Laurens Livestock Exchange market report — October 21, 2026

Laurens, SC · Wednesday sale · USDA report published 10/21/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

223

Last week 118 (+105)
Last year 144

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$368.89 /cwt

$2,056 per head · 7 hd
vs last week —

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

— /cwt

None sold in this weight at the latest sale

No comparisons made this week due to limited comparable sales. Light offering of average quality cattle with active buyer participation.
USDA Market News reporter, October 21, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 21

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 14. Last year = sale of Oct 22. Value added = lots USDA marks as value added (weaned and vaccinated programs). 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	Value added $/cwt	No. 2 $/cwt
400–499 lb	4	460 lb	$411.86†	$1,895	−6.89	+6.86	—	—
500–599 lb	7	557 lb	$368.89	$2,056	—	+1.39	$370.00 (16 hd)	$326.38 (4 hd)†
600–699 lb	3	633 lb	$339.17†	$2,148	—	—	$335.00 (8 hd)	$325.00 (1 hd)†

Feeder heifers — Oct 21

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 14. Last year = sale of Oct 22. 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	365 lb	$402.28	$1,468	+2.28	—	$382.50 (2 hd)†
400–499 lb	1	400 lb	$405.00†	$1,620	—	—	$337.16 (5 hd)
500–599 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$311.88 (5 hd)
600–699 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$275.00 (2 hd)†
700–799 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$260.00 (1 hd)†

Slaughter cows — Oct 21

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	Average	2	1,388 lb	$138.54	$138.00–$139.00
Boner 80-85%	Low	2	940 lb	$112.00	$112.00–$112.00
Breaker 75-80%	Average	2	1,510 lb	$137.31	$136.00–$139.00
Lean 85-90%	Average	2	1,403 lb	$116.61	$116.00–$117.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	7	890 lb	$87.32	$65.00–$108.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $368.89/cwt
4-week average: $367.56
13-week average: $348.52
4-week vs 13-week: +5.5%

52-wk low $301.70high $510.00

Sales in 8 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Easing

Latest (week of June 15, 2026): $340.00/cwt
4-week average: $340.00
13-week average: $348.33
4-week vs 13-week: −2.4%

52-wk low $310.00high $365.00

Sales in 3 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 12, 2026): $343.70/cwt
4-week average: $332.59
13-week average: $324.04
4-week vs 13-week: +2.6%

52-wk low $300.00high $405.39

Sales in 6 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 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	−3.4%	14%	7
Feb	+4.3%	86%	7
Mar	+4.9%	100%	7
Apr	+8.2%	86%	7
May	+2.7%	86%	7
Jun	+1.9%	57%	7
Jul	+1.9%	71%	7
Aug	−0.8%	62%	8
Sep	−2.5%	29%	7
Oct	−3.8%	43%	7
Nov	−6.1%	0%	6
Dec	−2.2%	33%	6

7-weight steers

Not enough history yet for a seasonal pattern.

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
Wed Oct 21	223	$368.89	—	—
Wed Oct 14	201	—	—	$343.70†
Wed Oct 7	232	$366.24	—	—
Wed Sep 23	287	$363.98	—	$321.47†
Wed Sep 16	174	$354.89†	—	$300.00†
Wed Sep 9	133	$332.43†	—	$310.00†
Wed Sep 2	192	$301.70†	—	—
Wed Aug 26	264	$342.50†	—	$325.00†
Wed Aug 19	148	—	—	—
Wed Aug 12	117	—	—	—
Wed Aug 5	161	$357.50†	—	$344.06†
Wed Jul 29	159	—	—	—
Wed Jul 22	268	—	—	—

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every South Carolina sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Upstate Livestock Exchange, Williamston	27 mi	Oct 19	$383.12	$315.98
Saluda Stockyards, Saluda	37 mi	Oct 19	$363.45†	$310.00†
Saluda Livestock Exchange, Saluda	37 mi	Oct 19	$366.89	$291.93
Orangeburg Stockyards, Orangeburg	96 mi	Oct 21	$348.37	—
Low Country Livestock Exchange, Darlington	124 mi	Oct 20	—	—

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Wednesday	October 21, 2026	223	46	AMS_1959

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Laurens Livestock Exchange - Laurens, SC” (AMS_1959). 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.