Ash Flat Livestock Auction market report — October 16, 2026

Ash Flat, AR · Friday sale · USDA report published 10/16/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

623

Last week 766 (−143)
Last year 689

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$411.75 /cwt

$2,155 per head · 14 hd
vs last week +11.65

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$337.00† /cwt

$2,410 per head · 1 hd
vs last week −10.53

Compared to last week, feeder cattle were in moderate supply with uneven demand. Feeder steers sold $20.00 lower to $20.00 higher, while feeder heifers sold $10.00 lower to $10.00 higher. Slaughter cattle sold on stronger demand, selling $10.00-$15.00 higher.
USDA Market News reporter, October 16, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 16

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 9. Last year = sale of Oct 17. No. 2 = lighter-muscled cattle, a separate grade line in the USDA report. These are kept out of the main price. † Based on fewer than 5 head; treat as a rough price.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year	No. 2 $/cwt
300–399 lb	6	342 lb	$578.03	$1,980	+123.03	+94.65	$445.00 (1 hd)†
400–499 lb	14	458 lb	$457.25	$2,094	+37.08	+34.05	$389.70 (2 hd)†
500–599 lb	14	524 lb	$411.75	$2,155	+11.65	+1.53	$357.51 (6 hd)
600–699 lb	5	644 lb	$346.43	$2,232	−18.57	−31.79	$328.33 (3 hd)†
700–799 lb	1	715 lb	$337.00†	$2,410	−10.53	−11.59	$310.00 (1 hd)†
800–899 lb	1	800 lb	$312.50†	$2,500	−6.91	—	—

Feeder heifers — Oct 16

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 9. Last year = sale of Oct 17. No. 2 = lighter-muscled cattle, a separate grade line in the USDA report. These are kept out of the main price. † Based on fewer than 5 head; treat as a rough price.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year	No. 2 $/cwt
300–399 lb	6	372 lb	$439.26	$1,633	+39.26	+41.36	$412.11 (2 hd)†
400–499 lb	30	458 lb	$383.62	$1,755	−19.65	+15.31	$347.88 (5 hd)
500–599 lb	32	533 lb	$355.86	$1,898	+14.11	+3.48	$305.71 (14 hd)
600–699 lb	13	655 lb	$324.49	$2,126	+7.65	−9.54	$291.67 (3 hd)†
700–799 lb	5	753 lb	$303.00	$2,281	−6.96	−5.95	—
800–899 lb	1	845 lb	$280.00†	$2,366	+10.00	—	—

Slaughter cows — Oct 16

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	High	1	1,285 lb	$131.00	$131.00–$131.00
Boner 80-85%	Average	7	1,251 lb	$121.26	$120.00–$125.00
Boner 80-85%	Low	2	1,155 lb	$112.54	$110.00–$115.00
Breaker 75-80%	High	1	1,505 lb	$130.00	$130.00–$130.00
Breaker 75-80%	Average	6	1,562 lb	$122.09	$120.00–$127.00
Breaker 75-80%	Low	2	1,415 lb	$115.00	$115.00–$115.00
Lean 85-90%	Average	5	1,091 lb	$114.18	$113.00–$115.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	9	1,112 lb	$102.76	$90.00–$110.00
Lean 85-90%	Very Low	6	958 lb	$78.66	$70.00–$85.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 12, 2026): $411.75/cwt
4-week average: $400.36
13-week average: $394.06
4-week vs 13-week: +1.6%

52-wk low $365.58high $507.58

Sales in 12 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 12, 2026): $337.00/cwt
4-week average: $335.98
13-week average: $337.41
4-week vs 13-week: −0.4%

52-wk low $318.14high $405.00

Sales in 9 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 12, 2026): $355.86/cwt
4-week average: $348.93
13-week average: $356.94
4-week vs 13-week: −2.2%

52-wk low $323.72high $433.18

Sales in 12 of the last 13 weeks.

