TOP STORIES


 
Meat Prices Fall at Grocery Shops -- WSJ 

Meat prices are falling at grocery stores as last spring's shortages fade and livestock clog farms, benefiting consumers but hurting meatpackers and farmers already hit by Covid-19 disruptions. Prices for ground beef and pork loins have returned to pre-pandemic levels, after surging as Covid-19 sickened meat-plant workers and forced shutdowns. Some products, including chicken wings and prime rib, are cheaper now than they were before the pandemic began, according to data from Nielsen.


 
Fast-Casual Steakhouse Pioneer Sizzler USA Files for Bankruptcy 

Sizzler USA filed for bankruptcy Monday, the latest casual dining chain to fall victim to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. One of the earliest affordable steakhouses, Sizzler USA was a cultural staple for decades. It experienced its heyday in the late 1970s and early '80s but its chain of largely franchised operations shrank in recent years. The company said its franchised locations, numbering more than 90, aren't affected by the bankruptcy filing. Sizzler added it plans to keep the 14 company-owned locations operating during the bankruptcy process, which is aimed at renegotiating leases.

STORIES OF INTEREST


 
Beyond Meat Expands Beyond Breakfast Sausage To Thousands Of Additional Stores -- MarketWatch 

Beyond Meat Inc. (BYND) said Monday that it is expanding availability of its Beyond Breakfast Sausage Patties to thousands of additional stores nationwide, including Kroger Co. (KR) locations, Walmart Inc. (WMT) and Publix stores. Beyond Breakfast Sausage Patties were launched earlier this year. Last week, Beyond Meat launched Beyond Meatballs . Beyond Meat stock fell 2.7% in Monday premarket trading, but is up more than 97% for the year to date. The S&P 500 index has gained 2.8% for 2020 so far.


 
Fast Food to Go Still Tops Casual Dining in the Age of Covid -- Barrons.com 

Restaurants in the U.S. may continue to struggle as cold-and-flu season begins amid the Covid-19 pandemic continues. Yet with drive-throughs and lower prices, fast food may weather winter better than fast, casual dining. That's the takeaway from analyst actions on Monday. Piper Sandler's Nicole Miller Regan boosted her rating on Dunkin' Brands Group (ticker: DNKN) to Overweight from Neutral, and raised her price target to $89 from $66.

FUTURES MARKETS


 
Coronavirus Fears Sink Livestock Futures -- Market Talk 

15:37 ET - Livestock futures on the CME finish lower Monday--with lean hog futures down 3.1% to 61.55 cents per pound and live cattle futures down 1.1% to $1.106 per pound. Both futures are lower Monday in reaction to stressors on the macro market regarding a resurgence in coronavirus cases in states including North Dakota and Tennessee. Meanwhile, cutout prices for pork and beef rise Monday afternoon, according to USDA data--upward momentum that didn't translate to futures prices. (kirk.maltais@wsj.com; @kirkmaltais)

CASH MARKETS


 
Estimated U.S. Pork Packer Margin Index - Sep 21 
 
Source: USDA, based on Wall Street Journal calculations 
All figures are on a per-head basis. 
 
Date     Standard Margin       Estimated margin 
         Operating Index         at vertically - 
                            integrated operations 
 
Sep 21       +$ 52.20            +$ 65.12 
Sep 18       +$ 51.75            +$ 58.89 
Sep 17       +$ 42.20            +$ 58.93 
 
* Based on Iowa State University's latest estimated cost of production. 
A positive number indicates a processing margin above the cost of 
production of the animals. 
 
Beef-O-Meter 
This report compares the USDA's latest beef carcass composite 
values as a percentage of their respective year-ago prices. 
 
                                  Beef 
          For Today              Choice   99.7 
      (Percent of Year-Ago)      Select  107.4 
 
USDA Boxed Beef, Pork Reports 

Wholesale choice-grade beef prices Monday rose 58 cents per hundred pounds, to $216.22, according to the USDA. Select-grade prices rose $1.88 per hundred pounds, to $205.82. The total load count was 106. Wholesale pork prices rose $2.90, to $89.36 a hundred pounds, based on Omaha, Neb., price quotes.