Archive for Soft Commodities – Page 12

24 May

The impact of Indonesia’s ban on palm oil exports reverberated across the globe

By Steffi Hamann, University of Guelph 

– Amid an ongoing global food price crisis, vegetable oils are registering record-breaking highs. According to data compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the price for edible oils rose to almost 250 per cent of standard price levels.

Over the past two years, labour restrictions, climate change and violent conflict have contributed to this latest oil crisis. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread rapidly across six continents, lockdowns resulted in work restrictions, affecting production sites and processing facilities in strategic locations such as Indonesia and Malaysia. These two countries are the top producers of palm oil, accounting for approximately 40 per cent of the vegetable oil market.

The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index depicts monthly fluctuations in the trading prices of common edible oils compared to the 2014-16 standard reference period.
(FAO, adapted by the author)

The other major commodities in this sector — soybean oil, canola oil and sunflower oil — fared even worse. A combination of heatwaves and droughts wiped out millions of tonnes in South America’s soybean harvest and decimated the canola harvest in Canada, which fell to a nine-year low.

In a catastrophic turn of events in Europe, the Russian invasion of Ukraine caused the price of sunflower oil to soar. When shipments of the important export crop came to a halt due to conflict-induced logistical bottlenecks in the supply chain, the market reacted instantly: futures contracts for sunflower oil suddenly swelled to US$2,361 from the previous year’s US$1,404 per tonne.

Given the market disruptions, commodity traders turned their attention back to palm oil, the cheapest and most abundant vegetable oil. Oil palm plantations yield an average of approximately three tonnes of oil per hectare each year, while other oil-producing crops generate less than one tonne of crude oil per hectare.

As the leading producer, Indonesia accounts for almost two-thirds of global palm oil exports. So, when Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced an unprecedented ban on palm oil exports in late April, he sent a shock wave across agri-food markets. What moved him to take such a radical step?

Soaring domestic demand, rising political pressure

When the price of vegetable oils began to rise steeply, the Indonesian government scrambled to find effective domestic measures that would protect consumers. Policy-makers initially decreed a price cap on palm oil and imposed a limit of two litres per customer as a rationing measure.

They later increased the levy on palm oil exports and offered direct cash transfers to low-income citizens to subsidize purchases of the staple food. None of their strategies solved the problem.

For palm oil producers, it is much more lucrative to sell their stock abroad instead of to the Indonesian market. The small group of businesses that control the country’s palm oil sector benefited financially from the high international prices for edible oils. By allocating more and more of their oil to the export market, they created a bottleneck in the domestic supply chain.

Public discontent grew in light of the administration’s inability to stabilize prices, unleashing a wave of protests in mid-April. The pressure escalated towards the end of the month. Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim celebration that marks the end of the month-long fasting during Ramadan, took place in the beginning of May this year.

Preparations for the festivities caused an upsurge in the demand of cooking oil in Indonesia. For the first time in two years of COVID-19 restrictions, people were hosting extravagant feasts. It was within this context that the Indonesian government ultimately decided to ban the export of crude and refined palm oil.

Implications around the world

Although the export ban temporarily quieted domestic critics, the rest of the world was bewildered by the new trade policy. Immediate repercussions were felt most strongly in populous nations that rely on the import of vegetable oils for their cooking needs, like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Egypt.

While North American and European consumers rarely use palm oil in their frying pans, they encounter refined, bleached and deodorized palm oil on a daily basis. It is a versatile ingredient used in processed foods and consumer goods including shower gel, dish soap, lipstick, cookies, instant noodles and packaged bread.

These, and other household goods, will likely be affected by the global vegetable oil crunch, but the impacts tend to be most dire for the world’s poorest regions.

From previous market disruptions, we know that rising food prices fuel harmful behaviours, ranging from panic purchases and commodity speculation, to an increased appetite for land acquisitions in the agri-food sector. This greatly affects low-income countries whose economies rely chiefly on agriculture and the export of primary goods. The majority of these nations are located in sub-Saharan Africa and South America.

Avoiding a spiral of adverse effects will require policy measures designed to keep excessive speculation in check. Enhancing transparency in the global food market requires prioritizing the needs of farmers and consumers rather than those who seek to profit financially from the vegetable oil price hikes.

The end of the Indonesian palm oil ban is an important first step to return the situation to normal. Three weeks after stopping exports, President Widodo has just reversed his decision in response to mounting pressures from palm oil producers. While this move may lead to new protests on the streets of Jakarta, it is good news for international markets in a tumultuous time.The Conversation

About the Author:

Steffi Hamann, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Development Studies, University of Guelph

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Opinions Soft Commodities
22 May

COT Futures Charts: Soft Commodities Speculator bets mixed

By InvestMacro | COT | Data Tables | COT Leaders | Downloads | COT Newsletter

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

The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday May 17th and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial entities) were positioned in the futures markets.

Soft Commodities market speculator bets were mixed this week as five out of the eleven softs markets we cover had higher positioning this week while six markets saw lower positions. Leading the gains for the soft commodities was Sugar (9,445 contracts) and Soybeans (9,039 contracts) with Wheat (7,120 contracts), Coffee (5,932 contracts) and Corn (2,835 contracts) also showing a positive week. Meanwhile, leading the declines in speculator bets this week were Soybean Meal (-10,832 contracts) and Lean Hogs (-8,595 contracts) with Live Cattle (-4,773 contracts), Soybean Oil (-4,295 contracts), Cotton (-2,443 contracts) and Cocoa (-2,463 contracts) also coming in with lower bets on the week.

Data Snapshot of Commodity Market Traders | Columns Legend
May-17-2022OIOI-IndexSpec-NetSpec-IndexCom-NetCOM-IndexSmalls-NetSmalls-Index
WTI Crude1,730,6650325,6377-363,8699538,23269
Gold555,75630175,36033-206,8796531,51948
Silver144,5341116,11438-24,841758,7270
Copper189,48319-24,4082523,059751,34933
Palladium9,11413-3,21533,62197-40620
Platinum65,926322,2037-6,697964,49425
Natural Gas1,118,4178-115,0124464,3405150,672100
Brent176,86121-34,8675332,127472,74046
Heating Oil349,618316,45552-32,4343725,97988
Soybeans709,14424183,64773-156,93733-26,71026
Corn1,548,43829473,74391-424,75611-48,98715
Coffee206,106038,48772-40,949322,46213
Sugar825,2816196,63077-245,3742248,74468
Wheat326,651828,80657-26,02023-2,78698

 

CORN Futures:

CORN Futures COT ChartThe CORN large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 473,743 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lift of 2,835 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 470,908 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 90.6 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 11.4 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 14.8 percent.

CORN Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:38.142.29.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:7.569.612.4
– Net Position:473,743-424,756-48,987
– Gross Longs:589,352653,039143,508
– Gross Shorts:115,6091,077,795192,495
– Long to Short Ratio:5.1 to 10.6 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):90.611.414.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-1.7-0.18.0

 

SUGAR Futures:

SUGAR Futures COT ChartThe SUGAR large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 196,630 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly advance of 9,445 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 187,185 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 77.0 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 21.6 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 68.1 percent.

SUGAR Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:30.645.911.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:6.875.65.5
– Net Position:196,630-245,37448,744
– Gross Longs:252,752378,42294,457
– Gross Shorts:56,122623,79645,713
– Long to Short Ratio:4.5 to 10.6 to 12.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):77.021.668.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:1.7-1.0-3.5

 

COFFEE Futures:

COFFEE Futures COT ChartThe COFFEE large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 38,487 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly increase of 5,932 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 32,555 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 72.1 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 32.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 12.7 percent.

COFFEE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:24.054.04.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:5.373.92.9
– Net Position:38,487-40,9492,462
– Gross Longs:49,501111,3978,495
– Gross Shorts:11,014152,3466,033
– Long to Short Ratio:4.5 to 10.7 to 11.4 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):72.132.112.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-4.67.1-21.6

 

SOYBEANS Futures:

SOYBEANS Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEANS large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 183,647 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly rise of 9,039 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 174,608 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 33.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 25.9 percent.

SOYBEANS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:32.747.87.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:6.869.910.8
– Net Position:183,647-156,937-26,710
– Gross Longs:231,911338,71849,750
– Gross Shorts:48,264495,65576,460
– Long to Short Ratio:4.8 to 10.7 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):72.633.025.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-4.33.72.3

 

SOYBEAN OIL Futures:

SOYBEAN OIL Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEAN OIL large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 96,301 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decline of -4,295 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 100,596 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 72.5 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 23.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 93.4 percent.

SOYBEAN OIL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:31.146.110.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:5.277.74.9
– Net Position:96,301-117,72421,423
– Gross Longs:115,709171,88039,590
– Gross Shorts:19,408289,60418,167
– Long to Short Ratio:6.0 to 10.6 to 12.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):72.523.893.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:4.2-7.121.4

 

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures:

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEAN MEAL large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 73,300 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decrease of -10,832 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 84,132 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 68.3 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 30.6 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 75.3 percent.

