Hub City Livestock Auction market report — October 21, 2026

Aberdeen, SD · Wednesday sale · USDA report published 10/21/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

4,334

Last week 5,554 (−1220)
Last year 4,833

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$469.67 /cwt

$2,505 per head · 92 hd
vs last week +25.77

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$380.26 /cwt

$2,772 per head · 38 hd
vs last week +9.50

Compared to last week: best test on yearling steers 900 to 999 lbs mostly steady. Best test on yearling heifers 900 to 949 lbs 2.00 to 5.00 higher. Calves too lightly tested today for an accurate price trend. Today's yearling offering consisted of strings and loads with a few packages of tested open heifers thrown in. Good to very good demand for yearlings again this week. More flesh overall than seen last week on yearlings, including on grass yearlings, some heavy flesh on warmed up yard cattle. Moderate to good demand for calves. Mostly packages of calves this week. A couple weaned packages, weaned from 30 days and longer, but most calves were off the cow. Flesh varied, from light to moderate plus. Different levels of preconditioning and calves without all their shots were discounted at times. An active market on yearlings, with opportunities to buy yearlings off grass dwindling every week. A moderate to active market on calves with a few less farmer feeders in the seats than last week. Many farmers are deep into corn harvest which is progressing rapidly in the nice weather this week. Next feeder cattle sale is Wednesday, October 28.
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.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year
300–399 lb	41	380 lb	$564.89	$2,148	−44.35	−45.73
400–499 lb	103	438 lb	$536.16	$2,347	+29.31	−11.72
500–599 lb	92	533 lb	$469.67	$2,505	+25.77	−12.42
600–699 lb	240	635 lb	$419.35	$2,663	−2.27	−12.77
700–799 lb	38	729 lb	$380.26	$2,772	+9.50	+0.05
800–899 lb	194	870 lb	$351.46	$3,058	−10.15	−32.58
900–999 lb	771	954 lb	$340.05	$3,245	−4.81	−28.28

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.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year
300–399 lb	32	381 lb	$482.68	$1,839	−27.31	−39.65
400–499 lb	129	459 lb	$461.65	$2,119	+28.39	+12.54
500–599 lb	121	548 lb	$411.70	$2,256	+22.18	+0.71
600–699 lb	29	621 lb	$351.82	$2,185	−26.59	−16.18
700–799 lb	110	733 lb	$331.82	$2,431	−12.68	−24.19
800–899 lb	338	861 lb	$323.95	$2,789	+18.57	−33.17
900–999 lb	350	933 lb	$322.63	$3,011	+6.26	−34.94

Slaughter cows — Oct 21

No slaughter cows reported at the latest sale.

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $469.67/cwt
4-week average: $452.14
13-week average: $450.98
4-week vs 13-week: +0.3%

52-wk low $432.66high $523.56

Sales in 5 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $380.26/cwt
4-week average: $372.99
13-week average: $370.40
4-week vs 13-week: +0.7%

52-wk low $342.00high $425.87

Sales in 11 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $411.70/cwt
4-week average: $381.07
13-week average: $375.55
4-week vs 13-week: +1.5%

52-wk low $342.00high $459.65

Sales in 4 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 Aug and Jul 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	+2.0%	57%	7
Feb	+2.5%	86%	7
Mar	+1.4%	71%	7
Apr	+2.0%	71%	7
May	−0.2%	43%	7
Jun	+1.5%	57%	7
Jul	+3.9%	83%	6
Aug	+7.3%	100%	5
Sep	−2.1%	29%	7
Oct	−2.8%	29%	7
Nov	−3.8%	0%	7
Dec	−2.7%	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 Dec and Mar.

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	−1.8%	43%	7
Feb	−0.8%	43%	7
Mar	−1.9%	14%	7
Apr	+0.6%	57%	7
May	+1.1%	57%	7
Jun	+2.4%	57%	7
Jul	+4.5%	86%	7
Aug	+2.8%	62%	8
Sep	+2.5%	71%	7
Oct	−0.1%	57%	7
Nov	−0.5%	29%	7
Dec	−3.2%	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
Wed Oct 21	4,334	$469.67	$380.26	$411.70
Wed Oct 14	5,554	$443.90	$370.77	$389.52
Wed Oct 7	2,370	$435.00	$379.48	—
Wed Sep 30	4,515	$460.00	$361.44	$342.00
Wed Sep 23	3,832	—	$379.29	—
Wed Sep 16	3,040	—	$361.90	—
Wed Sep 9	2,565	$446.35	—	$359.00
Wed Sep 2	2,065	—	$342.00	—
Wed Aug 26	2,698	—	$352.69	—
Wed Aug 19	814	—	$357.00	—
Wed Aug 12	1,556	—	$387.43	—
Wed Aug 5	1,211	—	$402.14	—
Wed Jul 22	2,226	—	$380.00	—

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every South Dakota sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Herreid Livestock Market, Herreid	82 mi	Oct 23	$466.00	$365.50
Mobridge Livestock Exchange, Mobridge	95 mi	Oct 22	$470.74	—
Ft. Pierre Livestock Auction, Fort Pierre	121 mi	Oct 23	$467.96	$348.87
Mitchell Livestock Auction, Mitchell	122 mi	Oct 22	$442.56	$358.82
Sioux Falls Regional Livestock Auction, Worthing	170 mi	Oct 19	—	$351.00
Philip Livestock Auction, Philip	185 mi	Oct 20	$465.30	$402.00

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Wednesday	October 21, 2026	4,334	47	AMS_2020

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Hub City Livestock Auction - Aberdeen, SD” (AMS_2020). 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.