Bonds

Archive for Bonds – Page 11

Stocks and Junk Bonds: “This Divergence Appears Meaningful”

“Everything was aligned until February 2”

By Elliott Wave International

The trends of the junk bond and stock markets tend to be correlated.

The reason why is that junk bonds and stocks are closely affiliated in the pecking order of creditors in case of default. The rank of junk bonds is only slightly higher than equities because debt involves a contract.

Given these two markets are usually correlated, it’s worth paying attention when a divergence takes place. Indeed, a divergence is in the works now. In other words, while stocks have been holding up, the price of junk bonds have been trending lower for much of the year.

Here’s a headline from a few months ago (Reuters, March 16):

Investors shun high-yield bonds on recession, banking risks

At the same time, as mentioned, the S&P 500 and especially the NASDAQ has remained elevated.

The June 16 U.S. Short Term Update, which is a thrice weekly Elliott Wave International publication, discussed this divergence via this chart and commentary:

The graph shows that junk bonds diverged relative to stocks at the January 2022 peak, when stocks started their bear market. Both trends then came into alignment during the decline as well as the countertrend rallies that were interspersed in the selloff. Everything was aligned until February 2, which is when the yield on junk bonds made a low (shown as a high on the inverted chart). Yields then started to rise but instead of stocks declining, which would keep both trends side by side, equities continued to rally. This divergence appears meaningful.

The U.S. Short Term Update goes on to say that this divergence is not meant to be used for near-term market timing. But it is an indicator to keep in mind along with other indicators as well as the Elliott wave model.

If you’re unfamiliar with Elliott wave analysis or need to re-acquaint yourself, you are encouraged to delve into the definitive text on the subject, Elliott Wave Principle: Key to Market Behavior, by Frost & Prechter.

Here’s a quote from the book:

After you have acquired an Elliott “touch,” it will be forever with you, just as a child who learns to ride a bicycle never forgets. Thereafter, catching a turn becomes a fairly common experience and not really too difficult. Furthermore, by giving you a feeling of confidence as to where you are in the progress of the market, a knowledge of Elliott can prepare you psychologically for the fluctuating nature of price movement and free you from sharing the widely practiced analytical error of forever projecting today’s trends linearly into the future. Most important, the Wave Principle often indicates in advance the relative magnitude of the next period of market progress or regress. Living in harmony with those trends can make the difference between success and failure in financial affairs.

Here’s the good news: You can read the entire online version of the book for free once you become a Club EWI member.

Club EWI is the world’s largest Elliott wave educational community and is free to join. Moreover, members enjoy free access to a wealth of Elliott wave resources on investing and trading.

Get started by following this link: Elliott Wave Principle: Key to Market Behavior — get free and unlimited access now.

This article was syndicated by Elliott Wave International and was originally published under the headline Stocks and Junk Bonds: “This Divergence Appears Meaningful”. EWI is the world’s largest market forecasting firm. Its staff of full-time analysts led by Chartered Market Technician Robert Prechter provides 24-hour-a-day market analysis to institutional and private investors around the world.

24 Jun

COT Bonds Charts: Speculators raised Fed Funds and SOFR 3-Months bets this week

By InvestMacro

Here are the latest charts and statistics for the Commitment of Traders (COT) reports data published by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday June 20th and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial hedgers) were positioned in the futures markets.

Weekly Speculator Changes led by Fed Funds & SOFR 3-Months

The COT bond market speculator bets were higher this week as five out of the nine bond markets we cover had higher positioning while the other four markets had lower speculator contracts.

Leading the gains for the bond markets was the Fed Funds (84,512 contracts) with the SOFR 3-Months (78,952 contracts), 5-Year Bonds (76,570 contracts), the 2-Year Bonds (19,169 contracts) and the Ultra 10-Year Bonds (1,640 contracts) also showing positive weeks.

The bond markets with declines in speculator bets for the week were the 10-Year Bonds (-58,144 contracts), the Ultra Treasury Bonds (-6,411 contracts), the Eurodollar (-8,627 contracts) and the US Treasury Bonds (-2,554 contracts) also registering lower bets on the week.

Data Snapshot of Bond Market Traders | Columns Legend

Jun-13-2023	OI	OI-Index	Spec-Net	Spec-Index	Com-Net	COM-Index	Smalls-Net	Smalls-Index
Eurodollar	511,711	0	-11,672	74	23,432	22	-11,760	97
FedFunds	1,693,141	63	-101,642	32	115,607	69	-13,965	64
2-Year	3,503,880	100	-1,027,276	2	939,587	98	87,689	97
Long T-Bond	1,233,359	63	-102,301	51	66,493	34	35,808	74
10-Year	4,641,767	86	-749,997	10	681,043	92	68,954	89
5-Year	4,948,670	92	-958,826	7	931,171	92	27,655	89

Strength Scores led by SOFR 3-Months & Eurodollar

COT Strength Scores (a normalized measure of Speculator positions over a 3-Year range, from 0 to 100 where above 80 is Extreme-Bullish and below 20 is Extreme-Bearish) showed that the SOFR 3-Months (100 percent) and the Eurodollar (74 percent) lead the bond markets this week. The US Treasury Bonds (51 percent) comes in as the next highest in the weekly strength scores.

On the downside, the 2-Year Bonds (2 percent), the 5-Year Bonds (7 percent), the 10-Year Bonds (10 percent), Ultra 10-Year Bond (17.0 percent) and the Ultra Treasury Bonds (17 percent) come in at the lowest strength levels currently and are in Extreme-Bearish territory (below 20 percent).

Strength Statistics:
Fed Funds (31.6 percent) vs Fed Funds previous week (19.4 percent)
2-Year Bond (1.7 percent) vs 2-Year Bond previous week (0.0 percent)
5-Year Bond (6.8 percent) vs 5-Year Bond previous week (0.0 percent)
10-Year Bond (9.7 percent) vs 10-Year Bond previous week (15.4 percent)
Ultra 10-Year Bond (17.0 percent) vs Ultra 10-Year Bond previous week (16.7 percent)
US Treasury Bond (51.3 percent) vs US Treasury Bond previous week (52.1 percent)
Ultra US Treasury Bond (17.3 percent) vs Ultra US Treasury Bond previous week (20.0 percent)
Eurodollar (73.7 percent) vs Eurodollar previous week (74.0 percent)
SOFR 3-Months (100.0 percent) vs SOFR 3-Months previous week (94.2 percent)

SOFR 3-Months & Ultra 10-Year Bonds top the 6-Week Strength Trends

COT Strength Score Trends (or move index, calculates the 6-week changes in strength scores) showed that the SOFR 3-Months (48 percent) and the Ultra 10-Year Bonds (16 percent) lead the past six weeks trends for bonds. The Eurodollar (1 percent) and the are the next highest positive movers in the latest trends data.

The 2-Year Bonds (-25 percent) and the US Treasury Bonds (-10 percent) lead the downside trend scores currently with the 5-Year Bonds (-4 percent) and the Fed Funds (-4 percent) following next with lower trend scores.

Strength Trend Statistics:
Fed Funds (-3.8 percent) vs Fed Funds previous week (-21.1 percent)
2-Year Bond (-24.5 percent) vs 2-Year Bond previous week (-36.4 percent)
5-Year Bond (-4.3 percent) vs 5-Year Bond previous week (-11.1 percent)
10-Year Bond (-1.8 percent) vs 10-Year Bond previous week (5.6 percent)
Ultra 10-Year Bond (15.6 percent) vs Ultra 10-Year Bond previous week (16.7 percent)
US Treasury Bond (-9.5 percent) vs US Treasury Bond previous week (-3.4 percent)
Ultra US Treasury Bond (-1.2 percent) vs Ultra US Treasury Bond previous week (0.8 percent)
Eurodollar (1.1 percent) vs Eurodollar previous week (1.0 percent)
SOFR 3-Months (47.9 percent) vs SOFR 3-Months previous week (54.7 percent)

Individual Bond Markets:

3-Month Eurodollars Futures:

The 3-Month Eurodollars large speculator standing this week was a net position of -11,672 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -8,627 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -3,045 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 73.7 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 22.3 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 96.8 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Strong Downtrend. The current action for the model is considered to be: Hold – Maintain Short Position.

3-Month Eurodollars Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	23.1	67.2	9.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	25.4	62.6	11.3
– Net Position:	-11,672	23,432	-11,760
– Gross Longs:	118,404	343,978	45,860
– Gross Shorts:	130,076	320,546	57,620
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.9 to 1	1.1 to 1	0.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	73.7	22.3	96.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	1.1	-1.0	0.1

Secured Overnight Financing Rate (3-Month) Futures:

The Secured Overnight Financing Rate (3-Month) large speculator standing this week was a net position of 204,698 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly boost of 78,952 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 125,746 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 79.7 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Uptrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Weak Uptrend. The current action for the model is considered to be: Hold – Maintain Long Position.

SOFR 3-Months Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	17.4	60.1	1.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	15.4	62.0	1.3
– Net Position:	204,698	-189,803	-14,895
– Gross Longs:	1,811,313	6,267,481	122,143
– Gross Shorts:	1,606,615	6,457,284	137,038
– Long to Short Ratio:	1.1 to 1	1.0 to 1	0.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	100.0	0.0	79.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish-Extreme	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	47.9	-47.7	-5.6

30-Day Federal Funds Futures:

The 30-Day Federal Funds large speculator standing this week was a net position of -101,642 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly boost of 84,512 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -186,154 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 31.6 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 69.3 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 63.6 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Downtrend. The current action for the model is considered to be: Hold – Maintain Short Position.

30-Day Federal Funds Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	8.7	71.1	2.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	14.7	64.3	3.5
– Net Position:	-101,642	115,607	-13,965
– Gross Longs:	147,292	1,204,550	45,368
– Gross Shorts:	248,934	1,088,943	59,333
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.6 to 1	1.1 to 1	0.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	31.6	69.3	63.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish	Bullish	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-3.8	1.6	29.0

2-Year Treasury Note Futures:

The 2-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week was a net position of -1,027,276 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly boost of 19,169 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -1,046,445 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 1.7 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 98.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 96.5 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Uptrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Weak Uptrend. The current action for the model is considered to be: Hold – Maintain Long Position.