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:28.647.313.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:8.475.26.3
– Net Position:73,300-100,72927,429
– Gross Longs:103,499171,14450,082
– Gross Shorts:30,199271,87322,653
– Long to Short Ratio:3.4 to 10.6 to 12.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):68.330.675.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-28.127.7-14.2

 

LIVE CATTLE Futures:

LIVE CATTLE Futures COT ChartThe LIVE CATTLE large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 35,030 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -4,773 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 39,803 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 22.7 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 70.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 69.3 percent.

LIVE CATTLE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:35.639.210.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:24.049.712.0
– Net Position:35,030-31,417-3,613
– Gross Longs:107,168117,90332,549
– Gross Shorts:72,138149,32036,162
– Long to Short Ratio:1.5 to 10.8 to 10.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):22.770.869.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-17.212.416.6

 

LEAN HOGS Futures:

LEAN HOGS Futures COT ChartThe LEAN HOGS large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 7,765 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -8,595 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 16,360 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 15.2 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 90.3 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 70.0 percent.

LEAN HOGS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:28.939.910.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:25.141.213.0
– Net Position:7,765-2,647-5,118
– Gross Longs:58,84781,20321,361
– Gross Shorts:51,08283,85026,479
– Long to Short Ratio:1.2 to 11.0 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):15.290.370.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-41.142.78.5

 

COTTON Futures:

COTTON Futures COT ChartThe COTTON large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 79,316 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decrease of -2,443 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 81,759 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 73.2 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 24.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 85.4 percent.

COTTON Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:45.134.69.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:6.079.43.5
– Net Position:79,316-90,87211,556
– Gross Longs:91,52570,06518,559
– Gross Shorts:12,209160,9377,003
– Long to Short Ratio:7.5 to 10.4 to 12.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):73.224.985.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-3.24.0-12.1

 

COCOA Futures:

COCOA Futures COT ChartThe COCOA large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 18,583 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -2,463 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 21,046 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 35.8 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 62.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 47.4 percent.

COCOA Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:29.944.55.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:23.552.64.0
– Net Position:18,583-23,6685,085
– Gross Longs:87,225129,74016,687
– Gross Shorts:68,642153,40811,602
– Long to Short Ratio:1.3 to 10.8 to 11.4 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):35.862.947.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-17.719.0-14.9

 

WHEAT Futures:

WHEAT Futures COT ChartThe WHEAT large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 28,806 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly advance of 7,120 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 21,686 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 56.5 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 98.3 percent.

WHEAT Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:37.236.810.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:28.444.811.3
– Net Position:28,806-26,020-2,786
– Gross Longs:121,593120,34133,993
– Gross Shorts:92,787146,36136,779
– Long to Short Ratio:1.3 to 10.8 to 10.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):56.522.798.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:11.5-15.29.7

 

Article By InvestMacro – Receive our weekly COT Reports by Email

*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.

CountingPips Forex Blog Financial News Soft Commodities
15 May
coffee_beans

COT Soft Commodities Charts: Speculator bets mostly cool off this week

By InvestMacro | COT | Data Tables | COT Leaders | Downloads | COT Newsletter

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

The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday May 10th and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial entities) were positioned in the futures markets.

Soft commodities speculator bets cooled off this week with nine out of the eleven markets we cover showing a decrease in their positioning. Soft commodities markets have been red hot this year with the war in Ukraine causing food disruptions, general production problems, food protectionism and, of course, with inflation rising throughout the world.

Overall, the soft commodities that saw higher bets this week were just Soybean Oil (3,305 contracts) and Wheat (1,674 contracts).

Meanwhile, the soft commodities that saw lower speculator bets on the week were Corn (-30,957 contracts), Sugar (-14,407 contracts), Coffee (-8,142 contracts), Soybeans (-15,794 contracts), Soybean Meal (-15,429 contracts), Live Cattle (-7,233 contracts), Lean Hogs (-5,671 contracts), Cotton (-1,674 contracts) and Cocoa (-15,513 contracts).

Data Snapshot of Commodity Market Traders | Columns Legend
May-10-2022OIOI-IndexSpec-NetSpec-IndexCom-NetCOM-IndexSmalls-NetSmalls-Index
WTI Crude1,736,5940310,8032-354,4799843,67677
Gold571,44734193,31540-227,7565734,44157
Silver142,752919,08241-30,5196911,4379
Copper184,50215-22,6262619,249733,37745
Palladium8,83211-3,24533,43496-18933
Platinum66,064321,3635-5,373984,01018
Natural Gas1,108,4516-112,5294564,0065148,523100
Brent173,91119-31,2155930,5624465318
Heating Oil349,618316,45552-32,4343725,97988
Soybeans694,45420174,60872-147,69833-26,91026
Corn1,510,78323470,90890-415,34513-55,56311
Coffee212,659532,55569-33,559371,0040
Sugar797,4530187,18575-220,6112633,42649
Wheat308,326021,68648-17,77934-3,90792

 

CORN Futures:

CORN Futures COT ChartThe CORN large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of 470,908 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -30,957 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 501,865 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 90.2 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 12.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 11.1 percent.

CORN Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:37.942.78.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:6.870.212.6
– Net Position:470,908-415,345-55,563
– Gross Longs:573,327644,830134,903
– Gross Shorts:102,4191,060,175190,466
– Long to Short Ratio:5.6 to 10.6 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):90.212.811.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-1.41.31.1

 

SUGAR Futures:

SUGAR Futures COT ChartThe SUGAR large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of 187,185 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -14,407 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 201,592 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 75.1 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 26.3 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 49.2 percent.

SUGAR Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:31.545.810.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:8.073.56.6
– Net Position:187,185-220,61133,426
– Gross Longs:251,330365,26386,129
– Gross Shorts:64,145585,87452,703
– Long to Short Ratio:3.9 to 10.6 to 11.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):75.126.349.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:5.3-3.4-9.6

 

COFFEE Futures:

COFFEE Futures COT ChartThe COFFEE large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of 32,555 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decrease of -8,142 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 40,697 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 69.2 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 36.5 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent.

COFFEE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:23.856.13.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:8.571.93.1
– Net Position:32,555-33,5591,004
– Gross Longs:50,564119,3997,690
– Gross Shorts:18,009152,9586,686
– Long to Short Ratio:2.8 to 10.8 to 11.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):69.236.50.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-4.97.3-20.9

 

SOYBEANS Futures:

SOYBEANS Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEANS large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of 174,608 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -15,794 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 190,402 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 71.9 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 33.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 25.6 percent.

SOYBEANS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:32.448.27.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:7.369.511.0
– Net Position:174,608-147,698-26,910
– Gross Longs:225,260334,79249,376
– Gross Shorts:50,652482,49076,286
– Long to Short Ratio:4.4 to 10.7 to 10.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):71.933.125.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-8.37.81.3

 

SOYBEAN OIL Futures:

SOYBEAN OIL Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEAN OIL large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of 100,596 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lift of 3,305 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 97,291 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 76.6 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 21.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 81.5 percent.

SOYBEAN OIL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:32.045.89.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:4.877.95.0
– Net Position:100,596-118,83118,235
– Gross Longs:118,463169,76136,820
– Gross Shorts:17,867288,59218,585
– Long to Short Ratio:6.6 to 10.6 to 12.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):76.621.881.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:7.7-8.610.0

 

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures:

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEAN MEAL large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of 84,132 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -15,429 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 99,561 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 74.3 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 26.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 57.5 percent.

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:30.747.112.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:7.477.15.9
– Net Position:84,132-108,05923,927
– Gross Longs:110,648169,58345,065
– Gross Shorts:26,516277,64221,138
– Long to Short Ratio:4.2 to 10.6 to 12.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):74.326.857.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-21.022.2-25.5

 

LIVE CATTLE Futures:

The LIVE CATTLE large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of 39,803 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -7,233 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 47,036 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 26.5 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 66.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 67.9 percent.

LIVE CATTLE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:36.038.110.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:23.149.712.1
– Net Position:39,803-35,783-4,020
– Gross Longs:111,188117,50933,291
– Gross Shorts:71,385153,29237,311
– Long to Short Ratio:1.6 to 10.8 to 10.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):26.566.767.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-14.78.422.1

 

LEAN HOGS Futures:

LEAN HOGS Futures COT ChartThe LEAN HOGS large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of 16,360 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -5,671 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 22,031 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 24.6 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 80.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 67.8 percent.

LEAN HOGS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:30.738.010.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:23.143.012.8
– Net Position:16,360-10,817-5,543
– Gross Longs:66,48382,35322,102
– Gross Shorts:50,12393,17027,645
– Long to Short Ratio:1.3 to 10.9 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):24.680.767.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullish-ExtremeBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-40.140.413.7

 

COTTON Futures:

COTTON Futures COT ChartThe COTTON large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of 81,759 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decline of -1,674 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 83,433 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 74.8 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 23.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 81.2 percent.

