Geopolitical and macroeconomic conditions continue to pressure market sentiment

By JustMarkets 

The US stock indices ended Friday’s session in the red. By the end of the day, the Dow Jones Index (US30) fell by 0.77% (weekly: -1.01%). The S&P 500 Index (US500) declined by 1.01% (weekly: -1.19%). The tech‑heavy Nasdaq (US100) closed Friday in the red at 1.49% (weekly: -2.98%). The main driver of the sell‑off was the semiconductor sector, where investors began to doubt the sustainability of capital expenditures on AI infrastructure, additionally fearing competition from new Chinese developments such as Moonshot’s Kimi model. Shares of key industry players, including Nvidia, Broadcom, AMD, and Intel, posted solid declines, marking a correction after a significant rally earlier this year.

Preliminary University of Michigan data for July 2026 indicated a noticeable improvement in consumer sentiment, which rose to 54.4 points, significantly exceeding market expectations. Nevertheless, current sentiment levels remain 12% below last year’s readings, as overall inflationary pressure continues to burden household budgets.

Geopolitical and macroeconomic conditions continue to pressure market sentiment. Renewed tensions in the Middle East have triggered rising fuel prices, once again raising concerns about inflation risks. The situation is further complicated by political rhetoric: President Trump’s accusations against China regarding the 2020 election have undermined the stability of trade relations.

The Mexican peso (MXN) weakened to 17.52 per dollar, correcting after recent strengthening to 17.40 amid a global rise in risk aversion. Investors prefer the US dollar as a safe‑haven asset due to the escalation of the Middle East conflict. The situation for the national currency is further complicated by weak May industrial‑production figures, which showed a broad‑based decline, indicating signs of slowing economic activity in the country.

European indices closed Friday higher. By the end of the day, Germany’s DAX (DE40) fell by 0.34% (weekly: -0.53%), France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed down 0.47% (weekly: +0.39%), Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) declined by 0.45% (weekly: -0.46%), and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) closed up 0.27% (weekly: +0.97%). European stock indices ended Friday’s session with notable declines, reflecting global investor pessimism about the outlook for the artificial‑intelligence sector. As a result, shares of giants such as ASML and Siemens posted significant losses. Geopolitical tensions and rising natural‑gas prices created additional pressure on the banking sector, intensifying concerns about inflation risks and declining credit activity.

Crude‑oil prices (WTI) reached a monthly high, surpassing $84 per barrel amid rapid escalation of the Middle East conflict. Over the week, oil prices surged more than 14% after Iran’s retaliatory strikes on targets in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Syria in response to a series of US attacks. The situation is complicated by reports of damage to a power plant and desalination facility in Kuwait, as well as Tehran’s threats to deploy Houthi forces to block the Red Sea if strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure occur.

On Friday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) fell sharply by 4.03% (weekly: -6.24%), China’s FTSE China A50 closed down 3.33% (weekly: -2.83%), Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) declined 1.78% (weekly: +1.67%), and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) closed down 0.50% (weekly: 0.0%).

Hong Kong’s labor market showed resilience in Q2 2026: the unemployment rate remained at a ten‑month low of 3.7%. Overall employment improved: an influx of labor resources increased total employment to 3.6 million people, while the number of unemployed decreased by 1,400.

The offshore yuan (CNY) on Monday held near 6.77 per dollar, staying close to weekly lows amid geopolitical instability and Beijing’s monetary decisions. Market sentiment remains highly sensitive to Middle East escalation: after new US airstrikes on Iran over the weekend, Tehran officially announced its withdrawal from the ceasefire with Washington, increasing global uncertainty. Domestically, the People’s Bank of China maintained stability, keeping the one‑year and five‑year Loan Prime Rates (LPR) at 3.0% and 3.5%, respectively. The regulator has kept them at record lows for 14 consecutive months despite mixed macroeconomic indicators in Q2.

The New Zealand (NZD) dollar shows confidence, reaching a six‑week high at $0.585. The main driver of growth is market expectations ahead of the upcoming CPI report. Projections indicate that annual inflation in Q2 may reach or exceed 4%, a two‑year high, largely due to rising fuel costs. Such an inflation spike virtually guarantees continued tightening by the Reserve Bank.

