Cleveland County Agriculture & Livestock Exchange market report — October 20, 2026

Shelby, NC · Tuesday sale · USDA report published 10/21/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

362

Last week 186 (+176)
Last year 359

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$357.41 /cwt

$2,007 per head · 12 hd
vs last week −1.13

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$308.15 /cwt

$2,324 per head · 6 hd
vs last week +10.65

Compared to last week slaughter cattle were 2.00 to 4.00 lower, while feeder cattle were 2.00 to 4.00 lower. Trade and demand were moderate with moderate offerings. Quality of cattle was average.
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. 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	352 lb	$445.87	$1,568	−8.91	+35.98	—
400–499 lb	11	453 lb	$424.89	$1,927	+16.36	−18.28	$377.50 (1 hd)†
500–599 lb	12	562 lb	$357.41	$2,007	−1.13	−2.90	$310.00 (1 hd)†
600–699 lb	10	641 lb	$341.41	$2,189	+5.00	+8.92	$270.00 (1 hd)†
700–799 lb	6	754 lb	$308.15	$2,324	+10.65	−11.85	$220.00 (1 hd)†

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. 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	16	356 lb	$394.55	$1,405	−18.05	+26.64	$365.00 (1 hd)†
400–499 lb	24	451 lb	$337.07	$1,521	−28.55	−4.83	$291.00 (4 hd)†
500–599 lb	38	538 lb	$309.07	$1,662	−18.17	−26.56	$268.00 (4 hd)†
600–699 lb	22	632 lb	$284.18	$1,796	+5.84	−15.55	$251.57 (5 hd)
700–799 lb	4	725 lb	$289.98†	$2,103	+49.98	+43.84	$205.05 (4 hd)†
800–899 lb	2	832 lb	$247.50†	$2,060	+13.75	−4.57	—

Slaughter cows — Oct 20

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	High	2	1,360 lb	$157.45	$155.00–$160.00
Boner 80-85%	Average	11	1,212 lb	$136.12	$132.00–$145.00
Breaker 75-80%	Average	3	1,468 lb	$125.48	$123.00–$128.00
Lean 85-90%	High	1	1,150 lb	$128.00	$128.00–$128.00
Lean 85-90%	Average	8	1,097 lb	$123.19	$119.00–$126.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $357.41/cwt
4-week average: $357.91
13-week average: $357.57
4-week vs 13-week: +0.1%

52-wk low $321.83high $452.38

Steers 700–799 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $308.15/cwt
4-week average: $298.98
13-week average: $296.87
4-week vs 13-week: +0.7%

52-wk low $255.00high $366.25

Sales in 10 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $309.07/cwt
4-week average: $315.60
13-week average: $319.17
4-week vs 13-week: −1.1%

52-wk low $288.71high $397.30

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 Mar and lowest in Nov and Oct.

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	−1.7%	29%	7
Feb	+2.3%	71%	7
Mar	+7.2%	100%	7
Apr	+8.5%	100%	7
May	+6.1%	86%	7
Jun	+2.0%	86%	7
Jul	+0.8%	43%	7
Aug	−0.7%	57%	7
Sep	−2.0%	33%	6
Oct	−5.2%	0%	6
Nov	−6.2%	0%	7
Dec	−4.2%	0%	7

7-weight steers

For 700–799 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Jul and May and lowest in Dec 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	−5.1%	33%	6
Feb	+1.4%	67%	6
Mar	+1.4%	57%	7
Apr	+1.6%	71%	7
May	+4.6%	83%	6
Jun	+2.1%	43%	7
Jul	+5.5%	86%	7
Aug	+4.3%	71%	7
Sep	+3.8%	80%	5
Oct	−2.4%	40%	5
Nov	−5.4%	17%	6
Dec	−7.4%	17%	6

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
Tue Oct 20	362	$357.41	$308.15	$309.07
Tue Oct 13	218	$358.53	$297.50†	$327.24
Tue Oct 6	281	$357.36	$260.26†	$298.77
Tue Sep 29	321	$358.35†	$330.00†	$327.33
Tue Sep 22	315	$347.07	$292.58†	$322.19
Tue Sep 15	172	$369.82†	—	$320.01
Tue Sep 8	265	$321.83	$292.75	$288.71
Tue Sep 1	279	$342.64	$298.03	$291.07
Tue Aug 25	397	$345.13	$300.77	$309.70
Tue Aug 18	222	$381.01	$270.00†	$348.96
Tue Aug 11	414	$385.76	$318.62	$361.00
Tue Aug 4	254	$374.62	—	$331.46
Tue Jul 28	332	$348.88	—	$313.74
Tue Jul 21	336	$386.97	$319.89†	$342.29

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every North Carolina sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Harward Brothers Livestock Market, Turnersburg	60 mi	Oct 19	$371.96	$309.63
Wilkes Livestock Exchange, North Wilkesboro	65 mi	Oct 19	$332.39†	$311.47
WNC Regional Livestock Center, Canton	74 mi	Oct 19	$332.39†	$311.47
Stanly County Livestock Market, Norwood	81 mi	Oct 21	$359.89	$303.65
Carolina Stockyards Livestock Auction, Staley	117 mi	Oct 23	$355.79	$299.38
Southeastern Auction Co Inc, Chadbourn	168 mi	Oct 19	$350.00†	—

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Tuesday	October 20, 2026	362	46	AMS_2092

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Cleveland County Agriculture & Livestock Exchange - Shelby, NC” (AMS_2092). 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.