COTTON Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:46.833.88.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:6.379.63.1
– Net Position:81,759-92,60310,844
– Gross Longs:94,57968,25117,191
– Gross Shorts:12,820160,8546,347
– Long to Short Ratio:7.4 to 10.4 to 12.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):74.823.981.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-1.52.7-14.1

 

COCOA Futures:

COCOA Futures COT ChartThe COCOA large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of 21,046 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decline of -15,513 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 36,559 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 38.3 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 59.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 53.8 percent.

COCOA Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:31.044.16.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:23.553.64.0
– Net Position:21,046-26,7705,724
– Gross Longs:87,140124,21617,042
– Gross Shorts:66,094150,98611,318
– Long to Short Ratio:1.3 to 10.8 to 11.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):38.359.953.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-18.321.1-30.6

 

WHEAT Futures:

The WHEAT large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of 21,686 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly gain of 1,674 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 20,012 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 48.3 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 34.4 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 92.3 percent.

WHEAT Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:36.239.19.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:29.144.910.9
– Net Position:21,686-17,779-3,907
– Gross Longs:111,546120,63129,835
– Gross Shorts:89,860138,41033,742
– Long to Short Ratio:1.2 to 10.9 to 10.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):48.334.492.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:10.4-11.91.2

 

Article By InvestMacro – Receive our weekly COT Reports by Email

*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.

CountingPips Forex Blog Financial News Soft Commodities
07 May

COT Futures: This Week’s Soft Commodities Markets Charts

By InvestMacro | COT | Data Tables | COT Leaders | Downloads | COT Newsletter

COT_Commodities_OI

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

The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday May 3rd 2022 and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial entities) were positioned in the futures markets.

The soft commodities that saw higher bets this week were Corn (4,240 contracts), Cotton (1,688 contracts) and Cocoa (11,905 contracts) while lower bets were seen in Sugar (-20,957 contracts), Coffee (-1,140 contracts), Soybeans (-13,404 contracts), Soybean Oil (-9,667 contracts), Soybean Meal (-16,734 contracts), Live Cattle (-14,313 contracts), Lean Hogs (-10,305 contracts) and Wheat (-1,638 contracts).

 

Data Snapshot of Commodity Market Traders | Columns Legend
May-03-2022OIOI-IndexSpec-NetSpec-IndexCom-NetCOM-IndexSmalls-NetSmalls-Index
WTI Crude1,751,5642321,7016-366,2139444,51278
Gold560,44131199,16842-231,8525532,68457
Silver137,692528,06850-39,3176011,2498
Copper185,25516-15,6233110,080665,54357
Palladium7,6386-2,75262,4559029761
Platinum66,54533-1,5411-3,6671005,20835
Natural Gas1,138,31912-117,7064372,8615444,84592
Brent168,12814-27,3186526,014371,30427
Heating Oil349,618316,45552-32,4343725,97988
Soybeans700,85622190,40277-165,35327-25,04929
Corn1,513,88023501,86594-451,2108-50,65514
Coffee206,337140,69777-43,007282,3105
Sugar818,6271201,59278-236,3942334,80251
Wheat319,233020,01260-14,22530-5,78782

 

CORN Futures:

CORN Futures COT ChartThe CORN large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of 501,865 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly advance of 4,240 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 497,625 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 94.1 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 7.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 13.9 percent.

CORN Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:39.042.59.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:5.872.312.6
– Net Position:501,865-451,210-50,655
– Gross Longs:589,856642,906140,438
– Gross Shorts:87,9911,094,116191,093
– Long to Short Ratio:6.7 to 10.6 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):94.17.713.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-2.22.8-1.2

 

SUGAR Futures:

SUGAR Futures COT ChartThe SUGAR large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of 201,592 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -20,957 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 222,549 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 78.0 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 23.3 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 50.9 percent.

SUGAR Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:32.444.810.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:7.773.76.1
– Net Position:201,592-236,39434,802
– Gross Longs:264,899366,58485,022
– Gross Shorts:63,307602,97850,220
– Long to Short Ratio:4.2 to 10.6 to 11.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):78.023.350.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:9.4-8.0-4.6

 

COFFEE Futures:

COFFEE Futures COT ChartThe COFFEE large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of 40,697 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -1,140 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 41,837 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 Bullish with a score of 76.7 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 27.6 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 5.1 percent.

COFFEE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:25.654.14.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:5.974.93.3
– Net Position:40,697-43,0072,310
– Gross Longs:52,804111,6139,017
– Gross Shorts:12,107154,6206,707
– Long to Short Ratio:4.4 to 10.7 to 11.3 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):76.727.65.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-0.92.3-13.6

 

SOYBEANS Futures:

SOYBEANS Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEANS large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of 190,402 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -13,404 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 203,806 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 Bullish with a score of 77.4 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 27.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 28.7 percent.

SOYBEANS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:34.246.57.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:7.070.110.9
– Net Position:190,402-165,353-25,049
– Gross Longs:239,355325,74651,469
– Gross Shorts:48,953491,09976,518
– Long to Short Ratio:4.9 to 10.7 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):77.427.128.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-7.06.7-0.1

 

SOYBEAN OIL Futures:

SOYBEAN OIL Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEAN OIL large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of 97,291 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -9,667 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 106,958 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 76.3 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 24.3 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 65.6 percent.

SOYBEAN OIL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:32.146.69.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:5.277.45.9
– Net Position:97,291-111,26713,976
– Gross Longs:116,132168,59035,309
– Gross Shorts:18,841279,85721,333
– Long to Short Ratio:6.2 to 10.6 to 11.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):76.324.365.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:2.50.1-18.5

 

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures:

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEAN MEAL large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of 99,561 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -16,734 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 116,295 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 82.9 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 20.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 38.3 percent.

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:32.746.112.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:5.678.76.5
– Net Position:99,561-119,71420,153
– Gross Longs:119,912168,90144,077
– Gross Shorts:20,351288,61523,924
– Long to Short Ratio:5.9 to 10.6 to 11.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):82.920.738.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-16.319.4-41.3

 

LIVE CATTLE Futures:

The LIVE CATTLE large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of 47,036 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -14,313 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 61,349 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 31.2 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 64.2 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 62.2 percent.

LIVE CATTLE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:36.838.59.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:21.751.911.5
– Net Position:47,036-41,382-5,654
– Gross Longs:114,213119,48429,911
– Gross Shorts:67,177160,86635,565
– Long to Short Ratio:1.7 to 10.7 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):31.264.262.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:0.3-4.512.6

 

LEAN HOGS Futures:

The LEAN HOGS large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of 22,031 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -10,305 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 32,336 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 30.7 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 73.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 72.3 percent.

LEAN HOGS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:32.137.210.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:22.245.112.1
– Net Position:22,031-17,357-4,674
– Gross Longs:71,11082,38822,152
– Gross Shorts:49,07999,74526,826
– Long to Short Ratio:1.4 to 10.8 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):30.773.072.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-26.124.218.1

 

COTTON Futures:

COTTON Futures COT ChartThe COTTON large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of 83,433 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly boost of 1,688 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 81,745 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 75.8 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 21.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 91.4 percent.

COTTON Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:46.234.09.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:5.880.43.3
– Net Position:83,433-95,90812,475
– Gross Longs:95,32070,08219,238
– Gross Shorts:11,887165,9906,763
– Long to Short Ratio:8.0 to 10.4 to 12.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):75.821.991.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-2.53.0-7.4

 

COCOA Futures:

COCOA Futures COT ChartThe COCOA large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of 36,559 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly advance of 11,905 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 24,654 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 53.5 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 43.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 63.8 percent.

COCOA Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:33.542.26.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:19.259.23.5
– Net Position:36,559-43,2776,718
– Gross Longs:85,562107,81515,602
– Gross Shorts:49,003151,0928,884
– Long to Short Ratio:1.7 to 10.7 to 11.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):53.543.863.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:5.2-2.7-26.2

 

WHEAT Futures:

WHEAT Futures COT ChartThe WHEAT large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of 20,012 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -1,638 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 21,650 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 60.0 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 30.3 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 82.3 percent.

WHEAT Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:34.938.88.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:28.643.310.4
– Net Position:20,012-14,225-5,787
– Gross Longs:111,438124,00627,445
– Gross Shorts:91,426138,23133,232
– Long to Short Ratio:1.2 to 10.9 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):60.030.382.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:10.0-7.9-17.7

 

Article By InvestMacro – Receive our weekly COT Reports by Email

*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.

CountingPips Forex Blog Financial News Soft Commodities
05 May

Allowing E15 fuel year-round won’t increase sales very much, but it’s a symbolic victory for corn ethanol advocates

By Aaron Smith, University of California, Davis 

As part of efforts to dampen high gasoline prices, the Biden administration is temporarily allowing gas stations to sell a special fuel blend called E15, containing 15% ethanol, year-round. Under the Clean Air Act, E15 cannot be sold in summer because it evaporates more readily in warm weather and can worsen air pollution. Aaron Smith, professor of agricultural economics at the University of California, Davis, explains how E15 differs from the E10 that is blended into most gasoline sold nationwide, and the general environmental impacts of corn-based ethanol.

What is E15 and where is it used?

Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol, has long been a potential alternative to gasoline. Henry Ford advocated for it in the 1920s, but it wasn’t used much until the early 2000s because it was too expensive. More than 93% of the ethanol currently made in the U.S. comes from corn.

In 2007, amid concerns about high gas prices, energy security and climate change, Congress passed a law creating a Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires transportation fuels sold in the U.S. each year to contain certain quantities of biofuels, like ethanol and biodiesel. Under this policy, more than 95% of all gasoline sold in the United States is E10 – a blend of 90% gasoline and 10% ethanol.

E15 contains 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline. It is currently available in about 2,300 of the 145,000 gas stations in the United States, mainly in Midwestern states where most corn is grown and processed into ethanol.

E15 is more corrosive than E10, so some drivers worry that it will damage their engines. The Environmental Protection Agency has approved E15 for use in any light-duty vehicle of model year 2001 or newer, and many carmakers have approved it for use in their cars in the past decade.

Nonetheless, some automakers recommend against using E15. It is not approved for use in motorcycles, heavy-duty vehicles such as buses and delivery trucks, boats, or equipment such as chainsaws or lawnmowers.

Advocates call biofuels an important asset for curbing climate change, but a 2022 study found that corn-based ethanol is significantly more carbon-intensive than regular gasoline.

Why were E15 sales barred in summer?

The prohibition on selling E15 in summer stemmed from the EPA’s efforts to reduce smog, which can cause respiratory problems in people who breathe it. Ironically, E15 has very similar smog-causing potential to the E10 it would replace, but a set of arcane rules from the 1970s has banned E15 while allowing E10.

One source of smog is evaporating gasoline, and evaporation rates are highest in the heat of summer. To reduce summer evaporative emissions, the EPA sets seasonal limits for gasoline’s Reid vapor pressure, a measure of its evaporation potential. This is why most of the country uses different gasoline in the summer than the rest of the year.

The EPA requires summer gasoline to have an RVP less than 9 pounds per square inch. Regular summer gasoline without ethanol has an RVP of 9, but summer E10 and E15 both have RVPs around 10. This would seem to preclude both E10 and E15. However, in 1978, during a previous energy crisis, Congress issued an allowance specifically for E10 to have an RVP of 10. That’s why E10 gasoline can be sold year-round, even though its smog-forming potential is no better than E15.

Some regions require even lower Reid vapor pressure, including areas with severe ozone pollution that are required to use reformulated gasoline – fuel that is specially formulated to burn more cleanly than conventional gasoline, with fewer smog-forming and toxic pollutants. The state of California has its own tight standards. Research shows that requiring clean gasoline dramatically improves air quality and health.

Will allowing more use of E15 measurably affect gas prices?

No, it won’t. The Biden administration stated in mid-April that E15 could save drivers 10 cents per gallon on average. That’s hardly enough to compensate for the fact that ethanol contains less energy than gasoline, so cars running on E15 get 1% to 2% fewer miles per gallon than those burning E10. However, very little of it is likely to be sold.

Less than 2% of gas stations across the U.S. offer E15, and demand isn’t high for it even in the non-summer months when it’s permitted. That reflects the challenges of using more ethanol in gasoline, including a lack of infrastructure and low consumer acceptance.

This is not the first time we’ve had summer E15. The Trump administration allowed it to be sold during the summer in 2019-2021, but gas stations sold very little of it. In 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that in lifting the seasonal restriction, Trump’s EPA had overstepped its legal authority. The Biden administration believes it is on firmer legal footing because it is authorizing E15 under an emergency waiver due to a “fuel supply emergency” caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Will using more ethanol help to slow climate change?

In addition to promoting homegrown fuel, a major impetus for blending ethanol into gasoline was to mitigate climate change. Burning fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel sends carbon into the atmosphere, where it remains for hundreds of years and traps heat, gradually increasing the Earth’s average temperature. Ethanol burns more completely than gasoline, so it offered the promise of reduced carbon emissions.

But the promise of climate benefits has not been realized. Producing ethanol requires growing crops, which disrupts carbon stored in the soil. U.S. farmers planted an average of 91 million acres of corn in the years 2007-2021, up from 78 million in 1990-2006. Forty percent of the corn they produce now goes into ethanol.

In a recently published study, my co-authors and I explored changes in cropland area due to the Renewable Fuel Standard. We found that producing additional corn for ethanol does not reduce carbon emissions once you account for changes in land use.

It also has serious effects on nutrient pollution in lakes and rivers, which comes from nitrogen fertilizer washing off of crop fields. Using more nitrogen fertilizer and converting more land to grow crops increases greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution. Based on the performance of corn ethanol in the U.S., we concluded that it will require profound advances in technology and policy for biofuels to deliver the environmental benefits that they were intended to produce.

As I see it, merely allowing summer E15 sales will have little effect because few will buy it voluntarily. However, ethanol advocates are pushing to expand the market.

Iowa lawmakers have already passed legislation requiring most gas stations in the state to sell E15, and Midwest governors are asking the Biden administration to allow its permanent sale year-round. Mandating more E15 use would benefit farmers by increasing demand for their crops, but it would be a net loss for the environment.The Conversation

About the Author:

Aaron Smith, Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Davis

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

 

Economics & Fundamentals Opinions Soft Commodities
23 Apr

COT Soft Commodities Speculators raising bullish bets for Soybean Oil as prices hit record high

By InvestMacro | COT | Data Tables | COT Leaders | Downloads | COT Newsletter

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

The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday April 19th and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial entities) were positioned in the futures markets.

Highlighting the COT soft commodities data is the recent rises in Soybean Oil futures bets. The speculative net position in the Soybean Oil futures has gained for three straight weeks and has increased in eight out of the past ten weeks. Soybean Oil speculator positions have added a total of +39,176 contracts over the past ten weeks as well. This ascent in bullish bets has brought the current overall position to over +100,000 net contracts and to the highest level of the past fifty-six weeks, dating back to March 23rd of 2021.

Soybean Oil prices raced to a record high level at over $80 per pound this week and surpassed the previous price peaks of 2008 and 2021. The Soybean Oil prices have had a strong fundamental component driving it higher. The war in Ukraine has created a major disruption in Sunflower Oils (Ukraine and Russia are major suppliers) that has pushed the prices in alternative oils and other soft commodities sharply higher. Reuters news service also cited an Indonesia ban on exports of Palm Oil as having caused an even greater demand for alternative vegetable oils. The dreary outlook for vegetable oil production could mean we see even higher Soybean Oil prices.

Overall, the soft commodities that saw higher bets this week were Corn (5,031 contracts), Soybeans (1,803 contracts), Soybean Oil (6,887 contracts), Soybean Meal (6,498 contracts), Live Cattle (2,683 contracts), Lean Hogs (2,231 contracts) and Cotton (1,900 contracts).

The soft commodities that saw lower bets this week were Sugar (-349 contracts), Coffee (-6,126 contracts), Cocoa (-2,802 contracts) and Wheat (-641 contracts).

Data Snapshot of Commodity Market Traders | Columns Legend
Apr-19-2022OIOI-IndexSpec-NetSpec-IndexCom-NetCOM-IndexSmalls-NetSmalls-Index
WTI Crude1,740,3000307,6971-351,25210043,55576
Gold575,20240239,75760-275,5253735,76866
Silver170,5773546,42969-63,2883716,85941
Copper203,8962918,84056-28,307409,46780
Palladium6,4350-2,18291,5608562280
Platinum61,603247,53713-13,812896,27550
Natural Gas1,144,04714-130,0064082,1135747,893100
Brent191,88333-40,1024437,663562,43942
Heating Oil349,618316,45552-32,4343725,97988
Soybeans762,85536200,09880-174,87325-25,22528
Corn1,625,19842500,61294-456,2697-44,34318
Coffee209,410041,80379-45,447243,64415
Sugar909,62221239,51586-295,4701255,95577
Wheat337,038123,24567-20,42521-2,82098

 

CORN Futures:

CORN Futures COT ChartThe CORN large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 500,612 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lift of 5,031 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 495,581 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-Extreme with a score of 94.0 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 6.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 17.5 percent.

CORN Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:36.145.09.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:5.373.112.1
– Net Position:500,612-456,269-44,343
– Gross Longs:586,638731,004152,407
– Gross Shorts:86,0261,187,273196,750
– Long to Short Ratio:6.8 to 10.6 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):94.06.917.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:0.30.1-1.7

 

SUGAR Futures:

SUGAR Futures COT ChartThe SUGAR large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 239,515 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decrease of -349 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 239,864 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 85.8 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 12.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 77.0 percent.

SUGAR Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:32.644.211.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:6.376.75.5
– Net Position:239,515-295,47055,955
– Gross Longs:296,437402,400105,565
– Gross Shorts:56,922697,87049,610
– Long to Short Ratio:5.2 to 10.6 to 12.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):85.812.177.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:18.2-19.820.0

 

COFFEE Futures:

COFFEE Futures COT ChartThe COFFEE large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 41,803 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -6,126 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 47,929 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 78.5 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 24.5 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 15.4 percent.

