Stockmen's Livestock Exchange market report — October 22, 2026

Dickinson, ND · Thursday sale · USDA report published 10/22/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

4,447

Last week 3,862 (+585)
Last year 4,795

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$446.69 /cwt

$2,489 per head · 1,084 hd
vs last week +0.48

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$351.00 /cwt

$2,636 per head · 7 hd
vs last week −49.12

Compared to last week: Steer calves 400-550 lbs 5.00 to 15.00 higher, 550-650 lbs unevenly steady, 650-700 lbs 20.00 higher. Heifer calves 400-500 lbs 5.00 to 10.00 lower, 500-550 lbs steady to firm, over 550 lbs 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Very good demand for this large offering of very high quality, eye appealing, light fleshed steer and heifer calves. The market was very active as there were plenty of long strings of these good calves offered, and the cattle futures complex continues to make gains. Ample smaller packages to get loads put together and filled out as well. Yearling operators are competing heavily to get these good, light fleshed, light weight calves bought while they are available. Cattle feeders are willing to battle it out as well as the outlook has brightened from where it was just a few weeks ago.
USDA Market News reporter, October 22, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 22

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 15. Last year = sale of Oct 23.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year
300–399 lb	111	371 lb	$586.66	$2,175	+28.88	−9.75
400–499 lb	571	464 lb	$503.88	$2,337	−11.32	−22.41
500–599 lb	1,084	557 lb	$446.69	$2,489	+0.48	−35.77
600–699 lb	507	656 lb	$405.16	$2,658	+6.42	−32.86
700–799 lb	7	751 lb	$351.00	$2,636	−49.12	−54.92

Feeder heifers — Oct 22

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 15. Last year = sale of Oct 23.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year
300–399 lb	93	371 lb	$499.04	$1,849	−1.82	−10.55
400–499 lb	395	459 lb	$445.06	$2,043	−15.68	−24.15
500–599 lb	535	539 lb	$402.85	$2,172	+1.61	−19.60
600–699 lb	152	624 lb	$365.60	$2,281	+13.62	−24.78
700–799 lb	7	783 lb	$340.00	$2,662	—	—
800–899 lb	67	846 lb	$329.29	$2,785	—	−12.71
900–999 lb	27	947 lb	$301.00	$2,851	+8.00	−35.27

Slaughter cows — Oct 22

No slaughter cows reported at the latest sale.

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $446.69/cwt
4-week average: $449.23
13-week average: $447.03
4-week vs 13-week: +0.5%

52-wk low $424.18high $512.07

Sales in 6 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $351.00/cwt
4-week average: $369.44
13-week average: $370.21
4-week vs 13-week: −0.2%

52-wk low $351.00high $419.07

Sales in 6 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $402.85/cwt
4-week average: $407.24
13-week average: $408.15
4-week vs 13-week: −0.2%

52-wk low $373.57high $465.84

Sales in 5 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 Aug 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	+1.0%	71%	7
Feb	+5.3%	86%	7
Mar	+4.3%	100%	7
Apr	+5.8%	86%	7
May	+5.4%	86%	7
Jun	—	—	0
Jul	—	—	0
Aug	−6.1%	33%	3
Sep	−2.5%	17%	6
Oct	−3.0%	33%	6
Nov	−5.6%	0%	6
Dec	−2.5%	29%	7

7-weight steers

For 700–799 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Aug and Apr 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	−1.1%	43%	7
Feb	−1.1%	29%	7
Mar	+0.1%	43%	7
Apr	+3.6%	71%	7
May	+3.3%	67%	6
Jun	—	—	0
Jul	—	—	0
Aug	+6.1%	80%	5
Sep	+3.5%	83%	6
Oct	0.0%	50%	6
Nov	−3.7%	14%	7
Dec	−2.7%	43%	7

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
Thu Oct 22	4,447	$446.69	$351.00	$402.85
Thu Oct 15	3,862	$446.21	$400.12	$401.23
Thu Oct 8	2,714	$451.90	$365.08	$405.88
Thu Oct 1	3,066	$452.12	$361.56	$419.00
Thu Sep 24	2,406	$440.24	$380.36	$411.76
Thu Sep 10	3,196	$445.00	$363.13	—

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every North Dakota sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Kist Livestock Auction, Mandan	90 mi	Oct 21	$436.17	$385.00
Napoleon Livestock Auction, Napoleon	146 mi	Oct 22	$423.24	$351.12

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Thursday	October 22, 2026	4,447	28	AMS_2099

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Stockmen's Livestock Exchange - Dickinson, ND” (AMS_2099). 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.