2-Year Treasury Note Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	11.6	80.9	7.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	40.9	54.1	4.5
– Net Position:	-1,027,276	939,587	87,689
– Gross Longs:	406,848	2,836,230	244,127
– Gross Shorts:	1,434,124	1,896,643	156,438
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.3 to 1	1.5 to 1	1.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	1.7	98.0	96.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-24.5	25.7	9.0

5-Year Treasury Note Futures:

The 5-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week was a net position of -958,826 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly boost of 76,570 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -1,035,396 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 6.8 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 91.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 88.6 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Uptrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Weak Uptrend. The current action for the model is considered to be: Hold – Maintain Long Position.

5-Year Treasury Note Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	8.0	83.4	7.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	27.3	64.6	6.8
– Net Position:	-958,826	931,171	27,655
– Gross Longs:	394,457	4,129,490	363,566
– Gross Shorts:	1,353,283	3,198,319	335,911
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.3 to 1	1.3 to 1	1.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	6.8	91.8	88.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-4.3	5.3	-2.9

10-Year Treasury Note Futures:

The 10-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week was a net position of -749,997 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -58,144 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -691,853 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 9.7 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 91.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 88.5 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Uptrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Weak Uptrend. The current action for the model is considered to be: Hold – Maintain Long Position.

10-Year Treasury Note Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	9.2	79.9	9.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	25.3	65.2	7.5
– Net Position:	-749,997	681,043	68,954
– Gross Longs:	425,965	3,708,456	415,816
– Gross Shorts:	1,175,962	3,027,413	346,862
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.4 to 1	1.2 to 1	1.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	9.7	91.8	88.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-1.8	4.2	-4.6

Ultra 10-Year Notes Futures:

The Ultra 10-Year Notes large speculator standing this week was a net position of -134,686 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly rise of 1,640 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -136,326 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 17.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 77.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 74.8 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Uptrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Weak Uptrend. The current action for the model is considered to be: Hold – Maintain Long Position.

Ultra 10-Year Notes Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	10.5	76.8	11.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	18.5	65.0	15.1
– Net Position:	-134,686	200,704	-66,018
– Gross Longs:	179,226	1,306,770	191,631
– Gross Shorts:	313,912	1,106,066	257,649
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.6 to 1	1.2 to 1	0.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	17.0	77.1	74.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	15.6	-17.9	3.7

US Treasury Bonds Futures:

The US Treasury Bonds large speculator standing this week was a net position of -102,301 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decrease of -2,554 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -99,747 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 51.3 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 34.3 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 74.5 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Strong Downtrend. The current action for the model is considered to be: Hold – Maintain Short Position.

US Treasury Bonds Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	7.3	77.3	14.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	15.6	71.9	11.6
– Net Position:	-102,301	66,493	35,808
– Gross Longs:	89,659	952,842	178,917
– Gross Shorts:	191,960	886,349	143,109
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.5 to 1	1.1 to 1	1.3 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	51.3	34.3	74.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-9.5	22.9	-25.5

Ultra US Treasury Bonds Futures:

The Ultra US Treasury Bonds large speculator standing this week was a net position of -403,404 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -6,411 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -396,993 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 17.3 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 71.6 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Downtrend. The current action for the model is considered to be: Hold – Maintain Short Position.

Ultra US Treasury Bonds Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	5.6	82.3	11.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	33.0	59.1	7.5
– Net Position:	-403,404	342,024	61,380
– Gross Longs:	82,695	1,212,061	172,397
– Gross Shorts:	486,099	870,037	111,017
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.2 to 1	1.4 to 1	1.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	17.3	71.6	100.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-1.2	0.6	1.7

Article By InvestMacro – Receive our weekly COT Newsletter

*COT Report: The COT data, released weekly to the public each Friday, is updated through the most recent Tuesday (data is 3 days old) and shows a quick view of how large speculators or non-commercials (for-profit traders) were positioned in the futures markets.

The CFTC categorizes trader positions according to commercial hedgers (traders who use futures contracts for hedging as part of the business), non-commercials (large traders who speculate to realize trading profits) and nonreportable traders (usually small traders/speculators) as well as their open interest (contracts open in the market at time of reporting). See CFTC criteria here.

Bonds COT Updates Financial News

11 Jun

COT Bonds Charts: Weekly Speculator Changes led by 10-Year Bonds & Eurodollar

By InvestMacro

Here are the latest charts and statistics for the Commitment of Traders (COT) reports data published by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday June 6th and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial hedgers) were positioned in the futures markets.

Weekly Speculator Changes led by 10-Year Bonds & Eurodollar

The COT bond market speculator bets were lower this week as three out of the nine bond markets we cover had higher positioning while the other six markets had lower speculator contracts.

Leading the gains for the bond markets was the 10-Year Bonds (96,720 contracts) with the Eurodollar (34,765 contracts) and the 2-Year Bonds (9,962 contracts) also showing positive weeks.

The bond markets with declines in speculator bets for the week were the Fed Funds (-66,703 contracts), the Ultra 10-Year Bonds (-31,783 contracts), the 5-Year Bonds (-43,222 contracts), the US Treasury Bonds (-23,013 contracts), the Ultra Treasury Bonds (-7,099 contracts) and the SOFR 3-Months (-2,917 contracts) also registering lower bets on the week.

Data Snapshot of Bond Market Traders | Columns Legend

Jun-06-2023	OI	OI-Index	Spec-Net	Spec-Index	Com-Net	COM-Index	Smalls-Net	Smalls-Index
Eurodollar	527,383	0	-3,045	74	13,104	22	-10,059	97
FedFunds	1,482,369	45	-246,858	9	255,064	91	-8,206	75
2-Year	3,351,277	100	-959,901	1	864,871	98	95,030	100
Long T-Bond	1,249,240	70	-82,926	58	41,862	26	41,064	78
10-Year	4,578,932	82	-753,701	9	693,419	93	60,282	87
5-Year	4,850,014	87	-1,027,059	0	1,016,651	100	10,408	84

Strength Scores led by SOFR 3-Months & Eurodollar

COT Strength Scores (a normalized measure of Speculator positions over a 3-Year range, from 0 to 100 where above 80 is Extreme-Bullish and below 20 is Extreme-Bearish) showed that the SOFR 3-Months (98 percent) and the Eurodollar (74 percent) lead the bond markets this week. The US Treasury Bonds (58 percent) comes in as the next highest in the weekly strength scores.

On the downside, the 5-Year Bonds (0 percent), the 2-Year Bonds (1 percent), the 10-Year Bonds (9 percent), the Fed Funds (9 percent), the Ultra 10-Year Bond (15.4 percent) and the Ultra US Treasury Bond (15.7 percent) come in at the lowest strength levels currently and are all in Extreme-Bearish territory (below 20 percent).

Strength Statistics:
Fed Funds (9.4 percent) vs Fed Funds previous week (17.9 percent)
2-Year Bond (0.9 percent) vs 2-Year Bond previous week (0.0 percent)
5-Year Bond (0.0 percent) vs 5-Year Bond previous week (3.9 percent)
10-Year Bond (9.4 percent) vs 10-Year Bond previous week (0.0 percent)
Ultra 10-Year Bond (15.4 percent) vs Ultra 10-Year Bond previous week (21.9 percent)
US Treasury Bond (57.6 percent) vs US Treasury Bond previous week (65.1 percent)
Ultra US Treasury Bond (15.7 percent) vs Ultra US Treasury Bond previous week (18.7 percent)
Eurodollar (74.0 percent) vs Eurodollar previous week (73.1 percent)
SOFR 3-Months (97.8 percent) vs SOFR 3-Months previous week (98.0 percent)

SOFR 3-Months & Ultra 10-Year Bonds top the 6-Week Strength Trends

COT Strength Score Trends (or move index, calculates the 6-week changes in strength scores) showed that the SOFR 3-Months (61 percent) and the Ultra 10-Year Bonds (10 percent) lead the past six weeks trends for bonds. The US Treasury Bonds (5 percent) is the next highest positive mover in the latest trends data.

The 2-Year Bond (-39 percent), the Fed Funds (-20 percent) and the 5-Year Bonds (-14 percent) lead the downside trend scores currently.

Strength Trend Statistics:
Fed Funds (-19.8 percent) vs Fed Funds previous week (-7.8 percent)
2-Year Bond (-39.1 percent) vs 2-Year Bond previous week (-37.3 percent)
5-Year Bond (-14.1 percent) vs 5-Year Bond previous week (-20.4 percent)
10-Year Bond (-1.3 percent) vs 10-Year Bond previous week (-16.5 percent)
Ultra 10-Year Bond (9.8 percent) vs Ultra 10-Year Bond previous week (19.5 percent)
US Treasury Bond (4.7 percent) vs US Treasury Bond previous week (18.6 percent)
Ultra US Treasury Bond (-3.8 percent) vs Ultra US Treasury Bond previous week (-0.4 percent)
Eurodollar (1.0 percent) vs Eurodollar previous week (0.3 percent)
SOFR 3-Months (61.3 percent) vs SOFR 3-Months previous week (54.2 percent)

Individual Bond Markets:

3-Month Eurodollars Futures:

The 3-Month Eurodollars large speculator standing this week was a net position of -3,045 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly increase of 34,765 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -37,810 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 74.0 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 22.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 97.1 percent.

3-Month Eurodollars Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	26.8	63.6	9.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	27.4	61.1	11.5
– Net Position:	-3,045	13,104	-10,059
– Gross Longs:	141,397	335,311	50,675
– Gross Shorts:	144,442	322,207	60,734
– Long to Short Ratio:	1.0 to 1	1.0 to 1	0.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	74.0	22.0	97.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	1.0	-0.9	-0.0

Secured Overnight Financing Rate (3-Month) Futures:

The Secured Overnight Financing Rate (3-Month) large speculator standing this week was a net position of 40,305 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decrease of -2,917 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 43,222 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish-Extreme with a score of 97.8 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 3.4 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 79.2 percent.