COFFEE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:25.553.84.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:5.575.52.9
– Net Position:41,803-45,4473,644
– Gross Longs:53,423112,6169,760
– Gross Shorts:11,620158,0636,116
– Long to Short Ratio:4.6 to 10.7 to 11.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):78.524.515.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-7.68.4-2.5

 

SOYBEANS Futures:

SOYBEANS Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEANS large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 200,098 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly boost of 1,803 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 198,295 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 79.8 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 24.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 28.4 percent.

SOYBEANS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:32.846.07.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:6.669.010.5
– Net Position:200,098-174,873-25,225
– Gross Longs:250,566351,28655,231
– Gross Shorts:50,468526,15980,456
– Long to Short Ratio:5.0 to 10.7 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):79.824.728.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-4.13.43.6

 

SOYBEAN OIL Futures:

SOYBEAN OIL Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEAN OIL large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 105,211 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lift of 6,887 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 98,324 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 80.6 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 16.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 96.2 percent.

SOYBEAN OIL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:31.544.210.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:4.876.54.9
– Net Position:105,211-127,39922,188
– Gross Longs:124,302174,16241,383
– Gross Shorts:19,091301,56119,195
– Long to Short Ratio:6.5 to 10.6 to 12.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):80.616.196.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:7.3-9.520.0

 

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures:

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEAN MEAL large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 122,756 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly boost of 6,498 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 116,258 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 95.8 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 2.4 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 99.0 percent.

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:33.542.413.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:3.180.75.2
– Net Position:122,756-154,80132,045
– Gross Longs:135,397171,10752,874
– Gross Shorts:12,641325,90820,829
– Long to Short Ratio:10.7 to 10.5 to 12.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):95.82.499.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:0.6-2.213.0

 

LIVE CATTLE Futures:

LIVE CATTLE Futures COT ChartThe LIVE CATTLE large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 54,525 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lift of 2,683 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 51,842 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 29.5 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 67.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 56.0 percent.

LIVE CATTLE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:37.639.810.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:19.854.812.9
– Net Position:54,525-45,886-8,639
– Gross Longs:115,285122,06530,955
– Gross Shorts:60,760167,95139,594
– Long to Short Ratio:1.9 to 10.7 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):29.567.056.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:11.6-12.0-5.7

 

LEAN HOGS Futures:

LEAN HOGS Futures COT ChartThe LEAN HOGS large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 43,002 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly increase of 2,231 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 40,771 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 53.6 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 48.2 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 69.8 percent.

LEAN HOGS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:36.434.410.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:17.651.112.7
– Net Position:43,002-38,275-4,727
– Gross Longs:83,13378,60124,424
– Gross Shorts:40,131116,87629,151
– Long to Short Ratio:2.1 to 10.7 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):53.648.269.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-9.36.116.7

 

COTTON Futures:

COTTON Futures COT ChartThe COTTON large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 85,120 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly gain of 1,900 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 83,220 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 76.9 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 20.6 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 94.6 percent.

COTTON Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:46.635.09.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:6.081.83.1
– Net Position:85,120-98,10712,987
– Gross Longs:97,61373,29619,582
– Gross Shorts:12,493171,4036,595
– Long to Short Ratio:7.8 to 10.4 to 13.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):76.920.694.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-1.1-1.020.9

 

COCOA Futures:

COCOA Futures COT ChartThe COCOA large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 36,357 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -2,802 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 39,159 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 53.3 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 44.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 65.1 percent.

COCOA Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:31.545.66.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:16.463.53.5
– Net Position:36,357-43,0996,742
– Gross Longs:75,822109,53815,230
– Gross Shorts:39,465152,6378,488
– Long to Short Ratio:1.9 to 10.7 to 11.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):53.344.065.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:6.5-2.9-34.9

 

WHEAT Futures:

WHEAT Futures COT ChartThe WHEAT large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 23,245 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -641 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 23,886 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 66.8 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 21.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 98.1 percent.

WHEAT Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:36.037.69.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:29.143.710.4
– Net Position:23,245-20,425-2,820
– Gross Longs:121,339126,76632,116
– Gross Shorts:98,094147,19134,936
– Long to Short Ratio:1.2 to 10.9 to 10.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):66.821.098.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:9.0-14.522.9

 

Article By InvestMacro – Receive our weekly COT Reports by Email

*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.

CountingPips Forex Blog Opinions Soft Commodities
16 Apr

Soft Commodities Speculators continue to boost their Sugar bullish bets to 20-week high

By InvestMacro | COT | Data Tables | COT Leaders | Downloads | COT Newsletter

COT Commodities Open Interest Comparison

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

The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday April 12th and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial entities) were positioned in the futures markets.

Highlighting the COT soft commodities data is once again a surge higher in this week’s Sugar futures bets. The speculative net position in the Sugar futures gained for a third consecutive week this week and for the seventh time in the past eight weeks. Sugar bullish bets have increased by a total of +165,301 contracts over that eight-week time-frame, going from 74,563 net contracts on February 15th to a total of 239,864 net contracts through Tuesday. This sentiment boost has now brought the current speculator net position to the most bullish level of the past twenty weeks, dating back to November 30th. Sugar prices have been strong as well and traded this week at their highest standing since back in November.

The soft commodities that saw higher bets this week were Corn (8,508 contracts), Sugar (51,317 contracts), Coffee (4,118 contracts), Soybean Oil (8,828 contracts), Live Cattle (2,775 contracts), Cocoa (2,525 contracts) and Wheat (3,935 contracts).

The markets with declining speculator bets this week were Soybeans (-629 contracts), Lean Hogs (-4,729 contracts), Cotton (-1,090 contracts) and Soybean Meal (-7,520 contracts).

COT Commodity Futures Current Strength Indexes

Speculator strength standings for each Commodity where strength index is current net position compared to past three years, above 80 is bullish extreme, below 20 is bearish extreme

OI Strength = Current Open Interest level compared to last 3 years range
Spec Strength = Current Net Speculator level compared to last 3 years range
Strength Move = Six week change of Spec Strength

Data Snapshot of Commodity Market Traders | Columns Legend
Apr-12-2022OIOI-IndexSpec-NetSpec-IndexCom-NetCOM-IndexSmalls-NetSmalls-Index
WTI Crude1,783,7250304,7780-350,60310045,82580
Gold577,63940254,28769-288,0933033,80660
Silver158,8132445,98668-63,6903617,70446
Copper204,8253023,35059-29,249395,89959
Palladium6,3400-2,033101,4028463180
Platinum63,363276,41511-13,233906,81857
Natural Gas1,170,82820-137,5493790,2215947,32899
Brent190,48832-36,3185033,933502,38541
Heating Oil349,618316,45552-32,4343725,97988
Soybeans752,15734198,29579-170,69426-27,60124
Corn1,589,84836495,58193-443,7069-51,87513
Coffee214,938047,92983-52,716194,78724
Sugar916,13023239,86486-301,6281161,76484
Wheat338,271123,88667-21,25820-2,62899

 

CORN Futures:

CORN Futures COT ChartThe CORN large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 495,581 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lift of 8,508 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 487,073 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 93.3 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 8.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 13.2 percent.

CORN Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:36.045.49.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:4.873.312.7
– Net Position:495,581-443,706-51,875
– Gross Longs:572,527721,141149,665
– Gross Shorts:76,9461,164,847201,540
– Long to Short Ratio:7.4 to 10.6 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):93.38.713.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:4.4-2.3-10.8

 

SUGAR Futures:

SUGAR Futures COT ChartThe SUGAR large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 239,864 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly rise of 51,317 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 188,547 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 85.9 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 11.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 84.2 percent.

SUGAR Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:31.944.512.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:5.877.45.4
– Net Position:239,864-301,62861,764
– Gross Longs:292,621407,382110,845
– Gross Shorts:52,757709,01049,081
– Long to Short Ratio:5.5 to 10.6 to 12.3 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):85.911.084.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:31.9-37.250.7

 

COFFEE Futures:

COFFEE Futures COT ChartThe COFFEE large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 47,929 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly increase of 4,118 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 43,811 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 83.1 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 18.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 24.4 percent.

COFFEE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:26.451.65.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:4.176.12.7
– Net Position:47,929-52,7164,787
– Gross Longs:56,743110,82110,640
– Gross Shorts:8,814163,5375,853
– Long to Short Ratio:6.4 to 10.7 to 11.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):83.118.724.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-10.410.83.2

 

SOYBEANS Futures:

SOYBEANS Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEANS large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 198,295 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -629 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 198,924 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 79.3 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 25.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 24.4 percent.

SOYBEANS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:32.947.07.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:6.669.610.8
– Net Position:198,295-170,694-27,601
– Gross Longs:247,765353,16053,388
– Gross Shorts:49,470523,85480,989
– Long to Short Ratio:5.0 to 10.7 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):79.325.724.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-5.14.43.5

 

SOYBEAN OIL Futures:

SOYBEAN OIL Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEAN OIL large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 98,324 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly gain of 8,828 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 89,496 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 76.9 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 20.2 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 91.1 percent.