S&P 500 (US500) 7,457.69 -76.09 (-1.01%)

Dow Jones (US30) 52,146.42 -406.55 (-0.77%)

DAX (DE40) 24,830.98 -84.51 (-0.34%)

FTSE 100 (UK100) 10,600.37 +28.13 (+0.27%)

USD Index 100.76 -0.01 (-0.01%)

News feed for: 2026.07.20

  • New Zealand Trade Balance (q/q) at 01:45 (GMT+3) – NZD (MED)
  • China PBoC Loan Prime Rate at 04:00 (GMT+3) – CHA50, HK50 (HIGH)
  • Canada Inflation Rate (m/m) at 15:30 (GMT+3) – CAD (HIGH)

By JustMarkets

 

This article reflects a personal opinion and should not be interpreted as an investment advice, and/or offer, and/or a persistent request for carrying out financial transactions, and/or a guarantee, and/or a forecast of future events.

USD/JPY Poised to Continue Gains as Expensive Oil and Lack of Support Weigh on Yen

By Analytical Department RoboForex

USD/JPY opens the week at 162.36 on Monday. The Japanese yen remains near its lowest level since 1996. Pressure on the currency is being exerted by a strengthening US dollar and a sharp rise in oil prices amid escalating conflict in the Middle East.

The US military launched new airstrikes on Iran following the deaths of three American troops. Tehran has stated that the ceasefire has effectively ceased to operate. Over the weekend, Iranian forces intercepted four vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Japan is heavily dependent on oil supplies from the Middle East, making it particularly vulnerable to regional disruptions and rising energy costs. Expensive oil worsens the country’s trade balance and intensifies pressure on the yen.

Investors have yet to see decisive action from Tokyo to support the currency. Data on foreign exchange interventions will be released at the end of the month, which may reveal whether Japanese authorities were behind the yen’s abrupt-though brief-strengthening in recent weeks.

Technical Analysis

On the H4 USD/JPY chart, the market is forming a consolidation range around the 162.58 level, currently extending up to 162.58 and down to 162.28. A rise to the 163.00 level is expected today, with the prospect of the trend continuing to 163.50. Technically, this scenario is confirmed by the MACD indicator, whose signal line is above the zero level and pointing strictly upwards.

On the H1 chart, USD/JPY has completed a downward wave structure to the 162.28 level. A wave extension to 162.00 cannot be ruled out. Thereafter, the start of a growth wave to at least 163.00 is expected. A breakout above this level would open potential for a continuation of the growth wave to 163.50. Technically, this scenario is confirmed by the Stochastic oscillator, whose signal line is below the 50 level and pointing strictly upwards to 80, indicating short-term upward momentum.

Conclusion

USD/JPY remains elevated as the yen stays near multi-decade lows, weighed down by a strong dollar, surging oil prices, and escalating Middle East tensions. US airstrikes on Iran and Tehran’s interception of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz have heightened geopolitical risks, leaving Japan-a major oil importer-particularly exposed to energy price shocks. Expensive oil worsens Japan’s trade balance and adds to the yen’s downward pressure. Markets are also awaiting end-of-month intervention data to see if Japanese authorities have been active in supporting the currency. Technically, the pair appears poised for further gains towards 163.00 and potentially 163.50, though intervention risks remain a wildcard for yen bulls.

 

Disclaimer

Any forecasts contained herein are based on the author’s particular opinion. This analysis may not be treated as trading advice. RoboForex bears no responsibility for trading results based on trading recommendations and reviews contained herein.

COT Currency Roundup: GBP Speculator bets rose for 3rd week, NZD bets rebound, CAD bets fall for 10th week

By InvestMacro 

Speculators OI FX Futures COT Chart

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 July 14th and shows a quick view of how large market participants (for-profit speculators and commercial traders) were positioned in the futures markets. All currency positions are in direct relation to the US dollar where, for example, a bet for the euro is a bet that the euro will rise versus the dollar while a bet against the euro will be a bet that the euro will decline versus the dollar.

