Live Cattle (LE-F)
Commodities · Livestock · data since 2001-03-01 · last close 2026-09-09
Live Cattle (LE-F) monthly returns (%)
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1.7 | 3.5 | -0.4 | 6.4 | -4.0 | 4.0 | -10.2 | -4.8 | -2.4 | · | · | · |
| 2025 | 5.5 | -3.4 | 5.1 | 3.8 | -0.1 | 4.8 | 0.8 | 6.2 | -4.2 | 2.0 | -8.9 | 7.6 |
| 2024 | 2.1 | 3.8 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -1.9 | 6.6 | -3.3 | -0.7 | -1.1 | 5.0 | -2.6 | 3.1 |
| 2023 | 2.6 | 5.5 | 0.5 | 4.0 | -3.5 | 7.3 | -1.9 | 0.9 | 2.5 | -0.2 | -7.0 | 1.6 |
| 2022 | 0.5 | 0.7 | -0.8 | 1.8 | -8.0 | 5.7 | -1.1 | 3.7 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 4.3 | 1.1 |
| 2021 | 1.9 | -1.7 | 7.0 | -4.1 | -0.1 | 5.7 | -0.3 | -2.6 | 1.4 | 5.6 | 6.7 | 2.2 |
| 2020 | -2.7 | -7.2 | -9.7 | -11.6 | 10.8 | -8.1 | 12.2 | 1.6 | 3.9 | -2.4 | 4.0 | 2.5 |
| 2019 | 0.0 | 4.1 | -3.3 | -1.6 | -12.3 | 1.9 | -3.3 | -1.8 | -0.4 | 6.8 | 8.5 | 2.9 |
| 2018 | 0.7 | 3.0 | -10.8 | 8.8 | -15.1 | 1.9 | 0.6 | -0.8 | 6.2 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 6.7 |
| 2017 | -2.9 | 9.5 | -5.3 | 15.1 | -9.8 | -4.3 | -6.0 | -6.7 | 4.4 | 10.4 | -0.5 | 2.6 |
| 2016 | -0.4 | 3.1 | -4.7 | -7.4 | -1.6 | -0.9 | -5.8 | -1.0 | -11.7 | 4.3 | 7.4 | 7.5 |
| 2015 | -6.5 | 2.0 | 2.1 | -1.1 | -4.5 | -2.9 | -1.4 | -0.1 | -14.3 | 11.7 | -6.6 | 4.4 |
| 2014 | 5.3 | 7.3 | -4.0 | -0.0 | -5.5 | 11.0 | 3.2 | -1.3 | 2.9 | 5.6 | -0.4 | -1.9 |
| 2013 | -1.8 | 0.3 | 0.7 | -0.4 | -5.5 | -2.6 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 4.2 | 5.2 | -0.8 | 0.8 |
| 2012 | 1.6 | 2.2 | -5.6 | -1.4 | -1.4 | -0.5 | 2.0 | -0.7 | 3.4 | 3.8 | -0.0 | 2.5 |
| 2011 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 8.5 | -3.7 | -11.4 | 8.7 | -0.1 | 1.4 | 6.9 | -1.9 | 1.5 | 1.1 |
| 2010 | -0.2 | 5.2 | 6.9 | 3.5 | -9.4 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 5.0 | -0.6 | 2.2 | 4.3 | 4.7 |
| 2009 | -2.9 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 4.3 | -7.1 | 1.5 | 2.6 | -2.4 | 3.5 | -4.6 | 1.9 | 3.4 |
| 2008 | -5.6 | 2.9 | -6.5 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 4.6 | -2.5 | 3.4 | -2.8 | -5.2 | -6.8 | -3.3 |
| 2007 | -0.2 | 4.7 | 3.3 | -0.3 | -6.3 | -6.2 | 11.0 | -0.8 | 3.0 | -2.2 | -1.0 | 2.6 |
| 2006 | · | -2.5 | -11.8 | -0.4 | 0.6 | 6.1 | -1.0 | 7.8 | 0.5 | -0.3 | -5.2 | 5.5 |
| 2005 | 1.3 | -4.2 | 5.5 | 2.1 | -4.2 | -8.0 | -1.9 | 2.5 | 7.1 | -0.7 | 5.6 | -1.1 |
| 2004 | 5.0 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 5.1 | 1.1 | -2.2 | -1.4 | -2.1 | 0.3 | 4.0 | -3.2 | 5.7 |
| 2003 | 1.4 | -5.2 | -0.0 | 4.3 | 3.7 | -10.7 | 7.7 | 7.0 | 6.7 | 13.1 | 0.3 | -24.3 |
| 2002 | 8.2 | -4.6 | 0.1 | -5.3 | -9.3 | 4.8 | 2.5 | -0.4 | 4.1 | 1.5 | 14.0 | 1.2 |
| 2001 | · | · | -1.4 | -0.4 | 2.0 | -1.2 | 1.3 | -0.1 | -7.5 | 1.8 | -8.4 | 1.4 |
| Avg | 0.7 | 1.3 | -0.7 | 1.0 | -3.7 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 1.6 |
Values in %. Current and first-listed months are partial (greyed).
returnsview.com
LE-F seasonality — average by calendar month
Live Cattle has monthly history back to 2001. Its strongest month by median is December — positive in 21 of 25 years, median +2.5%, and higher in 9 of the last 9. May is the soft spot, down in 20 of 26 with a median of -4.1%. Across its full record it has closed 55% of months higher, swings ±5.2% in an average month and has fallen 51% peak to trough.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg | +0.7% | +1.3% | -0.8% | +1.0% | -3.8% | +1.1% | +0.3% | +0.6% | +0.8% | +2.8% | +0.3% | +1.6% |
| Win rate | 58%/24 | 72%/25 | 50%/26 | 46%/26 | 23%/26 | 58%/26 | 46%/26 | 42%/26 | 68%/25 | 68%/25 | 48%/25 | 84%/25 |
Win rate = share of positive months / sample size.
LE-F risk & extremes
LE-F drawdown & rolling returns
Percent below the all-time high at each month-end — how far underwater the asset was.
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Frequently asked questions
What was Live Cattle's best month?+
Live Cattle's strongest completed month on record is April 2017, at +15.05%.
What was Live Cattle's worst month?+
Its weakest completed month on record is December 2003, at -24.31%.
Is Live Cattle up this year?+
Live Cattle is down 7.10% year to date, measured from its last close before 1 January.
What is Live Cattle's 1-year return?+
-6.36% over the past twelve months, comparing the latest close with the most recent close on or before the same date a year earlier.
What is Live Cattle's biggest drawdown?+
The deepest peak-to-trough fall on record is 51.0%, measured on month-end closes since 2001.
Which calendar month is historically best for Live Cattle?+
October has the highest average return across every completed October since 2001. An average is not a forecast.
About Live Cattle
Live Cattle is a livestock business. Tracked here from its first session onward — every monthly, quarterly and weekly return on record since 2001, with no gaps filled in and nothing smoothed. And the long game: $100 at its first close here (2001) would be about $288 today.
Did you know?
- Its best month on record was April 2017 at +15.05%; its worst, December 2003 at -24.31%.
- It has closed December in the green 21 out of 25 times — past performance, future shrug.
Trivia for entertainment — the numbers come from our price data; the jokes don't.