SOFR 3-Months Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	16.0	61.1	0.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	15.6	61.3	0.6
– Net Position:	40,305	-24,496	-15,809
– Gross Longs:	1,581,630	6,023,024	41,854
– Gross Shorts:	1,541,325	6,047,520	57,663
– Long to Short Ratio:	1.0 to 1	1.0 to 1	0.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	97.8	3.4	79.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish-Extreme	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	61.3	-60.5	-5.3

30-Day Federal Funds Futures:

The 30-Day Federal Funds large speculator standing this week was a net position of -246,858 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -66,703 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -180,155 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 9.4 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 90.5 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 74.9 percent.

30-Day Federal Funds Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	3.6	78.7	2.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	20.2	61.5	2.9
– Net Position:	-246,858	255,064	-8,206
– Gross Longs:	52,857	1,167,235	34,401
– Gross Shorts:	299,715	912,171	42,607
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.2 to 1	1.3 to 1	0.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	9.4	90.5	74.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-19.8	19.1	8.2

2-Year Treasury Note Futures:

The 2-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week was a net position of -959,901 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly gain of 9,962 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -969,863 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.9 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 97.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent.

2-Year Treasury Note Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	11.1	80.9	7.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	39.7	55.1	4.3
– Net Position:	-959,901	864,871	95,030
– Gross Longs:	370,970	2,712,847	240,315
– Gross Shorts:	1,330,871	1,847,976	145,285
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.3 to 1	1.5 to 1	1.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	0.9	97.8	100.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-39.1	40.6	16.8

5-Year Treasury Note Futures:

The 5-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week was a net position of -1,027,059 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decline of -43,222 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -983,837 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 83.9 percent.

5-Year Treasury Note Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	6.7	84.2	7.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	27.9	63.3	7.2
– Net Position:	-1,027,059	1,016,651	10,408
– Gross Longs:	326,795	4,085,049	359,182
– Gross Shorts:	1,353,854	3,068,398	348,774
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.2 to 1	1.3 to 1	1.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	0.0	100.0	83.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-14.1	16.4	-5.9

10-Year Treasury Note Futures:

The 10-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week was a net position of -753,701 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly advance of 96,720 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -850,421 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 9.4 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 93.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 86.6 percent.

10-Year Treasury Note Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	9.0	80.3	8.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	25.4	65.1	7.4
– Net Position:	-753,701	693,419	60,282
– Gross Longs:	410,777	3,675,457	397,950
– Gross Shorts:	1,164,478	2,982,038	337,668
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.4 to 1	1.2 to 1	1.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	9.4	93.1	86.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-1.3	0.9	1.1

Ultra 10-Year Notes Futures:

The Ultra 10-Year Notes large speculator standing this week was a net position of -142,577 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decline of -31,783 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -110,794 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 15.4 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 80.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 69.2 percent.

Ultra 10-Year Notes Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	10.5	76.8	10.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	19.1	63.7	15.5
– Net Position:	-142,577	218,066	-75,489
– Gross Longs:	174,272	1,275,948	181,822
– Gross Shorts:	316,849	1,057,882	257,311
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.6 to 1	1.2 to 1	0.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	15.4	80.9	69.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	9.8	-11.0	1.7

US Treasury Bonds Futures:

The US Treasury Bonds large speculator standing this week was a net position of -82,926 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -23,013 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -59,913 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 57.6 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 25.5 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 78.3 percent.

US Treasury Bonds Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	8.2	75.6	14.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	14.8	72.2	10.7
– Net Position:	-82,926	41,862	41,064
– Gross Longs:	102,025	943,943	175,105
– Gross Shorts:	184,951	902,081	134,041
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.6 to 1	1.0 to 1	1.3 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	57.6	25.5	78.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	4.7	5.4	-21.6

Ultra US Treasury Bonds Futures:

The Ultra US Treasury Bonds large speculator standing this week was a net position of -406,999 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decrease of -7,099 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -399,900 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 15.7 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 79.2 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 90.3 percent.

Ultra US Treasury Bonds Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	5.9	82.4	11.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	33.7	58.0	7.9
– Net Position:	-406,999	356,439	50,560
– Gross Longs:	85,791	1,205,231	166,525
– Gross Shorts:	492,790	848,792	115,965
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.2 to 1	1.4 to 1	1.4 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	15.7	79.2	90.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-3.8	4.7	0.2

Article By InvestMacro – Receive our weekly COT Newsletter

Bonds COT Updates Financial News

06 Jun

What is the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR)?

Want to “Intimidate Everybody”? Be a Bond Market

By Elliott Wave International

Back in October 2021, we showed subscribers a chart of the “Bond Universe” — ALL bonds, from around the world, in ONE chart. Since then, as yields spiked and prices fell, the bond market has indeed been “intimidating everybody.” Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor, Murray Gunn, explain more.

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, a price chart is worth 1,000 Fed statements.

On May 4, at the MoneyShow Virtual Expo, EWI’s Head of Global Research, Murray Gunn, showed an eager audience 30+ charts — many going back decades.

Murray’s point was simple: Let the charts do the talking.

And boy, do they.

We are in a Great Unwinding.

Do not miss this. (You can’t afford to.)

30 mins, free to EWI subscribers and Club members.

You can join Club EWI for free and get instant access to the video.

This article was syndicated by Elliott Wave International and was originally published under the headline Want to “Intimidate Everybody”? Be a Bond Market. EWI is the world’s largest market forecasting firm. Its staff of full-time analysts led by Chartered Market Technician Robert Prechter provides 24-hour-a-day market analysis to institutional and private investors around the world.

Bonds Opinions

04 Jun

Speculators drop 2-Year, 5-Year & 10-Year Bonds bets to new record lows

By InvestMacro

Here are the latest charts and statistics for the Commitment of Traders (COT) reports data published by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday May 30th and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial hedgers) were positioned in the futures markets.

Weekly Speculator Changes led by SOFR 3-Months & Ultra 10-Year Bonds

The COT bond market speculator bets were lower this week as four out of the nine bond markets we cover had higher positioning while the other five markets had lower speculator contracts.

Leading the gains for the bond markets was the SOFR 3-Months (144,765 contracts) with the Ultra 10-Year Bonds (47,285 contracts), the Ultra Treasury Bonds (9,208 contracts) and the Eurodollar (3,739 contracts) also showing positive weeks.

The bond markets with declines in speculator bets for the week were the Fed Funds (-91,660 contracts), the 10-Year Bonds (-78,783 contracts), the 2-Year Bonds (-79,661 contracts), the 5-Year Bonds (-49,768 contracts) and the US Treasury Bonds (-16,677 contracts) also registering lower bets on the week.

Speculators drop 2-Year, 5-Year & 10-Year Bonds bets to new record lows

Highlighting the COT bonds data this week was the further rise in the record bearish speculator positions for the 2-Year, 5-Year and 10-Year bonds.

The large speculators in the 2-Year bonds sharply decreased (weekly change of -79,661 contracts) their bets for the fifth consecutive week this week. The speculative position has now added a gigantic total of -423,556 contracts to the bearish position in just the past five weeks alone. This brings the overall net position to the new all-time record bearish level of -969,863 contracts.

The 5-Year Bond speculator positions also fell once again this week by -49,768 contracts and have now declined for six consecutive weeks. The 5-Year speculator bets have added a total of -229,335 contracts to the bearish position in just the past six weeks and have established a new record bearish level of -983,837 contracts.

Large speculative 10-Year Bond positions also continued to fall this week for a second straight week. The -157,979 contract shortfall over the past two weeks has dropped the 10-Year to its own all-time record low for a second consecutive week with this week’s record at a total of -850,421 contracts.

The latest data is through Tuesday and prior to the final agreement on the debt ceiling so it will be interesting to see if there are sharp adjustments made in next week’s data with a new debt ceiling deal done.

All three bond markets saw higher futures prices to close out the week and remain off their lows of this bearish cycle despite the speculator’s historically weak sentiment. The 2-Year is higher by approximately 1.40 percent from its March 2023 low, the 5-Year is higher by approximately 3 percent from the October 2022 low while the 10-Year is higher by approximately 4.50 percent from its own October 2022 low-point.

Data Snapshot of Bond Market Traders | Columns Legend

May-30-2023	OI	OI-Index	Spec-Net	Spec-Index	Com-Net	COM-Index	Smalls-Net	Smalls-Index
Eurodollar	560,386	0	-37,810	73	45,422	23	-7,612	98
FedFunds	1,855,851	77	-180,155	17	189,980	83	-9,825	72
2-Year	3,162,876	93	-969,863	0	885,109	100	84,754	96
Long T-Bond	1,280,460	78	-59,913	65	12,279	15	47,634	83
10-Year	4,728,273	90	-850,421	0	758,535	100	91,886	94
5-Year	4,871,724	88	-983,837	0	922,460	100	61,377	98

Strength Scores led by SOFR 3-Months & Eurodollar

COT Strength Scores (a normalized measure of Speculator positions over a 3-Year range, from 0 to 100 where above 80 is Extreme-Bullish and below 20 is Extreme-Bearish) showed that the SOFR 3-Months (98 percent) and the Eurodollar (73 percent) lead the bond markets this week. The US Treasury Bonds (65 percent) comes in as the next highest in the weekly strength scores.

On the downside, the 5-Year Bonds (0 percent), the 10-Year Bonds (0 percent), the 2-Year Bonds (0 percent) and the Fed Funds (17 percent) come in at the lowest strength level currently and are in Extreme-Bearish territory (below 20 percent).

Strength Statistics:
Fed Funds (17.5 percent) vs Fed Funds previous week (28.8 percent)
2-Year Bond (0.0 percent) vs 2-Year Bond previous week (7.5 percent)
5-Year Bond (0.0 percent) vs 5-Year Bond previous week (4.6 percent)
10-Year Bond (0.0 percent) vs 10-Year Bond previous week (7.6 percent)
Ultra 10-Year Bond (21.9 percent) vs Ultra 10-Year Bond previous week (12.2 percent)
US Treasury Bond (65.1 percent) vs US Treasury Bond previous week (70.5 percent)
Ultra US Treasury Bond (18.7 percent) vs Ultra US Treasury Bond previous week (14.8 percent)
Eurodollar (73.1 percent) vs Eurodollar previous week (73.0 percent)
SOFR 3-Months (98.0 percent) vs SOFR 3-Months previous week (86.3 percent)

SOFR 3-Months & US Treasury Bonds top the 6-Week Strength Trends

COT Strength Score Trends (or move index, calculates the 6-week changes in strength scores) showed that the SOFR 3-Months (54 percent) and the US Treasury Bonds (19 percent) lead the past six weeks trends for bonds. The Ultra 10-Year Bonds (19 percent) is the next highest positive mover in the latest trends data.