SOYBEAN OIL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:31.246.911.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:4.279.65.4
– Net Position:98,324-119,13620,812
– Gross Longs:113,809170,92440,463
– Gross Shorts:15,485290,06019,651
– Long to Short Ratio:7.3 to 10.6 to 12.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):76.920.291.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:7.2-9.520.6

 

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures:

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEAN MEAL large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 116,258 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decrease of -7,520 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 123,778 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 92.2 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 5.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 98.7 percent.

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:32.842.913.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:3.580.25.1
– Net Position:116,258-148,22031,962
– Gross Longs:130,357170,80652,146
– Gross Shorts:14,099319,02620,184
– Long to Short Ratio:9.2 to 10.5 to 12.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):92.25.998.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:1.7-5.128.2

 

LIVE CATTLE Futures:

LIVE CATTLE Futures COT ChartThe LIVE CATTLE large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 51,842 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly advance of 2,775 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 49,067 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 23.8 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 72.3 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 65.1 percent.

LIVE CATTLE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:36.940.410.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:20.154.412.9
– Net Position:51,842-43,300-8,542
– Gross Longs:113,806124,46931,249
– Gross Shorts:61,964167,76939,791
– Long to Short Ratio:1.8 to 10.7 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):23.872.365.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-4.86.5-1.6

 

LEAN HOGS Futures:

LEAN HOGS Futures COT ChartThe LEAN HOGS large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 40,771 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -4,729 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 45,500 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 51.2 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 51.3 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 68.1 percent.

LEAN HOGS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:36.435.010.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:18.750.412.4
– Net Position:40,771-35,705-5,066
– Gross Longs:84,11280,83823,679
– Gross Shorts:43,341116,54328,745
– Long to Short Ratio:1.9 to 10.7 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):51.251.368.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-22.319.719.0

 

COTTON Futures:

COTTON Futures COT ChartThe COTTON large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 83,220 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -1,090 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 84,310 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 75.7 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 21.5 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 97.5 percent.

COTTON Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:45.135.49.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:7.479.23.2
– Net Position:83,220-96,67513,455
– Gross Longs:99,54278,21320,481
– Gross Shorts:16,322174,8887,026
– Long to Short Ratio:6.1 to 10.4 to 12.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):75.721.597.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-5.53.615.2

 

COCOA Futures:

COCOA Futures COT ChartThe COCOA large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 39,159 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly advance of 2,525 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 36,634 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 56.0 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 40.6 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 72.0 percent.

COCOA Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:31.044.86.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:14.764.23.8
– Net Position:39,159-46,6107,451
– Gross Longs:74,307107,38116,611
– Gross Shorts:35,148153,9919,160
– Long to Short Ratio:2.1 to 10.7 to 11.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):56.040.672.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:13.4-10.9-24.9

 

WHEAT Futures:

WHEAT Futures COT ChartThe WHEAT large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 23,886 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lift of 3,935 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 19,951 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 67.4 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 20.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 99.1 percent.

WHEAT Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:35.337.19.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:28.343.410.4
– Net Position:23,886-21,258-2,628
– Gross Longs:119,566125,65732,500
– Gross Shorts:95,680146,91535,128
– Long to Short Ratio:1.2 to 10.9 to 10.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):67.420.199.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:14.9-21.021.9

 

Article By InvestMacro – Receive our weekly COT Reports by Email

*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.

CountingPips Forex Blog Opinions Soft Commodities
09 Apr

Commodities Speculators push their Sugar bullish bets to 15-week high

By InvestMacro | COT | Data Tables | COT Leaders | Downloads | COT Newsletter

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

The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday April 5th and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial entities) were positioned in the futures markets.

Highlighting the COT soft commodities data is the jump in this week’s Sugar futures bets. The speculative net position in the Sugar futures rose by the largest one-week amount (+26,966 contracts) over the last four weeks and bullish bets have gained for two straight weeks. Sugar positions have also risen in six out of the past seven weeks with a total gain of +113,984 contracts over that time-frame. This recent speculator strength has pushed the current net standing (+188,547 contracts) to the highest level in the last fifteen weeks, dating back to December 21st. The strength index for Sugar is not yet in an extreme bullish score with the current score at 75.4 percent but the strength score has seen a change of 23.3 percent over the past six weeks (speculator strength index is current speculator standing compared to past three years, above 80 is bullish extreme, below 20 is bearish extreme). Sugar prices have been on a renewed uptrend (after a drop under the 200-day moving average in January to early March) and closed this week at the highest level since November.

The soft commodities that saw higher bets this week were Corn (4,981 contracts), Sugar (26,966 contracts), Coffee (5,122 contracts), Soybean Oil (2,212 contracts), Soybean Meal (1,993 contracts), Cotton (150 contracts) and Wheat (6,392 contracts).

The market that had declining speculator bets were Soybeans (-7,545 contracts), Live Cattle (-3,678 contracts), Lean Hogs (-7,694 contracts) and Cocoa (-3,040 contracts).

Data Snapshot of Commodity Market Traders | Columns Legend
Apr-05-2022OIOI-IndexSpec-NetSpec-IndexCom-NetCOM-IndexSmalls-NetSmalls-Index
WTI Crude1,823,3665308,5940-355,43510046,84181
Gold560,66636245,54166-278,7583333,21758
Silver148,5261545,03467-60,0364015,00230
Copper216,1573836,14268-43,039306,89765
Palladium6,6421-2,041101,4438559878
Platinum60,9832311,29018-17,905836,61554
Natural Gas1,169,62019-136,6113892,6476043,96490
Brent189,39431-29,7126126,537373,17552
Heating Oil349,618316,45552-32,4343725,97988
Soybeans756,78535198,92479-170,88226-28,04224
Corn1,556,20630487,07392-424,15412-62,9197
Coffee226,730543,81180-48,758224,94723
Sugar859,87110188,54775-240,1072351,56072
Wheat344,615519,95164-15,33226-4,61989

 

CORN Futures:

CORN Futures COT ChartThe CORN large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 487,073 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly rise of 4,981 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 482,092 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 92.3 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 11.5 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 6.8 percent.

CORN Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:35.945.49.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:4.672.713.0
– Net Position:487,073-424,154-62,919
– Gross Longs:558,043706,995139,773
– Gross Shorts:70,9701,131,149202,692
– Long to Short Ratio:7.9 to 10.6 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):92.311.56.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:4.5-1.9-12.7

 

SUGAR Futures:

SUGAR Futures COT ChartThe SUGAR large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 188,547 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly gain of 26,966 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 161,581 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 75.4 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 22.6 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 71.6 percent.

SUGAR Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:28.347.112.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:6.375.06.1
– Net Position:188,547-240,10751,560
– Gross Longs:243,133404,728103,751
– Gross Shorts:54,586644,83552,191
– Long to Short Ratio:4.5 to 10.6 to 12.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):75.422.671.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:23.3-27.438.9

 

COFFEE Futures:

COFFEE Futures COT ChartThe COFFEE large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 43,811 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly boost of 5,122 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 38,689 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 80.4 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 21.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 22.6 percent.

COFFEE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:23.351.34.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:4.072.92.5
– Net Position:43,811-48,7584,947
– Gross Longs:52,923116,41810,552
– Gross Shorts:9,112165,1765,605
– Long to Short Ratio:5.8 to 10.7 to 11.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):80.421.722.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-17.418.71.6

 

SOYBEANS Futures:

SOYBEANS Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEANS large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 198,924 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -7,545 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 206,469 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 79.5 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 25.6 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 23.7 percent.

SOYBEANS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:32.246.47.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:5.969.010.8
– Net Position:198,924-170,882-28,042
– Gross Longs:243,805351,38853,363
– Gross Shorts:44,881522,27081,405
– Long to Short Ratio:5.4 to 10.7 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):79.525.623.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-6.86.12.8

 

SOYBEAN OIL Futures:

SOYBEAN OIL Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEAN OIL large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 89,496 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly rise of 2,212 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 87,284 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 72.1 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 27.2 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 72.0 percent.

SOYBEAN OIL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:30.548.09.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:4.978.15.3
– Net Position:89,496-105,18315,687
– Gross Longs:106,458167,92034,352
– Gross Shorts:16,962273,10318,665
– Long to Short Ratio:6.3 to 10.6 to 11.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):72.127.272.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:3.5-4.05.6

 

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures:

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEAN MEAL large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 123,778 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly gain of 1,993 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 121,785 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 96.4 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 2.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 91.4 percent.

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:34.041.112.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:3.079.74.8
– Net Position:123,778-154,00630,228
– Gross Longs:135,750164,22649,339
– Gross Shorts:11,972318,23219,111
– Long to Short Ratio:11.3 to 10.5 to 12.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):96.42.991.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:6.5-8.116.1

 

LIVE CATTLE Futures:

LIVE CATTLE Futures COT ChartThe LIVE CATTLE large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 49,067 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decrease of -3,678 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 52,745 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 74.5 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 66.6 percent.

