Boxed beef cutout today: $372.28 (Choice)
USDA daily wholesale beef value, August 12, 2026
- The USDA boxed beef cutout was $372.28 per cwt (Choice) and $349.81 (Select) on , per USDA AMS report LM_XB403.
- Choice moved +0.97 from the prior trading day and +4.31 over the past week.
- A year ago the Choice cutout was $390.58/cwt (−4.7% since).
- The Choice–Select spread is $22.47.
- Wholesale ground beef (73% lean) averaged $284.33/cwt ($2.84/lb) on August 12, 2026.
Choice cutout since 2004
What is the boxed beef cutout?
The boxed beef cutout is USDA's daily estimate of the wholesale value of a beef carcass, in dollars per 100 pounds (cwt), computed from actual sales of boxed beef cuts. It is the benchmark wholesale beef price in the United States.
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service publishes the cutout twice every trading day (morning and afternoon) from packer sales of primal cuts — rib, chuck, round, loin, brisket, short plate and flank — for carcasses grading Choice and Select (600–900 lb). Retail prices follow the cutout with a lag of weeks to months, which is why it appears on this site next to the monthly retail series: the cutout moves first.
What does the Choice–Select spread mean?
The Choice–Select spread — $22.47 as of August 12, 2026 — is the premium wholesale buyers pay for Choice-graded beef over Select. A wide spread signals strong demand for higher-marbling beef relative to its supply.
Last 22 trading days
| Date | Choice | Select | Spread | Choice chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 12, 2026 | $372.28 | $349.81 | $22.47 | +0.97 |
| August 11, 2026 | $371.31 | $349.80 | $21.51 | −0.11 |
| August 10, 2026 | $371.42 | $350.84 | $20.58 | +7.06 |
| August 7, 2026 | $364.36 | $352.37 | $11.99 | +0.50 |
| August 6, 2026 | $363.86 | $349.78 | $14.08 | −4.11 |
| August 5, 2026 | $367.97 | $348.06 | $19.91 | −1.68 |
| August 4, 2026 | $369.65 | $346.50 | $23.15 | +2.92 |
| August 3, 2026 | $366.73 | $344.45 | $22.28 | +5.35 |
| July 31, 2026 | $361.38 | $346.23 | $15.15 | +0.88 |
| July 30, 2026 | $360.50 | $341.33 | $19.17 | −2.93 |
| July 29, 2026 | $363.43 | $342.41 | $21.02 | −2.43 |
| July 28, 2026 | $365.86 | $343.52 | $22.34 | +2.97 |
| July 27, 2026 | $362.89 | $345.16 | $17.73 | +1.65 |
| July 24, 2026 | $361.24 | $346.71 | $14.53 | −1.63 |
| July 23, 2026 | $362.87 | $348.75 | $14.12 | −0.63 |
| July 22, 2026 | $363.50 | $350.57 | $12.93 | −3.41 |
| July 21, 2026 | $366.91 | $354.23 | $12.68 | −3.19 |
| July 20, 2026 | $370.10 | $355.45 | $14.65 | +3.29 |
| July 17, 2026 | $366.81 | $355.29 | $11.52 | −1.57 |
| July 16, 2026 | $368.38 | $355.69 | $12.69 | −2.90 |
| July 15, 2026 | $371.28 | $359.18 | $12.10 | −2.67 |
| July 14, 2026 | $373.95 | $364.41 | $9.54 | — |
Source: USDA AMS National Daily Boxed Beef Cutout & Boxed Beef Cuts — Negotiated Sales, PM (LM_XB403), via the USDA LMR data service. Values are dollars per 100 lb (cwt). Choice CSV · Select CSV.