The 2-Year Bond (-37.3 percent) and the 5-Year Bonds (-21 percent) lead the downside trend scores currently with the 10-Year Bonds (-17 percent) and the Fed Funds (-8 percent) following next with lower trend scores.

Strength Trend Statistics:
Fed Funds (-7.6 percent) vs Fed Funds previous week (9.8 percent)
2-Year Bond (-37.3 percent) vs 2-Year Bond previous week (-37.2 percent)
5-Year Bond (-21.2 percent) vs 5-Year Bond previous week (-15.9 percent)
10-Year Bond (-16.5 percent) vs 10-Year Bond previous week (-12.9 percent)
Ultra 10-Year Bond (19.5 percent) vs Ultra 10-Year Bond previous week (7.9 percent)
US Treasury Bond (18.6 percent) vs US Treasury Bond previous week (29.1 percent)
Ultra US Treasury Bond (-0.4 percent) vs Ultra US Treasury Bond previous week (-4.2 percent)
Eurodollar (0.3 percent) vs Eurodollar previous week (15.6 percent)
SOFR 3-Months (54.2 percent) vs SOFR 3-Months previous week (4.7 percent)

Individual Bond Markets:

3-Month Eurodollars Futures:

The 3-Month Eurodollars large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -37,810 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly rise of 3,739 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -41,549 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 73.1 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 22.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 97.6 percent.

3-Month Eurodollars Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	28.8	61.4	9.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	35.6	53.3	11.2
– Net Position:	-37,810	45,422	-7,612
– Gross Longs:	161,451	344,051	54,884
– Gross Shorts:	199,261	298,629	62,496
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.8 to 1	1.2 to 1	0.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	73.1	22.8	97.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	0.3	-0.0	-2.4

Secured Overnight Financing Rate (3-Month) Futures:

The Secured Overnight Financing Rate (3-Month) large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 43,222 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lift of 144,765 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -101,543 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish-Extreme with a score of 98.0 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 3.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 79.6 percent.

SOFR 3-Months Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	17.0	61.0	0.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	16.6	61.3	0.6
– Net Position:	43,222	-28,251	-14,971
– Gross Longs:	1,690,850	6,052,948	45,501
– Gross Shorts:	1,647,628	6,081,199	60,472
– Long to Short Ratio:	1.0 to 1	1.0 to 1	0.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	98.0	3.1	79.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish-Extreme	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	54.2	-53.2	-7.3

30-Day Federal Funds Futures:

The 30-Day Federal Funds large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -180,155 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -91,660 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -88,495 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 17.5 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 82.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 71.7 percent.

30-Day Federal Funds Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	6.2	76.9	2.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	15.9	66.7	2.9
– Net Position:	-180,155	189,980	-9,825
– Gross Longs:	115,276	1,427,182	43,471
– Gross Shorts:	295,431	1,237,202	53,296
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.4 to 1	1.2 to 1	0.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	17.5	82.8	71.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-7.6	7.3	4.0

2-Year Treasury Note Futures:

The 2-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -969,863 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -79,661 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -890,202 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 96.4 percent.

2-Year Treasury Note Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	7.7	83.8	7.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	38.3	55.9	4.7
– Net Position:	-969,863	885,109	84,754
– Gross Longs:	242,645	2,651,778	233,553
– Gross Shorts:	1,212,508	1,766,669	148,799
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.2 to 1	1.5 to 1	1.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	0.0	100.0	96.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-37.3	39.2	14.6

5-Year Treasury Note Futures:

The 5-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -983,837 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -49,768 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -934,069 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 97.9 percent.

5-Year Treasury Note Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	6.9	83.4	7.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	27.1	64.5	6.3
– Net Position:	-983,837	922,460	61,377
– Gross Longs:	338,249	4,064,536	368,659
– Gross Shorts:	1,322,086	3,142,076	307,282
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.3 to 1	1.3 to 1	1.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	0.0	100.0	97.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-21.2	20.5	6.5

10-Year Treasury Note Futures:

The 10-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -850,421 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -78,783 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -771,638 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 93.5 percent.

10-Year Treasury Note Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	8.7	79.8	8.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	26.7	63.8	6.9
– Net Position:	-850,421	758,535	91,886
– Gross Longs:	412,506	3,774,585	417,126
– Gross Shorts:	1,262,927	3,016,050	325,240
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.3 to 1	1.3 to 1	1.3 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	0.0	100.0	93.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-16.5	12.7	11.0

Ultra 10-Year Notes Futures:

The Ultra 10-Year Notes large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -110,794 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lift of 47,285 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -158,079 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 21.9 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 70.6 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 78.5 percent.

Ultra 10-Year Notes Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	12.2	75.1	11.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	18.8	64.9	14.7
– Net Position:	-110,794	170,548	-59,754
– Gross Longs:	203,767	1,258,392	185,836
– Gross Shorts:	314,561	1,087,844	245,590
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.6 to 1	1.2 to 1	0.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	21.9	70.6	78.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish	Bullish	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	19.5	-25.0	12.0

US Treasury Bonds Futures:

The US Treasury Bonds large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -59,913 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decline of -16,677 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -43,236 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 65.1 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 15.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 83.1 percent.

US Treasury Bonds Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	8.4	73.3	14.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	13.1	72.3	10.9
– Net Position:	-59,913	12,279	47,634
– Gross Longs:	108,088	938,620	187,052
– Gross Shorts:	168,001	926,341	139,418
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.6 to 1	1.0 to 1	1.3 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	65.1	15.0	83.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	18.6	-12.1	-16.8

Ultra US Treasury Bonds Futures:

The Ultra US Treasury Bonds large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -399,900 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly rise of 9,208 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -409,108 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 18.7 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 71.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 97.4 percent.

Ultra US Treasury Bonds Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	5.5	81.6	11.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	32.7	58.3	8.0
– Net Position:	-399,900	342,324	57,576
– Gross Longs:	80,393	1,198,201	175,098
– Gross Shorts:	480,293	855,877	117,522
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.2 to 1	1.4 to 1	1.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	18.7	71.7	97.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-0.4	-2.7	6.1

Article By InvestMacro – Receive our weekly COT Newsletter

Bonds COT Updates Opinions

01 Jun

Treasury Bonds: How This Forecast is Playing Out

Here’s what happened with a shelf of support in the chart of the long bond

By Elliott Wave International

The yield on U.S. Treasury bonds trended higher from 1942 to 1981 — that’s 39 years.

Interestingly, yields (or interest rates) then trended lower for 39 years (1981 to 2020).

Thirty-nine years is quite a long time — well long enough for observers to get used to the idea of exceptionally low yields, even the Fed.

Indeed, here’s a Sept. 16, 2020 headline from the Wall Street Journal:

Fed Signals Low Rates Likely to Last Several Years

Elliott Wave International President Robert Prechter had an entirely different perspective. Here’s what he said just a week later in his Sept. 23, 2020 issue of The Elliott Wave Theorist, a monthly publication which provides analysis of major financial and cultural trends:

On September 16, Fed Chairman Powell [said] he expected short term interest rates to stay near zero as long as inflation stays below 2%, a condition he believes will maintain … through “the end of 2023.” I think there is not a chance in the world of that scenario playing out. … The probability is high that interest rates have begun a process of rising. … [emphasis added]

As we all know, interest rates or yields have risen substantially since 2020.

This chart and commentary from the May 19, 2023 Elliott Wave Theorist provide an update (Keep in mind that Elliott wave labeling is available to subscribers):

Treasury bond futures have been slipping again. As you can see in [the chart], bond prices broke a shelf of support this week and traded today at their lowest level in ten weeks. A debt crisis is brewing, and higher long term interest rates will add to the pressure.

Yes, servicing public and private debt is getting a lot more expensive. And that debt has been increasing dramatically and rapidly (CNBC, May 18):

The global debt pile grew by $8.3 trillion in the first quarter to a near-record high of $305 trillion … .

Getting back to the price pattern of the U.S. Treasury Long Bond, Elliott wave analysis can help you determine what’s next.

Of course, no method of analyzing financial markets can offer a guarantee, but Elliott Wave International knows of no other method which surpasses the usefulness of the Elliott wave model.

That said, here’s a quote from Frost & Prechter’s Wall Street classic, Elliott Wave Principle: Key to Market Behavior:

Without Elliott, there appear to be an infinite number of possibilities for market action. What the Wave Principle provides is a means of first limiting the possibilities and then ordering the relative probabilities of possible future market paths. Elliott’s highly specific rules reduce the number of valid alternatives to a minimum. Among those, the best interpretation, sometimes called the “preferred count,” is the one that satisfies the largest number of guidelines. Other interpretations are ordered accordingly. As a result, competent analysts applying the rules and guidelines of the Wave Principle objectively should usually agree on both the list of possibilities and the order of probabilities for various possible outcomes at any particular time. That order can usually be stated with certainty. Do not assume, however, that certainty about the order of probabilities is the same as certainty about one specific outcome. Under only the rarest of circumstances do you ever know exactly what the market is going to do. You must understand and accept that even an approach that can identify high odds for a fairly specific event must be wrong some of the time.

If you’d like to read the entire online version of the book, you may do so for free once you become a member of Club EWI, the world’s largest Elliott wave educational community.

A Club EWI membership is also free.

Get started right away by following this link: Elliott Wave Principle: Key to Market Behavior — get free access.

This article was syndicated by Elliott Wave International and was originally published under the headline Treasury Bonds: How This Forecast is Playing Out. EWI is the world’s largest market forecasting firm. Its staff of full-time analysts led by Chartered Market Technician Robert Prechter provides 24-hour-a-day market analysis to institutional and private investors around the world.

