North Platte Stockyards Livestock Auction market report — October 20, 2026

null, NE · Tuesday sale · USDA report published 10/20/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

3,258

Last week 951 (+2307)
Last year 2,536

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$463.66 /cwt

$2,519 per head · 478 hd
vs last week +21.68

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$380.00 /cwt

$3,010 per head · 43 hd
vs last week +15.36

BBQ sale day. Compared to last week, steers were 10.00 - 20.00 higher and heifers were 5.00 - 20.00 higher. Demand was good to moderate on a nice selection offered. Lots of buyers on the seats and active internet..
USDA Market News reporter, October 20, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 20

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 13. Last year = sale of Oct 21.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year
300–399 lb	32	366 lb	$567.99	$2,081	+27.99	−43.63
400–499 lb	186	455 lb	$515.73	$2,348	+32.29	−28.85
500–599 lb	478	543 lb	$463.66	$2,519	+21.68	−20.54
600–699 lb	598	637 lb	$420.30	$2,677	+25.29	−17.18
700–799 lb	43	792 lb	$380.00	$3,010	+15.36	+6.50
800–899 lb	10	853 lb	$360.00	$3,071	—	—
900–999 lb	63	905 lb	$342.00	$3,095	—	—

Feeder heifers — Oct 20

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 13. Last year = sale of Oct 21.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year
300–399 lb	48	351 lb	$500.89	$1,758	−24.55	−19.21
400–499 lb	219	446 lb	$451.75	$2,017	+15.98	−9.51
500–599 lb	387	547 lb	$399.72	$2,188	+14.45	−23.98
600–699 lb	115	626 lb	$371.06	$2,324	+27.55	−11.33
700–799 lb	63	754 lb	$327.81	$2,473	—	—
800–899 lb	284	829 lb	$345.75	$2,865	+50.75	—
900–999 lb	10	934 lb	$315.00	$2,942	+17.88	—

Slaughter cows — Oct 20

No slaughter cows reported at the latest sale.

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $463.66/cwt
4-week average: $459.76
13-week average: $451.07
4-week vs 13-week: +1.9%

52-wk low $425.00high $527.35

Sales in 4 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $380.00/cwt
4-week average: $372.32
13-week average: $368.88
4-week vs 13-week: +0.9%

52-wk low $342.50high $399.49

Sales in 3 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $399.72/cwt
4-week average: $396.91
13-week average: $396.91
4-week vs 13-week: 0.0%

52-wk low $385.27high $490.31

Sales in 3 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 2022

Weekly average $/cwt

When to sell: the seasonal pattern

5-weight steers

For 500–599 lb steers, prices since 2022 ran highest against their yearly average in Apr and Mar and lowest in May and Jan.

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	+2.8%	100%	3
Feb	+5.3%	100%	3
Mar	+6.2%	100%	3
Apr	+7.0%	100%	3
May	+2.4%	100%	3
Jun	—	—	1
Jul	—	—	0
Aug	—	—	0
Sep	—	—	2
Oct	—	—	2
Nov	—	—	2
Dec	—	—	2

7-weight steers

Not enough history yet for a seasonal pattern.

Recent sales

Last 13 weeks. Download the weekly history as CSV.
Sale	Head sold	Steers 500–599 $/cwt	Steers 700–799 $/cwt	Heifers 500–599 $/cwt
Tue Oct 20	3,258	$463.66	$380.00	$399.72
Tue Oct 13	951	$441.98	$364.64	$385.27
Tue Oct 6	1,132	$473.64	—	$405.73
Tue Sep 22	674	$425.00	$362.00	—

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every Nebraska sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Ogallala Livestock Auction, Ogallala	51 mi	Oct 22	$459.28	$386.22
Lexington Livestock Market, Lexington	58 mi	Oct 23	$447.22	—
Imperial Auction Market, Imperial	63 mi	Oct 23	$440.46	—
Huss Livestock Market, Kearney	92 mi	Oct 21	$452.32	$370.66
Burwell Livestock Market, Burwell	95 mi	Oct 23	$467.63	$375.00
Ericson Livestock Market, Ericson	116 mi	Oct 24	$457.20	$355.41

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Tuesday	October 20, 2026	3,258	19	AMS_3653

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “North Platte Stockyards Livestock Auction - North Platte, NE” (AMS_3653). 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.