LIVE CATTLE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:35.242.510.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:19.056.013.3
– Net Position:49,067-40,653-8,414
– Gross Longs:106,515128,73931,770
– Gross Shorts:57,448169,39240,184
– Long to Short Ratio:1.9 to 10.8 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):21.974.566.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-22.322.016.0

 

LEAN HOGS Futures:

LEAN HOGS Futures COT ChartThe LEAN HOGS large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 45,500 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -7,694 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 53,194 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 56.3 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 47.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 59.6 percent.

LEAN HOGS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:38.134.89.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:18.251.712.8
– Net Position:45,500-38,745-6,755
– Gross Longs:87,38780,01622,547
– Gross Shorts:41,887118,76129,302
– Long to Short Ratio:2.1 to 10.7 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):56.347.759.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-22.820.020.4

 

COTTON Futures:

COTTON Futures COT ChartThe COTTON large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 84,310 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly gain of 150 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 84,160 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 76.4 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 20.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 97.6 percent.

COTTON Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:42.534.99.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:6.476.93.2
– Net Position:84,310-97,77513,465
– Gross Longs:99,23081,51020,990
– Gross Shorts:14,920179,2857,525
– Long to Short Ratio:6.7 to 10.5 to 12.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):76.420.897.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-3.82.312.7

 

COCOA Futures:

COCOA Futures COT ChartThe COCOA large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 36,634 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -3,040 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 39,674 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 53.5 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 43.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 63.4 percent.

COCOA Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:30.647.16.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:15.065.53.9
– Net Position:36,634-43,2016,567
– Gross Longs:71,790110,52815,763
– Gross Shorts:35,156153,7299,196
– Long to Short Ratio:2.0 to 10.7 to 11.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):53.543.963.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-5.24.74.0

 

WHEAT Futures:

WHEAT Futures COT ChartThe WHEAT large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 19,951 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lift of 6,392 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 13,559 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 64.0 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 25.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 88.5 percent.

WHEAT Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:33.238.29.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:27.442.610.6
– Net Position:19,951-15,332-4,619
– Gross Longs:114,287131,60531,901
– Gross Shorts:94,336146,93736,520
– Long to Short Ratio:1.2 to 10.9 to 10.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):64.025.988.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:20.3-25.311.2

 

Article By InvestMacro – Receive our weekly COT Reports by Email

*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.

CountingPips Forex Blog Opinions Soft Commodities
02 Apr

COT Soft Commodities Speculators raise Cocoa bullish bets to 5-week high

By InvestMacro | COT | Data Tables | COT Leaders | Downloads | COT Newsletter

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

The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday March 29th and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial entities) were positioned in the futures markets.

Highlighting the COT soft commodities data is the recent rises in Cocoa futures bets. The speculative net position in the Cocoa futures rose this week by the largest one-week amount in the past seven weeks and rose for the third time in the past four weeks. This week’s boost brought the current net standing to the highest standing in the past five weeks at just under the +40,000 net position level. The Cocoa speculator position has been mostly in bullish territory over the past three years with small, short-lived pockets in bearish territory along the way. Cocoa saw its highest sentiment levels of the past three years in early 2020 with speculator positions reaching over +80,000 contracts before spec positions dropped sharply as the pandemic began. Speculator bets fell as low as -17,038 contracts in July 2020. Since then, Cocoa bets have fluctuated between small bearish levels all the way up to +40,000 contracts while the Cocoa price has similarly fluctuated but has maintained a bullish uptrend. This week’s +39,674 contracts level marks a 56.5 percent strength index score which equates to a slightly bullish level compared to the past three years.

All of the soft commodities that saw higher bets this week were Sugar (5,785 contracts), Live Cattle (6,006 contracts), Lean Hogs (7,209 contracts), Cocoa (8,470 contracts) and Wheat (4,069 contracts).

The soft commodity markets that saw lower speculator bets this week were Corn (-37,264 contracts), Coffee (-3,162 contracts), Soybeans (-12,167 contracts), Soybean Oil (-5,284 contracts), Soybean Meal (-6,999 contracts) and Cotton (-3,194 contracts).

Data Snapshot of Commodity Market Traders | Columns Legend
Mar-29-2022OIOI-IndexSpec-NetSpec-IndexCom-NetCOM-IndexSmalls-NetSmalls-Index
WTI Crude1,795,9291318,7310-360,1629941,43173
Gold574,52139257,59670-285,9373028,34145
Silver147,3701448,24070-61,3723913,13219
Copper203,6922930,58164-37,333346,75264
Palladium6,7201-2,011101,3648464781
Platinum61,8072514,00122-20,754796,75356
Natural Gas1,100,6904-137,4113792,7626044,64992
Brent188,54230-25,2206921,609293,61158
Heating Oil349,618316,45552-32,4343725,97988
Soybeans755,13934206,46981-178,76424-27,70524
Corn1,515,10624482,09292-424,69911-57,39310
Coffee227,547638,68977-42,092273,40312
Sugar819,4591161,58170-202,7583041,17759
Wheat341,224313,55959-9,43532-4,12491

 

CORN Futures:

CORN Futures COT ChartThe CORN large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 482,092 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -37,264 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 519,356 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 91.6 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 11.4 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 10.0 percent.

CORN Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:36.545.68.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:4.673.712.6
– Net Position:482,092-424,699-57,393
– Gross Longs:552,536691,549133,661
– Gross Shorts:70,4441,116,248191,054
– Long to Short Ratio:7.8 to 10.6 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):91.611.410.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:8.6-7.1-10.3

 

SUGAR Futures:

SUGAR Futures COT ChartThe SUGAR large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 161,581 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly rise of 5,785 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 155,796 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 69.8 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 29.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 58.8 percent.

SUGAR Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:27.149.911.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:7.474.66.0
– Net Position:161,581-202,75841,177
– Gross Longs:222,154408,82090,668
– Gross Shorts:60,573611,57849,491
– Long to Short Ratio:3.7 to 10.7 to 11.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):69.829.758.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:17.9-21.331.3

 

COFFEE Futures:

COFFEE Futures COT ChartThe COFFEE large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 38,689 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -3,162 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 41,851 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 76.7 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 26.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 11.9 percent.

COFFEE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:22.453.34.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:5.471.82.8
– Net Position:38,689-42,0923,403
– Gross Longs:50,991121,2089,798
– Gross Shorts:12,302163,3006,395
– Long to Short Ratio:4.1 to 10.7 to 11.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):76.726.911.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-23.026.1-9.7

 

SOYBEANS Futures:

SOYBEANS Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEANS large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 206,469 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -12,167 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 218,636 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 81.4 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 23.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 24.2 percent.

SOYBEANS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:33.646.46.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:6.370.110.6
– Net Position:206,469-178,764-27,705
– Gross Longs:253,726350,24052,406
– Gross Shorts:47,257529,00480,111
– Long to Short Ratio:5.4 to 10.7 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):81.423.824.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-2.51.84.4

 

SOYBEAN OIL Futures:

SOYBEAN OIL Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEAN OIL large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 87,284 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decrease of -5,284 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 92,568 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 70.9 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 28.4 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 71.5 percent.

SOYBEAN OIL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:30.649.19.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:5.079.35.2
– Net Position:87,284-102,85015,566
– Gross Longs:104,186167,19833,429
– Gross Shorts:16,902270,04817,863
– Long to Short Ratio:6.2 to 10.6 to 11.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):70.928.471.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:10.8-11.18.3

 

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures:

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEAN MEAL large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 121,785 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -6,999 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 128,784 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 95.3 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 4.6 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 85.9 percent.

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:34.341.812.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:3.679.84.8
– Net Position:121,785-150,71928,934
– Gross Longs:135,876165,74347,934
– Gross Shorts:14,091316,46219,000
– Long to Short Ratio:9.6 to 10.5 to 12.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):95.34.685.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:6.8-7.811.4

 

LIVE CATTLE Futures:

LIVE CATTLE Futures COT ChartThe LIVE CATTLE large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 52,745 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly advance of 6,006 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 46,739 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 24.4 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 73.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 61.8 percent.

LIVE CATTLE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:35.441.710.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:18.355.413.8
– Net Position:52,745-42,343-10,402
– Gross Longs:109,521129,22232,487
– Gross Shorts:56,776171,56542,889
– Long to Short Ratio:1.9 to 10.8 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):24.473.161.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-20.722.68.5

 

LEAN HOGS Futures:

LEAN HOGS Futures COT ChartThe LEAN HOGS large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 53,194 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly increase of 7,209 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 45,985 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 64.7 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 40.3 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 52.4 percent.

LEAN HOGS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:39.133.79.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:16.652.713.1
– Net Position:53,194-45,016-8,178
– Gross Longs:92,40779,77222,919
– Gross Shorts:39,213124,78831,097
– Long to Short Ratio:2.4 to 10.6 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):64.740.352.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-15.413.215.0

 

COTTON Futures:

COTTON Futures COT ChartThe COTTON large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 84,160 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decrease of -3,194 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 87,354 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 76.3 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 21.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 95.3 percent.