Bonds Financial News

27 May

Speculators drop their 10-Year Bonds bets to lowest level on record

By InvestMacro

Here are the latest charts and statistics for the Commitment of Traders (COT) reports data published by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday May 23rd and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial hedgers) were positioned in the futures markets.

Weekly Speculator Changes led by SOFR 3-Months & Ultra 10-Year Bonds

The COT bond market speculator bets were lower this week as three out of the nine bond markets we cover had higher positioning while the other six markets had lower speculator contracts.

Leading the gains for the bond markets was the SOFR 3-Months (65,278 contracts) with the Ultra 10-Year Bonds (28,348 contracts) and the US Treasury Bonds (18,345 contracts) also showing positive weeks.

The bond markets with declines in speculator bets for the week were the 10-Year Bonds (-79,196 contracts), the 2-Year Bonds (-36,627 contracts), the Fed Funds (-20,924 contracts), the Ultra Treasury Bonds (-20,128 contracts), the 5-Year Bonds (-10,156 contracts) and the Eurodollar (-4,665 contracts) also registering lower bets on the week.

10-Year Bonds Speculator bets hit lowest level on record

Highlighting the COT bond’s data this week is the record weakness in the 10-Year Treasury Bond contracts. The 10-Year Bond contract dropped this week by -79,196 contracts and fell for the sixth time out of the past eight weeks which has added a total of -300,060 contracts to the bearish level.

This weakness has pushed the 10-Year speculative positions to hit their most bearish level on record this week at a total of -771,638 contracts, according to CFTC data that stretches back to 1986. This eclipses the previous record of -756,316 contracts that was reached on September of 2018.

The 10-Year now joins both the 2-Year and 5-Year Treasury Bonds with current record low levels in speculator positions.

The 2-Year speculator positions fell again this week for the fourth straight week and has a new record low level position at -890,202 contracts. The 2-Year speculators have added a total of -343,895 contracts to the bearish standing in just the past four weeks.

Meanwhile, the 5-Year speculator positioning dropped again for the fifth consecutive week and hit a new record bearish position of -934,069 contracts. A total of-179,567 contracts has been added to the bearish position in the past five weeks.

The 10-Year futures price is back on the downtrend over the past three weeks after rising to touch a 7-month high in March. The futures price closed this week at 112.13 which still remains about 3.30 percent above the most recent low-point (and approximately 15-year low) that was hit in October.

Data Snapshot of Bond Market Traders | Columns Legend

May-23-2023	OI	OI-Index	Spec-Net	Spec-Index	Com-Net	COM-Index	Smalls-Net	Smalls-Index
Eurodollar	556,278	0	-41,549	73	43,737	23	-2,188	99
FedFunds	1,735,674	66	-88,495	29	107,292	73	-18,797	54
2-Year	3,266,610	100	-890,202	0	800,371	100	89,831	99
Long T-Bond	1,299,274	83	-43,236	71	3,696	12	39,540	77
10-Year	4,902,288	100	-771,638	0	682,402	95	89,236	93
5-Year	5,105,531	100	-934,069	0	882,607	100	51,462	95

Strength Scores led by SOFR 3-Months & Eurodollar

COT Strength Scores (a normalized measure of Speculator positions over a 3-Year range, from 0 to 100 where above 80 is Extreme-Bullish and below 20 is Extreme-Bearish) showed that the SOFR 3-Months (86 percent) and the Eurodollar (73 percent) lead the bond markets this week. The US Treasury Bonds (71 percent) comes in as the next highest in the weekly strength scores.

On the downside, the 5-Year Bonds (0 percent), the 10-Year Bonds (0 percent), the 2-Year Bonds (0 percent) and the Ultra 10-Year Bonds (12 percent) come in at the lowest strength level currently and are in Extreme-Bearish territory (below 20 percent).

Strength Statistics:
Fed Funds (28.8 percent) vs Fed Funds previous week (31.4 percent)
2-Year Bond (0.0 percent) vs 2-Year Bond previous week (3.7 percent)
5-Year Bond (0.0 percent) vs 5-Year Bond previous week (1.0 percent)
10-Year Bond (0.0 percent) vs 10-Year Bond previous week (8.3 percent)
Ultra 10-Year Bond (12.2 percent) vs Ultra 10-Year Bond previous week (6.5 percent)
US Treasury Bond (70.5 percent) vs US Treasury Bond previous week (64.5 percent)
Ultra US Treasury Bond (14.8 percent) vs Ultra US Treasury Bond previous week (23.4 percent)
Eurodollar (73.0 percent) vs Eurodollar previous week (73.1 percent)
SOFR 3-Months (86.3 percent) vs SOFR 3-Months previous week (81.0 percent)

US Treasury Bonds & Eurodollar top the 6-Week Strength Trends

COT Strength Score Trends (or move index, calculates the 6-week changes in strength scores) showed that the US Treasury Bonds (29 percent) and the Eurodollar (16 percent) lead the past six weeks trends for bonds.

The 2-Year Bonds (-40 percent) and the 5-Year Bonds (-17 percent) lead the downside trend scores currently with the 10-Year Bonds (-14 percent) and the Ultra Treasury Bonds (-4 percent) following next with lower trend scores.

Strength Trend Statistics:
Fed Funds (9.8 percent) vs Fed Funds previous week (9.9 percent)
2-Year Bond (-40.2 percent) vs 2-Year Bond previous week (-35.9 percent)
5-Year Bond (-16.7 percent) vs 5-Year Bond previous week (-13.9 percent)
10-Year Bond (-13.9 percent) vs 10-Year Bond previous week (-7.5 percent)
Ultra 10-Year Bond (7.9 percent) vs Ultra 10-Year Bond previous week (0.0 percent)
US Treasury Bond (29.1 percent) vs US Treasury Bond previous week (22.1 percent)
Ultra US Treasury Bond (-4.2 percent) vs Ultra US Treasury Bond previous week (8.0 percent)
Eurodollar (15.6 percent) vs Eurodollar previous week (15.7 percent)
SOFR 3-Months (4.7 percent) vs SOFR 3-Months previous week (2.8 percent)

Individual Bond Markets:

3-Month Eurodollars Futures:

The 3-Month Eurodollars large speculator standing this week reached a net position of -41,549 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decrease of -4,665 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -36,884 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 73.0 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 22.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 98.8 percent.

3-Month Eurodollars Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	28.1	61.0	9.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	35.6	53.1	10.3
– Net Position:	-41,549	43,737	-2,188
– Gross Longs:	156,341	339,284	55,303
– Gross Shorts:	197,890	295,547	57,491
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.8 to 1	1.1 to 1	1.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	73.0	22.8	98.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	15.6	-18.0	31.2

Secured Overnight Financing Rate (3-Month) Futures:

The Secured Overnight Financing Rate (3-Month) large speculator standing this week reached a net position of -101,543 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly increase of 65,278 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -166,821 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish-Extreme with a score of 86.3 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 14.2 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 83.8 percent.

SOFR 3-Months Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	16.1	61.1	0.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	17.1	59.9	0.5
– Net Position:	-101,543	108,863	-7,320
– Gross Longs:	1,568,592	5,953,387	45,538
– Gross Shorts:	1,670,135	5,844,524	52,858
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.9 to 1	1.0 to 1	0.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	86.3	14.2	83.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish-Extreme	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	4.7	-4.1	-4.1

30-Day Federal Funds Futures:

The 30-Day Federal Funds large speculator standing this week reached a net position of -88,495 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decrease of -20,924 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -67,571 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 28.8 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 72.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 54.1 percent.

30-Day Federal Funds Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	5.8	76.5	1.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	10.9	70.3	3.0
– Net Position:	-88,495	107,292	-18,797
– Gross Longs:	100,027	1,327,988	33,520
– Gross Shorts:	188,522	1,220,696	52,317
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.5 to 1	1.1 to 1	0.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	28.8	72.7	54.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish	Bullish	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	9.8	-8.4	-20.0

2-Year Treasury Note Futures:

The 2-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week reached a net position of -890,202 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -36,627 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -853,575 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 98.8 percent.

2-Year Treasury Note Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	8.3	82.4	7.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	35.5	57.9	4.7
– Net Position:	-890,202	800,371	89,831
– Gross Longs:	270,465	2,690,719	244,689
– Gross Shorts:	1,160,667	1,890,348	154,858
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.2 to 1	1.4 to 1	1.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	0.0	100.0	98.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-40.2	40.2	25.6

5-Year Treasury Note Futures:

The 5-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week reached a net position of -934,069 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -10,156 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -923,913 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 95.1 percent.

5-Year Treasury Note Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	8.3	82.0	7.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	26.6	64.7	6.8
– Net Position:	-934,069	882,607	51,462
– Gross Longs:	423,353	4,186,028	396,832
– Gross Shorts:	1,357,422	3,303,421	345,370
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.3 to 1	1.3 to 1	1.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	0.0	100.0	95.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-16.7	16.6	3.3

10-Year Treasury Note Futures:

The 10-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week reached a net position of -771,638 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -79,196 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -692,442 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 94.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 92.9 percent.

10-Year Treasury Note Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	9.8	77.5	9.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	25.5	63.5	7.5
– Net Position:	-771,638	682,402	89,236
– Gross Longs:	480,032	3,797,760	454,534
– Gross Shorts:	1,251,670	3,115,358	365,298
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.4 to 1	1.2 to 1	1.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	0.0	94.9	92.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-13.9	6.5	15.9

Ultra 10-Year Notes Futures:

The Ultra 10-Year Notes large speculator standing this week reached a net position of -158,079 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly increase of 28,348 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -186,427 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 12.2 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 84.5 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 68.4 percent.

Ultra 10-Year Notes Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	10.0	76.0	10.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	19.1	62.5	15.2
– Net Position:	-158,079	234,828	-76,749
– Gross Longs:	174,270	1,319,934	186,701
– Gross Shorts:	332,349	1,085,106	263,450
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.5 to 1	1.2 to 1	0.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	12.2	84.5	68.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	7.9	-9.8	4.0

US Treasury Bonds Futures:

The US Treasury Bonds large speculator standing this week reached a net position of -43,236 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly increase of 18,345 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -61,581 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 70.5 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 11.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 77.2 percent.

