LIVESTOCK-CME cattle futures down on lower beef demand, profit-taking

By Heather Schlitz

Feb 14 (Reuters) - Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle and feeder cattle futures fell on Friday as boxed beef values weakened and traders booked profits ahead of a long weekend, traders said.

Hog futures also tipped down on pre-weekend liquidation, though consumer demand and cash trade remained strong.

Most-active CME April lean hog futures LHJ25 edged down 0.500-cent to 92.600 cents per pound.

CME April live cattle futures LCJ25 ended down 2.275 cents at 194.25 cents per pound. March feeder cattle FCH25 settled down 1.625 cents at 266.35 cents per pound.

CME will be closed for trading on Monday in observance of President's Day.

Boxed beef values weakened on Friday in a seasonal decline in a month with no major beef-eating holidays and ahead of an outdoor grilling season.

A weakening dollar, which makes U.S. goods more competitive globally, has added some support to futures. The dollar =USD eased after Trump stopped short of imposing more tariffs on Thursday, providing a boost for commodities priced in the U.S. currency. MKTS/GLOB

Trump's decision to order his economics team to prepare plans for reciprocal tariffs was seen by investors as leaving scope for negotiations, though traders remained wary of a possible trade war and retaliation against U.S. agricultural exports.

"This order might have more of an effect over time," Matthew Wiegand, broker at FuturesOne, said.