COTTON Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:43.236.19.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:6.278.83.2
– Net Position:84,160-97,25813,098
– Gross Longs:98,23982,06620,362
– Gross Shorts:14,079179,3247,264
– Long to Short Ratio:7.0 to 10.5 to 12.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):76.321.195.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-6.14.115.8

 

COCOA Futures:

COCOA Futures COT ChartThe COCOA large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 39,674 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly rise of 8,470 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 31,204 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 56.5 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 38.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 84.9 percent.

COCOA Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:30.747.47.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:14.367.53.7
– Net Position:39,674-48,4488,774
– Gross Longs:74,233114,49017,726
– Gross Shorts:34,559162,9388,952
– Long to Short Ratio:2.1 to 10.7 to 12.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):56.538.884.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-9.35.240.5

 

WHEAT Futures:

WHEAT Futures COT ChartThe WHEAT large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 13,559 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly rise of 4,069 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 9,490 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 58.6 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 31.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 91.2 percent.

WHEAT Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:33.140.59.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:29.143.310.3
– Net Position:13,559-9,435-4,124
– Gross Longs:112,940138,28831,061
– Gross Shorts:99,381147,72335,185
– Long to Short Ratio:1.1 to 10.9 to 10.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):58.631.791.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:16.5-18.90.2

 

Article By InvestMacro – Receive our weekly COT Reports by Email

*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.

CountingPips Forex Blog Opinions Soft Commodities
26 Mar

Soft Commodities Speculators raise Corn bullish bets higher for 5th week, to 46-week high

By InvestMacro | COT | Data Tables | COT Leaders | Downloads | COT Newsletter

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

The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday March 22nd and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial entities) were positioned in the futures markets.

Highlighting the COT soft commodities data is the continued gains in Corn futures bets. The speculative net position in the Corn futures has risen for five consecutive weeks with a total rise of +104,864 contracts over that five-week time-frame. These substantial gains have pushed the current net speculator standing to a total of +519,356 contracts and marks the most bullish level of the past forty-six weeks, dating back to May 4th of 2021. The Corn positioning is near the very top of its three-year range as Corn speculator positions hold an extreme bullish strength score at 96.4 percent this week. The speculator strength score is the current speculator standing compared to past three years where above 80 is bullish extreme and below 20 is bearish extreme.

The soft commodities that saw higher bets this week were Corn (12,150 contracts), Soybeans (1,037 contracts), Live Cattle (2,483 contracts) and Cotton (4,033 contracts).

The soft commodities that saw declining bets this week were Sugar (-784 contracts), Coffee (-3,649 contracts), Soybean Oil (-5,359 contracts), Soybean Meal (-1,471 contracts), Cocoa (-1,487 contracts), Lean Hogs (-2,505 contracts) and Wheat (-1,440 contracts).

Data Snapshot of Commodity Market Traders | Columns Legend
Mar-22-2022OIOI-IndexSpec-NetSpec-IndexCom-NetCOM-IndexSmalls-NetSmalls-Index
WTI Crude1,788,2110339,9693-380,0809140,11172
Gold605,19148248,03267-281,5953233,56359
Silver155,4562147,94770-64,5573616,61040
Copper197,2442426,81262-34,604367,79270
Palladium6,9482-1,2081523878970100
Platinum64,0002919,81530-27,047707,23263
Natural Gas1,085,6761-149,33734107,4466541,89185
Brent191,13832-24,6667022,639312,02737
Heating Oil349,618316,45552-32,4343725,97988
Soybeans754,38234218,63684-193,64620-24,99029
Corn1,526,20125519,35696-470,7155-48,64115
Coffee222,172141,85179-45,824243,97316
Sugar817,4620155,79669-194,3333138,53755
Wheat345,34559,49055-7,03034-2,460100

 

CORN Futures:

CORN Futures COT ChartThe CORN large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 519,356 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly gain of 12,150 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 507,206 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 96.4 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 4.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 15.0 percent.

CORN Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:38.244.38.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:4.275.212.1
– Net Position:519,356-470,715-48,641
– Gross Longs:582,844676,718135,850
– Gross Shorts:63,4881,147,433184,491
– Long to Short Ratio:9.2 to 10.6 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):96.44.915.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:12.7-12.5-6.8

 

SUGAR Futures:

SUGAR Futures COT ChartThe SUGAR large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 155,796 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -784 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 156,580 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 68.6 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 31.3 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 55.5 percent.

SUGAR Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:25.951.410.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:6.975.16.1
– Net Position:155,796-194,33338,537
– Gross Longs:212,075419,94288,696
– Gross Shorts:56,279614,27550,159
– Long to Short Ratio:3.8 to 10.7 to 11.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):68.631.355.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:15.8-18.525.5

 

COFFEE Futures:

COFFEE Futures COT ChartThe COFFEE large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 41,851 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -3,649 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 45,500 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 79.0 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 24.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 15.8 percent.

COFFEE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:23.953.24.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:5.073.82.8
– Net Position:41,851-45,8243,973
– Gross Longs:53,000118,13810,190
– Gross Shorts:11,149163,9626,217
– Long to Short Ratio:4.8 to 10.7 to 11.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):79.024.015.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-18.220.8-9.8

 

SOYBEANS Futures:

SOYBEANS Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEANS large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 218,636 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly increase of 1,037 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 217,599 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 84.4 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 20.3 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 28.8 percent.

SOYBEANS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:35.244.97.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:6.270.610.4
– Net Position:218,636-193,646-24,990
– Gross Longs:265,191338,90253,105
– Gross Shorts:46,555532,54878,095
– Long to Short Ratio:5.7 to 10.6 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):84.420.328.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:2.2-4.114.7

 

SOYBEAN OIL Futures:

SOYBEAN OIL Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEAN OIL large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 92,568 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -5,359 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 97,927 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 73.8 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 24.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 84.1 percent.

SOYBEAN OIL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:31.748.910.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:5.081.04.8
– Net Position:92,568-111,49818,930
– Gross Longs:110,061169,89835,595
– Gross Shorts:17,493281,39616,665
– Long to Short Ratio:6.3 to 10.6 to 12.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):73.824.084.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:14.3-16.926.9

 

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures:

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures COT ChartThe SOYBEAN MEAL large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 128,784 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decline of -1,471 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 130,255 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 99.2 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 1.3 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 83.1 percent.

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:35.941.711.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:3.181.84.7
– Net Position:128,784-157,05128,267
– Gross Longs:140,982163,69046,858
– Gross Shorts:12,198320,74118,591
– Long to Short Ratio:11.6 to 10.5 to 12.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):99.21.383.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:12.5-12.88.4

 

LIVE CATTLE Futures:

LIVE CATTLE Futures COT ChartThe LIVE CATTLE large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 46,739 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly rise of 2,483 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 44,256 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 20.4 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 64.5 percent.

LIVE CATTLE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:35.241.810.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:20.153.913.6
– Net Position:46,739-37,444-9,295
– Gross Longs:108,953129,40832,699
– Gross Shorts:62,214166,85241,994
– Long to Short Ratio:1.8 to 10.8 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):20.477.164.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-22.224.38.8

 

LEAN HOGS Futures:

LEAN HOGS Futures COT ChartThe LEAN HOGS large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 45,985 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -2,505 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 48,490 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 56.8 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 48.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 52.6 percent.

LEAN HOGS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:37.335.99.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:17.552.313.3
– Net Position:45,985-37,830-8,155
– Gross Longs:86,56383,33922,630
– Gross Shorts:40,578121,16930,785
– Long to Short Ratio:2.1 to 10.7 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):56.848.852.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-22.520.317.7

 

COTTON Futures:

COTTON Futures COT ChartThe COTTON large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 87,354 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly boost of 4,033 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 83,321 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 78.3 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 18.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 98.8 percent.

COTTON Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:43.737.39.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:5.881.13.2
– Net Position:87,354-101,01513,661
– Gross Longs:100,65985,91820,968
– Gross Shorts:13,305186,9337,307
– Long to Short Ratio:7.6 to 10.5 to 12.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):78.318.998.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-6.35.34.7

 

COCOA Futures:

COCOA Futures COT ChartThe COCOA large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 31,204 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decrease of -1,487 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 32,691 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 48.2 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 46.5 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 90.3 percent.

COCOA Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:29.647.37.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:16.963.83.3
– Net Position:31,204-40,5359,331
– Gross Longs:72,893116,51117,572
– Gross Shorts:41,689157,0468,241
– Long to Short Ratio:1.7 to 10.7 to 12.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):48.246.590.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-11.46.548.2

 

WHEAT Futures:

WHEAT Futures COT ChartThe WHEAT large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 9,490 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -1,440 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 10,930 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 55.1 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 34.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent.

WHEAT Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:32.842.09.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:30.144.110.1
– Net Position:9,490-7,030-2,460
– Gross Longs:113,410145,14432,492
– Gross Shorts:103,920152,17434,952
– Long to Short Ratio:1.1 to 11.0 to 10.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):55.134.0100.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:11.1-14.610.3

 

Article By InvestMacro – Receive our weekly COT Reports by Email

*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.

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