US Treasury Bonds Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	8.6	74.4	14.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	12.0	74.1	11.8
– Net Position:	-43,236	3,696	39,540
– Gross Longs:	112,271	966,329	192,516
– Gross Shorts:	155,507	962,633	152,976
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.7 to 1	1.0 to 1	1.3 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	70.5	11.9	77.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	29.1	-23.5	-17.2

Ultra US Treasury Bonds Futures:

The Ultra US Treasury Bonds large speculator standing this week reached a net position of -409,108 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -20,128 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -388,980 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 14.8 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 76.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 98.5 percent.

Ultra US Treasury Bonds Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	5.5	80.7	12.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	32.1	57.9	8.4
– Net Position:	-409,108	350,435	58,673
– Gross Longs:	84,063	1,239,774	187,318
– Gross Shorts:	493,171	889,339	128,645
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.2 to 1	1.4 to 1	1.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	14.8	76.0	98.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-4.2	0.9	8.1

Article By InvestMacro – Receive our weekly COT Newsletter

Bonds COT Updates Opinions

20 May

Bonds Speculators continue to raise record bearish bets in 2-Year and 5-Year Treasuries

By InvestMacro

Here are the latest charts and statistics for the Commitment of Traders (COT) reports data published by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday May 16th and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial hedgers) were positioned in the futures markets.

Weekly Speculator Changes led by Fed Funds & 10-Year Bonds

The COT bond market speculator bets were higher this week as seven out of the nine bond markets we cover had higher positioning while the other two markets had lower speculator contracts.

Leading the gains for the bond markets was the SOFR 3-Months (286,007 contracts) with the 10-Year Bonds (39,256 contracts), the Ultra 10-Year Bonds (25,171 contracts), the Eurodollar (18,226 contracts), the Ultra Treasury Bonds (11,539 contracts), the US Treasury Bonds (11,548 contracts), and the Fed Funds (7,746 contracts) also showing positive weeks.

The bond markets with declines in speculator bets for the week were the 2-Year Bonds (-103,690 contracts) and the 5-Year Bonds (-13,271 contracts) also registering lower bets on the week.

Bonds Speculators continue to raise record bearish bets in 2-Year and the 5-Year bonds

Highlighting the COT bonds data once again this week was an increase in the record bearish speculator positions for both the 2-Year and the 5-Year bonds.

The large speculators in the 2-Year bonds sharply added to their bearish bets for a second straight week this week and for the fourth time in the past five weeks. Speculators have now added more than -100,000 contracts to the bearish position in each of the past two weeks. There has been a total of -356,734 contracts added to the overall bearish standing in the past five weeks which has taken the position from -496,841 on April 11th to a total new historical record bearish level of -853,575 contracts this week.

Meanwhile, the 5-Year Bond speculator positions only edged slightly lower this week but have now been more bearish for four straight weeks. The last four weeks have added a total of -169,411 contracts to the net speculator level and has brought the current bearish position to a record total of -923,913 contracts.

The 2-Year and 5-Years front-month futures prices were on retreat this week as were most of the bonds across the US Treasury yield curve. The 5-Year price closed at the 108.22 level but remains approximately 3 percent higher from the most recent low hit in October. The 2-Year futures price closed the week at 102.19 and only approximately 1.25 percent higher than the recent low reached in March.

Data Snapshot of Bond Market Traders | Columns Legend

May-16-2023	OI	OI-Index	Spec-Net	Spec-Index	Com-Net	COM-Index	Smalls-Net	Smalls-Index
Eurodollar	550,147	0	-36,884	73	39,568	23	-2,684	99
FedFunds	1,585,578	54	-67,571	31	88,368	71	-20,797	50
2-Year	3,164,301	100	-853,575	0	772,391	100	81,184	95
Long T-Bond	1,236,267	67	-61,581	65	-315	10	61,896	94
10-Year	4,718,099	100	-692,442	6	570,703	83	121,739	100
5-Year	5,100,803	100	-923,913	0	872,715	99	51,198	95

Strength Scores led by SOFR 3-Months & Eurodollar

COT Strength Scores (a normalized measure of Speculator positions over a 3-Year range, from 0 to 100 where above 80 is Extreme-Bullish and below 20 is Extreme-Bearish) showed that the SOFR 3-Months (81 percent) and the Eurodollar (73 percent) lead the bond markets this week. The US Treasury Bonds (65 percent) comes in as the next highest in the weekly strength scores.

On the downside, the 5-Year Bonds (0 percent), the 2-Year Bonds (0 percent), the Ultra 10-Year Bonds (6 percent) and the 10-Year Bonds (6 percent) come in at the lowest strength level currently and are in Extreme-Bearish territory (below 20 percent).

Strength Statistics:
Fed Funds (31.3 percent) vs Fed Funds previous week (30.3 percent)
2-Year Bond (0.0 percent) vs 2-Year Bond previous week (11.0 percent)
5-Year Bond (0.0 percent) vs 5-Year Bond previous week (1.3 percent)
10-Year Bond (6.1 percent) vs 10-Year Bond previous week (1.9 percent)
Ultra 10-Year Bond (6.5 percent) vs Ultra 10-Year Bond previous week (1.4 percent)
US Treasury Bond (64.5 percent) vs US Treasury Bond previous week (60.8 percent)
Ultra US Treasury Bond (23.4 percent) vs Ultra US Treasury Bond previous week (18.5 percent)
Eurodollar (73.1 percent) vs Eurodollar previous week (72.6 percent)
SOFR 3-Months (81.0 percent) vs SOFR 3-Months previous week (57.8 percent)

US Treasury Bonds & Eurodollar top the 6-Week Strength Trends

COT Strength Score Trends (or move index, calculates the 6-week changes in strength scores) showed that the US Treasury Bonds (22 percent) and the Eurodollar (16 percent) lead the past six weeks trends for bonds. The Fed Funds (10 percent) and the are the next highest positive movers in the latest trends data.

The 2-Year Bonds (-37 percent) and the 5-Year Bonds (-14 percent) leads the downside trend scores currently with the 10-Year Bonds (-8 percent) following next with lower trend scores.

Strength Trend Statistics:
Fed Funds (9.8 percent) vs Fed Funds previous week (11.5 percent)
2-Year Bond (-37.3 percent) vs 2-Year Bond previous week (-23.8 percent)
5-Year Bond (-14.0 percent) vs 5-Year Bond previous week (-22.4 percent)
10-Year Bond (-7.7 percent) vs 10-Year Bond previous week (-28.0 percent)
Ultra 10-Year Bond (0.0 percent) vs Ultra 10-Year Bond previous week (-12.2 percent)
US Treasury Bond (22.1 percent) vs US Treasury Bond previous week (5.9 percent)
Ultra US Treasury Bond (8.0 percent) vs Ultra US Treasury Bond previous week (9.0 percent)
Eurodollar (15.7 percent) vs Eurodollar previous week (14.7 percent)
SOFR 3-Months (2.8 percent) vs SOFR 3-Months previous week (-32.9 percent)

Individual Bond Markets:

3-Month Eurodollars Futures:

The 3-Month Eurodollars large speculator standing this week was a net position of -36,884 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly boost of 18,226 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -55,110 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 73.1 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 22.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 98.7 percent.

3-Month Eurodollars Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	28.2	60.7	11.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	34.9	53.5	11.5
– Net Position:	-36,884	39,568	-2,684
– Gross Longs:	155,249	333,675	60,427
– Gross Shorts:	192,133	294,107	63,111
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.8 to 1	1.1 to 1	1.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	73.1	22.7	98.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	15.7	-18.5	35.7

Secured Overnight Financing Rate (3-Month) Futures:

The Secured Overnight Financing Rate (3-Month) large speculator standing this week was a net position of -166,821 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly gain of 286,007 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -452,828 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish-Extreme with a score of 81.0 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 19.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 82.4 percent.

SOFR 3-Months Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	15.1	61.5	0.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	16.8	59.8	0.5
– Net Position:	-166,821	176,705	-9,884
– Gross Longs:	1,503,562	6,133,861	41,542
– Gross Shorts:	1,670,383	5,957,156	51,426
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.9 to 1	1.0 to 1	0.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	81.0	19.7	82.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish-Extreme	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	2.8	-2.4	-2.7

30-Day Federal Funds Futures:

The 30-Day Federal Funds large speculator standing this week was a net position of -67,571 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lift of 7,746 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -75,317 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 31.3 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 70.6 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 50.2 percent.

30-Day Federal Funds Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	4.4	76.7	2.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	8.7	71.1	3.3
– Net Position:	-67,571	88,368	-20,797
– Gross Longs:	69,674	1,216,347	31,381
– Gross Shorts:	137,245	1,127,979	52,178
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.5 to 1	1.1 to 1	0.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	31.3	70.6	50.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish	Bullish	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	9.8	-8.3	-21.8

2-Year Treasury Note Futures:

The 2-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week was a net position of -853,575 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -103,690 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -749,885 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 94.7 percent.

2-Year Treasury Note Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	9.2	82.6	7.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	36.2	58.1	4.6
– Net Position:	-853,575	772,391	81,184
– Gross Longs:	290,539	2,612,188	227,803
– Gross Shorts:	1,144,114	1,839,797	146,619
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.3 to 1	1.4 to 1	1.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	0.0	100.0	94.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-37.3	35.3	29.8

5-Year Treasury Note Futures:

The 5-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week was a net position of -923,913 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -13,271 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -910,642 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 99.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 95.1 percent.

5-Year Treasury Note Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	8.5	81.9	7.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	26.7	64.8	6.2
– Net Position:	-923,913	872,715	51,198
– Gross Longs:	435,965	4,177,142	368,639
– Gross Shorts:	1,359,878	3,304,427	317,441
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.3 to 1	1.3 to 1	1.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	0.0	99.1	95.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-14.0	12.3	6.8

10-Year Treasury Note Futures:

The 10-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week was a net position of -692,442 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly rise of 39,256 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -731,698 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 6.1 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 82.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent.

