LIVESTOCK-CME cattle futures down as beef cutout falls

CHICAGO, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange fell on Wednesday as market players focused on weaker boxed beef prices and a steady to softening cash trade, analysts said.

CME December live cattle futures LCZ25 settled down 1.925 cents to end at 225.275 cents per pound, and CME January feeder cattle FCF26 ended 1.675 cent lower, closing at 327.475 cents per pound.

Beef production is increasing as packers get ready to meet the holiday demand, said Cassie Fish, analyst and author at the Beef blog. The cash trade is expected to be steady at best because the packers own plenty of inventory.

Choice boxed beef was down $4.77 on Wednesday afternoon to $374.45 per hundredweight (cwt), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Select boxed beef fell $0.14 to $359.94 per cwt, according to the USDA.

The expected end of the U.S. federal government shutdown has pushed stock markets higher, but concerns about weakness in the U.S. labor market after a report showed private employers cutting jobs have created doubts about consumer demand for beef among investors. The protein is among the most expensive for U.S. consumers.

In hogs, the nearby CME December lean hog contract LHZ25 settled down 1.725 cents at 80.625 cents per pound.