Weekly Speculator Changes led by British Pound & EuroFX

Speculators Nets FX Futures COT Chart
The COT currency market speculator bets were overall higher this week as six out of the eleven currency markets we cover had higher positioning while the other five markets had lower speculator contracts.

Leading the gains for the currency markets was the British Pound (16,650 contracts) with the EuroFX (3,622 contracts), New Zealand Dollar (2,423 contracts), Brazilian Real (1,909 contracts), Japanese Yen (1,115 contracts) and the Swiss Franc (458 contracts) also showing positive weeks.

The currencies seeing declines in speculator bets on the week were the Australian Dollar (-6,059 contracts) and the Mexican Peso (-4,402 contracts), the Canadian Dollar (-3,153 contracts), Bitcoin (-409 contracts) and the US Dollar Index (-96 contracts) also registering lower bets on the week.

COT Currency Roundup: GBP Speculator bets rose for 3rd week, NZD bets rebound, CAD bets fall for 10th week

Highlighting the major Currency markets speculator positions this week was the British Pound Sterling, which saw a third straight week of improvement in the speculator bets by over 16,000 contracts this week, following last week’s improvement by over 14,000 contracts. In the past three weeks alone, the British Pound Sterling speculator positions have improved by over 34,000 net positions after falling to historical weakness to over -105,000 net contracts on June 23rd (and close to an all-time record bearish position by just a few thousand contracts). Overall, the British Pound Sterling position has been in bearish territory now for 51 consecutive weeks, dating back to July 29th of 2025. In the Currency markets, the GBP rose for a third straight week and is trading right in the middle of its sideways trading range with a close this week at 1.3454. We have now seen this trading range dating back for over a year with a top side of 1.3750 and support underneath at 1.3150.

The Euro speculator bets this week saw a small increase by over 3,500 contracts following three consecutive weeks of declines that have pushed the Euro speculator bets into bearish territory for a second consecutive week. The current bearish level for Euro speculators is at -12,605 net positions this week and marks just the third time out of the past 71 weeks that the Euro positions have seen bearish net positions. In the Currency markets this week, the Euro had a modest increase but is now trading below the sideways trading channel that had prevailed for over a year. Currently, the Euro is trading at 1.1460 with an overhead resistance at the significant 1.1500 level with immediate support below at 1.1400.

Next up, the New Zealand Dollar speculator bets rebounded slightly off the all-time record low that was hit last week at a total of -65,189 net contracts. The NZD speculator bets rose by approximately 2,500 contracts this week, after five consecutive weeks of declining speculator bets. Overall, the New Zealand Dollar speculator positions have now been in bearish territory for exactly 52 weeks, dating back to July of 2025. In the Foreign Exchange markets, the New Zealand Dollar rose for a third consecutive week and closed out the week around the 0.5850 exchange rate. In the big picture, the New Zealand Dollar has been on a downtrend since 2021 when prices reached all the way up to 0.7464 in February of 2021. Since then, the NZD has been steadily trending lower and continues to sit below its 200-week moving average at the moment.

The Canadian Dollar speculator bets continued to deteriorate this week and have now fallen for 10 consecutive weeks. Over these past 10 weeks, the Canadian Dollar speculative positions have shed a total of -161,620 net contracts. This brings the overall net standing to -176,279, which is the most bearish level since 2024 and only -20,000 contracts off the all-time bearish record. In the Foreign Exchange markets, the CAD this week rose for a third consecutive week and ascended above the 0.7150 level for the first time in about five weeks. In the big picture, and similarly to the NZD, the CAD has been in a downtrend since reaching multi-year highs in 2021 at around 0.8325, and since that period has been on the downtrend with the CAD trading below the 200-week moving average.

The Australian Dollar net speculator positions have been on the downtrend this week with an eight-week straight decline in positions that have taken the overall net speculator levels from a total of 85,644 contracts on May 19th to this week’s -30,710 net contracts position. This weakness has seen a total of -116,354 net contracts taken off of the bullish position over just these last eight weeks and this week’s Australian Dollar speculator level is the most bearish in the past 31 weeks, dating back to December of 2025. In the Foreign Exchange markets, the Australian Dollar saw a boost for a third consecutive week and closed out just below the 0.7000 level at 0.6975. Despite the weakness in speculator bets, the AUD spot currency price has been in an uptrend since early 2025 and continues to trade over its 200-week moving average.