10-Year Treasury Note Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	11.2	76.0	9.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	25.9	64.0	7.1
– Net Position:	-692,442	570,703	121,739
– Gross Longs:	527,490	3,588,001	454,956
– Gross Shorts:	1,219,932	3,017,298	333,217
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.4 to 1	1.2 to 1	1.4 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	6.1	82.7	100.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-7.7	-5.2	25.9

Ultra 10-Year Notes Futures:

The Ultra 10-Year Notes large speculator standing this week was a net position of -186,427 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lift of 25,171 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -211,598 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 6.5 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 91.6 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 65.6 percent.

Ultra 10-Year Notes Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	10.1	77.6	9.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	20.9	62.1	14.3
– Net Position:	-186,427	267,999	-81,572
– Gross Longs:	173,884	1,340,651	164,624
– Gross Shorts:	360,311	1,072,652	246,196
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.5 to 1	1.2 to 1	0.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	6.5	91.6	65.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	0.0	-2.4	6.7

US Treasury Bonds Futures:

The US Treasury Bonds large speculator standing this week was a net position of -61,581 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly rise of 11,548 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -73,129 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 64.5 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 10.5 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 93.5 percent.

US Treasury Bonds Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	7.4	76.1	14.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	12.4	76.2	9.9
– Net Position:	-61,581	-315	61,896
– Gross Longs:	91,193	941,115	183,809
– Gross Shorts:	152,774	941,430	121,913
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.6 to 1	1.0 to 1	1.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	64.5	10.5	93.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	22.1	-29.5	10.6

Ultra US Treasury Bonds Futures:

The Ultra US Treasury Bonds large speculator standing this week was a net position of -388,980 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly boost of 11,539 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -400,519 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 23.4 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 65.3 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 99.8 percent.

Ultra US Treasury Bonds Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	6.6	80.1	12.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	32.7	58.0	8.3
– Net Position:	-388,980	328,975	60,005
– Gross Longs:	97,884	1,192,422	183,052
– Gross Shorts:	486,864	863,447	123,047
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.2 to 1	1.4 to 1	1.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	23.4	65.3	99.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish	Bullish	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	8.0	-12.6	5.6

Article By InvestMacro – Receive our weekly COT Newsletter

Bonds COT Updates Opinions

18 May

Long Live SOFR for Swaps

By Daniel Flaim, Managing Director, North America Interest Rate Derivatives

New York, New York | May 18, 2023 – It is officially the end of the line for LIBOR. After some 30+ years as “the world’s most important number,” and the last six years on an extended farewell tour, the London Interbank Offered Rate will officially be retired as a benchmark for U.S. dollar swaps transactions. CME Group completed its conversion to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) as the standard benchmark reference for over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives trades in April and LCH will complete its conversion containing U.S. dollar LIBOR vs. fixed interest rate swaps on May 20. By June, roughly $60 trillion in U.S. dollar contracts will be secured to SOFR.

Regulators first announced plans to phase out LIBOR in 2017, ushering in a protracted death march that saw the slow-but-steady migration away from the decades-old benchmark. Ultimately, the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (ARRC) selected SOFR as the overnight benchmark rate to use in certain new U.S. dollar derivatives and financial contracts, and the financial industry—including regulators, central banks, trading venues and other market participants—have spent the last several years getting ready for the transition.

Over the course of that multi-year migration, we’ve learned some important lessons:

Big and complicated problems can be solved when the industry sets its collective mind to something. This transition was no small feat but market participants and regulators quickly rallied together to organize and coordinate efforts ahead of upcoming target deadlines. The end result was a relatively smooth process thanks to solid preparation, decisive action and regular communications.

January 2022 was the moment of reckoning. Migration away from LIBOR was slow and steady before taking a drastic turn ahead of the January 2022 deadline for no new LIBOR origination. By February 2022, SOFR trading on Tradeweb made up 72% of all new risk, and across our business approximately 96% of our most active clients globally trading USD swaps were using SOFR.

This playbook can be utilized elsewhere. We have been pleased to see that the insights and lessons learned from the U.S. dollar LIBOR transition have already extended beyond our markets and into non-LIBOR jurisdictions, further illustrating the permanent impact this movement has had on our global markets.

Why LIBOR Was So Entrenched

Getting there was no small achievement. LIBOR didn’t earn its reputation as “the world’s most important number” for nothing. As the benchmark evolved over the last three decades, it’s been sliced and diced into multiple durations and both backward-looking and forward-looking rates that are used for everything from projecting market expectations for the cost of borrowing to the underlying benchmark for U.S. dollar swaps contracts. Financial technology also grew up around LIBOR, with virtually every piece of financial services software and nearly every financial model incorporating some link to the benchmark.

Thankfully, due to close collaboration between industry stakeholders including trading platforms, dealers and clients, clearinghouses and operators of order management systems, over the course of the transition period, this final step in the migration from LIBOR to SOFR in the swaps market is anticipated to be a smooth one.

Orderly Transition to a New Standard

In fact, much of the heavy lifting has already been done. As indicated in the chart below, the percentage of new U.S. dollar swaps trades benchmarked to SOFR and executed on the Tradeweb platform started to trend upward in August of 2021. That date followed the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) Market Risk Advisory Committee (MRAC) SOFR First recommendation, which introduced a phased approach to the SOFR transition. In the following months, SOFR trading activity on the Tradeweb platform increased as clients began to offset their existing U.S. dollar LIBOR risk, with new SOFR activity reaching parity with LIBOR by January 2022, in response to the upcoming deadline which imposed restrictions on new use of U.S. dollar LIBOR. By February 2022, trading volume benchmarked to SOFR on the Tradeweb platform increased over 50% versus the previous month. In 2022 alone, we had nearly $21 trillion traded in SOFR on the platform.

Source: TW SEF, % of Delta, excluding basis and inflation swaps

Together, the steady forward march toward SOFR adoption for new trades, along with the industry’s diligent efforts to smooth the migration of existing contracts benchmarked to LIBOR, has helped pave the way for an incredibly orderly transition.

Following the success of the LIBOR transition in the U.S. dollar market, we’ve seen similar work being done in non-LIBOR jurisdictions, including Canada. Led by the Canadian Alternative Reference Rate Committee (CARR), Canada is shifting away from the benchmark Canadian Dollar Offered Rate (CDOR) to Canadian Overnight Repo Rate Average (CORRA) as the key Canadian interest rate benchmark. Globally, the LIBOR transition has served as a shining example of industry collaboration overcoming institutional inertia and debunking the myth that things need to be done a certain way just because that’s how they’ve always been done.

It took six years and there was no shortage of doubt and concern along the way, but the transition that the New York Federal Reserve called “arguably one of the most significant and complex challenges that financial markets will ever confront,” is about to be complete. It should come as a cause for celebration to the countless market participants who weren’t afraid to tweak the process, experiment with new standards and collaborate with peers to transform and modernize critical market infrastructure.

Now, as a result of this effort by so many parties, our markets are running smoothly and efficiently and we have proven once again how resilient and innovative our industry can be when we set our sights on a common goal. For our part at Tradeweb, we look forward to continuing to refine our workflows along with the some of the most accurate and timely pricing and reference data available to ensure our clients are operating in a transparent, efficient marketplace.

About Tradeweb Markets

Tradeweb Markets Inc. (Nasdaq: TW) is a leading, global operator of electronic marketplaces for rates, credit, equities and money markets. Founded in 1996, Tradeweb provides access to markets, data and analytics, electronic trading, straight-through-processing and reporting for more than 40 products to clients in the institutional, wholesale and retail markets. Advanced technologies developed by Tradeweb enhance price discovery, order execution and trade workflows while allowing for greater scale and helping to reduce risks in client trading operations. Tradeweb serves approximately 2,500 clients in more than 65 countries. On average, Tradeweb facilitated more than $1.1 trillion in notional value traded per day over the past four quarters. For more information, please go to www.tradeweb.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements related to, among other things, our outlook and future performance, the industry and markets in which we operate, our expectations, beliefs, plans, strategies, objectives, prospects and assumptions and future events are forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While we believe these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. These and other important factors, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in documents of Tradeweb Markets Inc. on file with or furnished to the SEC, may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are not guarantees of future performance and our actual results of operations, financial condition or liquidity, and the development of the industry and markets in which we operate, may differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this release. In addition, even if our results of operations, financial condition or liquidity, and events in the industry and markets in which we operate, are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this release, they may not be predictive of results or developments in future periods. Any forward-looking statement that we make in this release speaks only as of the date of such statement. Except as required by law, we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise, or to publicly announce any update or revision to, any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this release.

Bonds Finance Press Release Financial News

13 May

Bonds Speculators drop 2-Year & 5-Year bets to record lows

By InvestMacro

Here are the latest charts and statistics for the Commitment of Traders (COT) reports data published by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday May 9th and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial hedgers) were positioned in the futures markets.

Weekly Speculator Changes led by SOFR 3-Months & 10-Year Bonds

The COT bond market speculator bets were higher this week as five out of the nine bond markets we cover had higher positioning while the other four markets had lower speculator contracts.

Leading the gains for the bond markets was the SOFR 3-Months (172,071 contracts) with the 10-Year Bonds (17,449 contracts), the US Treasury Bonds (16,285 contracts), the Ultra 10-Year Bonds (6,690 contracts) and the Eurodollar (257 contracts) also showing positive weeks.

The bond markets with declines in speculator bets for the week were the 2-Year Bonds (-116,409 contracts), the Fed Funds (-35,180 contracts), the 5-Year Bonds (-412 contracts) and the Ultra Treasury Bonds (-1,713 contracts) also seeing lower bets on the week.

Speculators drop 2-Year and 5-Year Bonds bets to record lows

Highlighting the COT bonds data is this week’s record bearish speculator positioning in both the 2-Year and the 5-Year bonds.

The large speculators in the 2-Year bonds sharply added to their bearish bets for a second straight week this week and for the third time in the past four weeks. Speculators have now added a total of -253,044 contracts to the bearish position over the past four weeks alone. This weakness in sentiment has pushed the overall bearish standing to the highest level on record at a total of -749,885 contracts, according to CFTC data that goes back to 1990. This record bearish position surpassed the previous one that was recently registered on February 14th at a total of -696,686 contracts.

