408 1194 80-85% 11 167.50–184.00 $175.49 $2,095 +8.04
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1102–1428 1357 75-80% 7 145.00–169.00 $157.35 $2,135 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
974–1342 1178 5 151.00–165.00 $159.61 $1,880 —
932–1910 1395 6 182.50–201.00 $190.29 $2,655 —
1184–1966 1658 3 213.00–222.50 $217.23 $3,602 —

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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.