looking at the above 2 (not Xandman) comments, clearly none of you have ever traded either feeder or live cattle. Are these 2 mkts broken? yes. Is HFT to blame? In feeder cattle there is a strong case, but in live cattle it is no more broken than it has been for last 15 years. In live cattle it isn't an HFT manipulation issue, its just games the packers (end users) play. They play the same game in cash (physical) cattle trades as well. The issue is more captive supply and NOT anything "new", with the exception of the feeder cattle market. but again, the above comments prove just how little anyone no ET knows....go back to blowing out your $500 ES accounts...
I traded ags for a several years, stopped trading cattle in 2009, but have kept up with the mkts and know many of the both speculative and hedge players, both small and large. The same issues were there when I moved from cattle to exclusively grains and energies in 09, but nobody who trades those mkts day in and day out can deny that they, and especially feeder cattle, have changed drastically since the pits closed.
and to the comment about the large orders and giving up ticks to the locals....again, clearly you havent traded these. The slippage now on a 5 lot in feeder cattle is MUCH MUCH worse than what a 20 or 30 lot was with the locals just 2 years ago. Heck the other day feeders had a $2.50-$3.00 (depending on month) OPENING RANGE, in first minute....and on how much volume? <200 contracts. That simply didn't happen when pits were open, and feeders were just as volatile in day to day price swings last year. The point isn't the moves, its how there is NO liquidity when you need to execute.
I really hate to say it, but some folks need a big lesson in volume and liquidity. They are not one in the same. Volume is NOT liquidity.