The 5-Year Bond speculator positions have also dropped their bets to a record low position this week and have done so for three straight weeks in succession. The 5-Year speculators have added a whopping -353,430 contracts to their net positions over the past eight weeks. This week’s record bearish position is at a total of -910,642 contracts which is the all-time low dating back to 1988, according to the CFTC.

Despite these all-time lows in both the 2-Year and 5-Years positions, their respective futures prices have not followed lower. The 2-Year futures price closed this week at 103.05 and is almost 2 percent higher than the low that was reached in early March at 101.09. Meanwhile, the 5-Year futures price closed at 110.01 this week and is approximately 4.35 percent higher than the low that was hit in October at 105.14. Overall in the longer view, the 5-Year price is down by approximately 13 percent from the highs of 2021 while the 2-Year prices are down by about 6.5 percent from 2021.

The outlook for both of these bonds will depend very much on the path forward for the benchmark interest rate controlled by the US Federal Reserve and how the economy evolves. The latest forecast for the next Fed meeting shows a high likelihood of an interest rate pause (almost 85 percent per the CME Fed tool). This pause would be a positive for bond prices while if an economic recession does take place, bond prices would likely be a place for safe haven investments. A recession could also prompt a Fed interest rate cut (bond price positive). However, further upside in inflation and followed by more Fed hikes would be a negative for bonds. The US debt ceiling is also an outlier risk event coming up that needs to be kept in mind as well.

Data Snapshot of Bond Market Traders | Columns Legend

May-09-2023	OI	OI-Index	Spec-Net	Spec-Index	Com-Net	COM-Index	Smalls-Net	Smalls-Index
Eurodollar	632,242	0	-55,110	73	58,414	23	-3,304	99
FedFunds	1,502,281	47	-75,317	30	104,070	73	-28,753	35
2-Year	3,007,292	100	-749,885	0	681,291	100	68,594	89
Long T-Bond	1,189,414	54	-73,129	61	2,355	11	70,774	100
10-Year	4,510,018	100	-731,698	2	641,595	90	90,103	100
5-Year	5,086,319	100	-910,642	0	872,302	99	38,340	92

Strength Scores led by Eurodollar & US Treasury Bonds

COT Strength Scores (a normalized measure of Speculator positions over a 3-Year range, from 0 to 100 where above 80 is Extreme-Bullish and below 20 is Extreme-Bearish) showed that the Eurodollar (73 percent) and the US Treasury Bonds (61 percent) lead the bond markets this week. The SOFR 3-Months (58 percent) comes in as the next highest in the weekly strength scores.

On the downside, the 5-Year Bonds (0 percent), the 2-Year Bonds (0 percent), the Ultra 10-Year Bonds (1 percent), the 10-Year Bonds (2 percent) and the Ultra US Treasury Bond (18.5 percent) come in at the lowest strength levels currently and are all in Extreme-Bearish territory (below 20 percent).

Strength Statistics:
Fed Funds (30.3 percent) vs Fed Funds previous week (34.7 percent)
2-Year Bond (0.0 percent) vs 2-Year Bond previous week (13.9 percent)
5-Year Bond (0.0 percent) vs 5-Year Bond previous week (0.0 percent)
10-Year Bond (1.9 percent) vs 10-Year Bond previous week (0.0 percent)
Ultra 10-Year Bond (1.4 percent) vs Ultra 10-Year Bond previous week (0.0 percent)
US Treasury Bond (60.8 percent) vs US Treasury Bond previous week (55.5 percent)
Ultra US Treasury Bond (18.5 percent) vs Ultra US Treasury Bond previous week (19.2 percent)
Eurodollar (72.6 percent) vs Eurodollar previous week (72.6 percent)
SOFR 3-Months (57.8 percent) vs SOFR 3-Months previous week (43.9 percent)

Eurodollar & Fed Funds top the 6-Week Strength Trends

COT Strength Score Trends (or move index, calculates the 6-week changes in strength scores) showed that the Eurodollar (15 percent) and the Fed Funds (12 percent) lead the past six weeks trends for bonds. The Ultra Treasury Bonds (9 percent) and the US Treasury Bond (6 percent) are the next positive movers in the latest trends data.

The SOFR 3-Months (-33 percent) and the 10-Year Bonds (-28 percent) lead the downside trend scores currently with the 2-Year Bonds (-27 percent) and the 5-Year Bonds (-23 percent) following next with lower trend scores.

Strength Trend Statistics:
Fed Funds (11.5 percent) vs Fed Funds previous week (-1.9 percent)
2-Year Bond (-26.8 percent) vs 2-Year Bond previous week (-20.2 percent)
5-Year Bond (-22.7 percent) vs 5-Year Bond previous week (-27.7 percent)
10-Year Bond (-28.0 percent) vs 10-Year Bond previous week (-19.1 percent)
Ultra 10-Year Bond (-12.2 percent) vs Ultra 10-Year Bond previous week (-12.2 percent)
US Treasury Bond (5.9 percent) vs US Treasury Bond previous week (3.3 percent)
Ultra US Treasury Bond (9.0 percent) vs Ultra US Treasury Bond previous week (19.2 percent)
Eurodollar (14.7 percent) vs Eurodollar previous week (14.9 percent)
SOFR 3-Months (-32.9 percent) vs SOFR 3-Months previous week (-43.9 percent)

Individual Bond Markets:

3-Month Eurodollars Futures:

The 3-Month Eurodollars large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of -55,110 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly advance of 257 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -55,367 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 72.6 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 23.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 98.5 percent.

3-Month Eurodollars Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	24.9	63.2	10.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	33.6	53.9	11.1
– Net Position:	-55,110	58,414	-3,304
– Gross Longs:	157,203	399,297	66,638
– Gross Shorts:	212,313	340,883	69,942
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.7 to 1	1.2 to 1	1.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	72.6	23.1	98.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	14.7	-18.0	38.2

Secured Overnight Financing Rate (3-Month) Futures:

The Secured Overnight Financing Rate (3-Month) large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of -452,828 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly advance of 172,071 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -624,899 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 57.8 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 42.5 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 85.3 percent.

SOFR 3-Months Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	14.3	62.7	0.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	18.9	58.1	0.5
– Net Position:	-452,828	457,566	-4,738
– Gross Longs:	1,408,633	6,178,976	42,103
– Gross Shorts:	1,861,461	5,721,410	46,841
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.8 to 1	1.1 to 1	0.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	57.8	42.5	85.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-32.9	32.8	0.3

30-Day Federal Funds Futures:

The 30-Day Federal Funds large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of -75,317 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -35,180 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -40,137 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 30.3 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 72.5 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 34.6 percent.

30-Day Federal Funds Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	4.0	78.4	2.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	9.0	71.5	4.2
– Net Position:	-75,317	104,070	-28,753
– Gross Longs:	59,367	1,178,447	34,793
– Gross Shorts:	134,684	1,074,377	63,546
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.4 to 1	1.1 to 1	0.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	30.3	72.5	34.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish	Bullish	Bearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	11.5	-8.5	-45.8

2-Year Treasury Note Futures:

The 2-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of -749,885 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -116,409 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -633,476 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 88.7 percent.

2-Year Treasury Note Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	8.8	82.8	7.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	33.8	60.2	5.1
– Net Position:	-749,885	681,291	68,594
– Gross Longs:	266,070	2,490,414	221,650
– Gross Shorts:	1,015,955	1,809,123	153,056
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.3 to 1	1.4 to 1	1.4 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	0.0	100.0	88.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-26.8	24.3	22.7

5-Year Treasury Note Futures:

The 5-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of -910,642 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -412 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -910,230 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 99.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 91.5 percent.

5-Year Treasury Note Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	9.4	81.5	7.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	27.3	64.4	6.3
– Net Position:	-910,642	872,302	38,340
– Gross Longs:	477,767	4,146,935	361,166
– Gross Shorts:	1,388,409	3,274,633	322,826
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.3 to 1	1.3 to 1	1.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	0.0	99.1	91.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-22.7	25.4	-4.3

10-Year Treasury Note Futures:

The 10-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of -731,698 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly rise of 17,449 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -749,147 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 1.9 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 90.4 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent.

10-Year Treasury Note Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	10.0	78.1	9.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	26.3	63.9	7.4
– Net Position:	-731,698	641,595	90,103
– Gross Longs:	453,077	3,522,275	425,427
– Gross Shorts:	1,184,775	2,880,680	335,324
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.4 to 1	1.2 to 1	1.3 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	1.9	90.4	100.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-28.0	22.5	12.9

Ultra 10-Year Notes Futures:

The Ultra 10-Year Notes large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of -211,598 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly advance of 6,690 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -218,288 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 1.4 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 95.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 71.1 percent.

Ultra 10-Year Notes Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	9.2	79.2	10.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	21.9	62.2	14.4
– Net Position:	-211,598	283,856	-72,258
– Gross Longs:	154,358	1,326,293	169,295
– Gross Shorts:	365,956	1,042,437	241,553
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.4 to 1	1.3 to 1	0.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	1.4	95.0	71.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-12.2	11.1	4.9

US Treasury Bonds Futures:

The US Treasury Bonds large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of -73,129 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly increase of 16,285 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -89,414 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 60.8 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 11.4 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent.

US Treasury Bonds Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	6.5	76.8	15.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	12.6	76.6	9.4
– Net Position:	-73,129	2,355	70,774
– Gross Longs:	76,938	913,035	182,961
– Gross Shorts:	150,067	910,680	112,187
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.5 to 1	1.0 to 1	1.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	60.8	11.4	100.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	5.9	-6.9	0.8

Ultra US Treasury Bonds Futures:

The Ultra US Treasury Bonds large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of -400,519 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decrease of -1,713 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -398,806 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 18.5 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 71.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 99.4 percent.

Ultra US Treasury Bonds Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	6.1	81.3	12.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	33.5	58.0	8.1
– Net Position:	-400,519	340,881	59,638
– Gross Longs:	89,706	1,188,568	178,139
– Gross Shorts:	490,225	847,687	118,501
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.2 to 1	1.4 to 1	1.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	18.5	71.9	99.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	9.0	-11.7	1.6

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