By Kelsey Gee 
 

CHICAGO--U.S. cattle futures ended the session mixed Friday, with the front-month contract lifted by hopes that demand is strengthening after passing a seasonal low while others were weighed down by profit-taking.

August live-cattle futures picked up 0.475 cent, or 0.3%, to $1.4570 a pound at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, up 1.9% from last week's closing price. Most-active cattle futures for October shed 0.525 cent to $1.45925 a pound.

Feeder-cattle futures for August fell 0.5 cent to $2.10725 a pound, marking a 0.5% increase on the week.

The cattle market has recovered with modest gains this week following a steep drop to the lowest levels in a year, boosted by hopes that demand for deeply discounted livestock and meat is on the rebound. Some analysts contend that retail buying interest in red meat could be turning a corner after purchases fell off during the hottest months of the year, when consumers tend to prefer lighter fare. Gains in the beef market this week have served as evidence of the seasonal trend for some investors again early Friday.

Other cattle contracts, meanwhile, are slipping as investors take profits on the week's climb.

"We're still seeing the August contract hold up, which seems to center on the idea that that's how the seasonal pattern is going to play out," said Adam Stout, an analyst with brokerage INTL FCStone in Kansas City, Mo.

Hog futures slipped after jumping to the highest levels in two weeks on Wednesday, as investors continued to assess the strength of demand in the face of record-large pork production. August hog futures eased 1.175 cents to 78.50 cents a pound, a 1% gain from last week. Hogs for October fell 1.975 cents to 63.725 cents a pound

"There's going to be an incredible year-over-year increase in pork supplies, and just a lot of protein out there in general, which makes it challenging to get too bullish" in cattle or hog futures, the analyst added.

-Write to Kelsey Gee at kelsey.gee@wsj.com

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