By Kelsey Gee 
 

CHICAGO--U.S. cattle futures turned higher Friday, as investors lift bets on prices falling further, after prices traded in a wide, volatile range this week.

Signs of sluggish buying interest for livestock and beef sent futures to the lowest levels in three weeks on Thursday, pressured by reports of cash market sales at lower prices compared with what producers received last week. Short-covering is giving the market a boost Friday, as traders consolidate near-term wagers.

February live-cattle futures picked up 0.3 cent, or 0.2%, to $1.30425 a pound on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Cattle futures for April rose 0.575 cent to $1.3010 a pound. Feeder-cattle futures for March advanced 1.275 cents to $1.51525 a pound.

Hog futures are mixed, as the front-month contract nears expiration. February hog futures rose 0.375 cent to 65.90 cents a pound. April hogs fell 0.1 cent to 69.35 cents a pound.

 

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

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 12, 2016 10:22 ET (15:22 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.