Direction compares the 4-week average with the 13-week average: Rising +1% or more, Steady within ±1%, Easing −1% to −3%, Falling −3% or more. Weekly prices are head-weighted averages of Medium and Large No. 1 and 1–2 feeder cattle, regular lots.

The label describes recent prices; it is not a forecast. In our backtest of every barn since 2019 (about 35,000 barn-weeks), barns labeled Falling went on to beat other barns' average move over the next 13 weeks 61% of the time, and barns labeled Rising trailed it 56% of the time.

Last 52 weeks

Weekly average $/cwt4-week average

Price history since 2019

Weekly average $/cwt

When to sell: the seasonal pattern

5-weight steers

For 500–599 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Apr and May and lowest in Oct and Nov.

Each month's head-weighted average price compared with the centered 12-month average around it, then averaged across years. Past patterns are not a forecast.
Month	vs year avg	Years above	Years
Jan	+0.2%	71%	7
Feb	+3.4%	100%	7
Mar	+3.5%	86%	7
Apr	+5.8%	100%	7
May	+3.6%	71%	7
Jun	+2.7%	71%	7
Jul	+1.9%	100%	7
Aug	+1.2%	62%	8
Sep	−2.2%	29%	7
Oct	−5.4%	0%	7
Nov	−5.2%	0%	7
Dec	−3.8%	14%	7

7-weight steers

For 700–799 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Jul and Aug and lowest in Nov and Dec.

Each month's head-weighted average price compared with the centered 12-month average around it, then averaged across years. Past patterns are not a forecast.
Month	vs year avg	Years above	Years
Jan	0.0%	43%	7
Feb	+0.8%	86%	7
Mar	−0.3%	43%	7
Apr	+0.2%	57%	7
May	+0.7%	43%	7
Jun	+2.1%	71%	7
Jul	+3.9%	86%	7
Aug	+3.2%	62%	8
Sep	+2.5%	71%	7
Oct	−0.9%	29%	7
Nov	−4.1%	29%	7
Dec	−2.2%	29%	7

Recent sales

Last 13 weeks. † Based on fewer than 5 head; treat as a rough price. Download the weekly history as CSV.
Sale	Head sold	Steers 500–599 $/cwt	Steers 700–799 $/cwt	Heifers 500–599 $/cwt
Fri Oct 16	623	$411.75	$337.00†	$355.86
Fri Oct 9	766	$400.10	$347.53†	$341.75
Fri Oct 2	513	$374.21	$330.62†	$348.05
Fri Sep 25	925	$415.41	$328.76†	$350.07
Fri Sep 18	354	$397.50†	—	$354.52
Fri Sep 11	616	$378.22	$340.51	$340.34
Fri Sep 4	551	$376.59	—	$333.58
Fri Aug 28	831	$372.42†	$318.88	$334.08
Fri Aug 21	529	$385.62†	—	$366.49
Fri Aug 14	536	$396.43	$330.00†	$382.15
Fri Aug 7	627	$408.51	$360.00†	$381.56
Fri Jul 31	347	$411.92	$343.39†	$394.84†
Fri Jul 17	492	$434.77	—	$382.02

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every Arkansas sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Green Forest Stockyards, Green Forest	102 mi	Oct 21	$358.83	—
County Line Sale, Ratcliff	143 mi	Oct 21	$383.50	$327.00†
Benton County Sale Barn, Siloam Springs	163 mi	Oct 22	$402.94	$330.00†
Hope Livestock Auction, Hope	210 mi	Oct 22	$376.33	$318.84

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Friday	October 16, 2026	623	43	AMS_2059

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Ash Flat Livestock Auction - Ash Flat, AR” (AMS_2059). See something wrong? Report a correction. Feeder prices are Medium and Large frame No. 1 and 1–2 cattle, $/cwt, grouped into 100-lb bands by average weight and weighted by head count. Value-added, unweaned and No. 2 lots are shown in their own columns; other lot types (fancy, fleshy, thin-fleshed, spayed, replacement) are left out. $/head = $/cwt × average weight ÷ 100.