Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, July 30, 2026

230 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 3-weight M&L 1 bulls $441.34/cwt +12.62 vs last sale · ≈ $1,705/hd at 386 lb · 16 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $370.86/cwt -42.20 vs last sale · ≈ $1,758/hd at 474 lb · 12 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $366.67/cwt +18.44 vs last sale · ≈ $1,723/hd at 470 lb · 11 head
Smithfield 4-weight heifers brought $372/cwt, running $10/cwt above the NC average ($362) and $1/cwt under Siler City. NC 4-weight heifers are down $56 from their late June peak of $399. What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 230 243 206
Feeder cattle 200 212 167
Slaughter cattle 26 29 36
Replacement cattle 4 2 3

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were 5.00 to 7.00 lower. Feeder cattle were sharply lower. Demand was moderate; market activity and buyer interest were moderate. Offerings of cattle were light. 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
400–410 405 3 420.00–425.00 $423.36 $1,715 +18.36
490–498 494 2 385.00–410.00 $397.60 $1,964 -25.09
506–516 511 2 345.00–385.00 $364.80 $1,864 -40.20
706–726 721 4 270.00–305.00 $296.43 $2,137 —
972 972 1 240.00 $240.00 $2,333 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
342 342 1 415.00 $415.00 $1,419 -2.44
352–394 373 5 390.00–410.00 $399.11 $1,489 -6.41
404–448 425 9 365.00–405.00 $378.86 $1,610 -10.25
450–492 470 11 332.50–395.00 $366.67 $1,723 +18.44
508–535 521 5 305.00–330.00 $320.52 $1,670 -13.36
554–560 557 2 315.00 $315.00 $1,755 -15.00
610–638 629 3 290.00 $290.00 $1,824 —
650–682 654 8 280.00–294.00 $292.18 $1,911 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
298 298 1 335.00 $335.00 $998 —
312 312 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,108 ±0.00
376 376 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,316 —
438 438 1 345.00 $345.00 $1,511 —
616 616 1 272.50 $272.50 $1,679 —
682 682 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,296 -85.00
808 808 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,616 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
456–474 462 3 265.00–300.00 $288.03 $1,331 —
548 548 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,315 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
326 326 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,174 —
434 434 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,519 +10.00
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 365.00 $365.00 $949 —
376 376 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,053 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
458 458 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,145 —
Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,122 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
238 238 1 455.00 $455.00 $1,083 -34.67
264–286 273 4 405.00–475.00 $451.72 $1,233 -1.00
326 value added 326 6 467.50 $467.50 $1,524 —
310–342 328 3 420.00–445.00 $433.65 $1,422 -2.80
356–386 374 7 405.00–460.00 $431.50 $1,614 +2.78
396 value added 396 9 449.00 $449.00 $1,778 —
400–448 433 7 370.00–425.00 $397.29 $1,720 -14.71
450–494 474 12 350.00–400.00 $370.86 $1,758 -42.20
502–540 513 7 325.00–360.00 $345.20 $1,771 -44.09
564–598 576 4 320.00–335.00 $329.86 $1,900 -11.54
630 630 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,701 -53.42
698 698 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,536 -62.19
720–744 725 9 220.00–265.00 $255.17 $1,850 -14.83
840 840 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,848 —
874 874 1 212.50 $212.50 $1,857 —
910 910 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,820 —
1028 1028 1 187.50 $187.50 $1,928 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
342 342 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,265 —
380–398 389 2 355.00–380.00 $367.21 $1,428 +12.21
468–484 476 2 320.00–325.00 $322.46 $1,535 —
554 554 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,773 -10.00
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,350 —
534 534 2 285.00 $285.00 $1,522 —
554 554 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,330 —
618–624 621 2 220.00–240.00 $229.95 $1,428 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
364 364 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,074 —
402–422 412 2 305.00–320.00 $312.32 $1,287 —
512 512 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,101 —
528 528 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,175 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
492 492 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,574 —
512–528 518 3 300.00–320.00 $306.62 $1,588 -13.38
Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
342 342 1 235.00 $235.00 $804 —
414–446 435 3 220.00–280.00 $242.11 $1,053 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
992–1404 1217 80-85% 9 150.00–165.00 $158.80 $1,933 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
828–1178 1015 85-90% 3 120.00–130.00 $126.59 $1,285 —
1056–1288 1201 85-90% 5 145.00–150.00 $148.97 $1,789 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1308–1492 1400 75-80% 2 150.00–160.00 $155.33 $2,175 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060–1836 1448 2 175.00–200.00 $190.85 $2,764 —
1688 1688 1 160.00 $160.00 $2,701 —
YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1062 1062 1 177.50 $177.50 $1,885 —

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
934–960 947 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 2 1,800.00–1,900.00 $1,850.69 —
1016 1016 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 2,200.00 $2,200.00 —
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
568 568 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,300.00 $2,300.00 —

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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.