Finally, the US Dollar Index saw a tiny dip of just -96 contracts this week as the overall net speculator position hovers just right around the +13,000 contract level for a fifth consecutive week. The current net speculator positions are sitting around the highest level since early 2025. In the Foreign Exchange market, the US Dollar Index saw a minor decrease this week but remains above the sideways trending channel that had prevailed for over a year until about three weeks ago. Currently, the DXY trades at 100.58 and has support below from 100.00-100.25. The next major levels above are 101.50 as well as 102.50.

New Zealand Dollar and Canadian Dollar lead Currency Market Price Performances

In the major Currency market price performances this week, the New Zealand Dollar was higher by 1.47% on the week. The Canadian Dollar came in at a close second with a 1.08% rise, while the Australian Dollar saw a gain of 0.73%. The British Pound Sterling was up by 0.56% on the week and was followed by Bitcoin, which edged slightly higher by 0.41%.

The Euro squeaked out a gain by 0.35%, while the Swiss Franc was up by 0.31%. The Brazilian Real rounded out the gainers with a small 0.17% increase on the week.

On the downside, the Mexican Peso was virtually unchanged as it slid by just -0.09% on the week, followed by the Japanese Yen, which dipped by -0.18%.

The biggest decliner on the week with a modest slide was the US Dollar Index, which dipped by a modest -0.33%.


Currencies Data:

Speculators FX Futures COT Data Table
Legend: Open Interest | Speculators Current Net Position | Weekly Specs Change | Specs Strength Score compared to last 3-Years (0-100 range)


Strength Scores led by Bitcoin & US Dollar Index

Speculators Strength Scores FX Futures COT Chart
COT Strength Scores (a normalized measure of Speculator positions over a 3-Year range, from 0 to 100 where above 80 is Extreme-Bullish and below 20 is Extreme-Bearish) showed that  Bitcoin (89 percent) and the US Dollar Index (80 percent) lead the currency markets this week. The Brazilian Real (64 percent) and the Mexican Peso (53 percent) come in as the next highest in the weekly strength scores.

On the downside, the New Zealand Dollar (3 percent), the Canadian Dollar (9 percent), the British Pound (14 percent) and the Japanese Yen (17 percent) come in at the lowest strength levels currently and are all in Extreme-Bearish territory (below 20 percent).

3-Year Strength Statistics:
US Dollar Index (79.7 percent) vs US Dollar Index previous week (79.9 percent)
EuroFX (24.6 percent) vs EuroFX previous week (23.2 percent)
British Pound Sterling (13.9 percent) vs British Pound Sterling previous week (7.2 percent)
Japanese Yen (16.9 percent) vs Japanese Yen previous week (16.6 percent)
Swiss Franc (27.7 percent) vs Swiss Franc previous week (26.7 percent)
Canadian Dollar (8.6 percent) vs Canadian Dollar previous week (10.0 percent)
Australian Dollar (39.8 percent) vs Australian Dollar previous week (42.9 percent)
New Zealand Dollar (2.5 percent) vs New Zealand Dollar previous week (0.0 percent)
Mexican Peso (52.7 percent) vs Mexican Peso previous week (55.9 percent)
Brazilian Real (63.8 percent) vs Brazilian Real previous week (62.4 percent)
Bitcoin (89.1 percent) vs Bitcoin previous week (95.7 percent)


US Dollar Index & Mexican Peso top the 6-Week Strength Trends

Speculators Trends FX Futures COT Chart
COT Strength Score Trends (or move index, calculates the 6-week changes in strength scores) showed that the US Dollar Index (25 percent) and the Mexican Peso (13 percent) lead the past six weeks trends for the currencies. Bitcoin (10 percent) and the Japanese Yen (2 percent) are the next highest positive movers in the 3-Year trends data.

The Australian Dollar (-38 percent) leads the downside trend scores currently with the New Zealand Dollar (-36 percent), Canadian Dollar (-35 percent) and the EuroFX (-24 percent) following next with lower trend scores.

3-Year Strength Trends:
US Dollar Index (25.4 percent) vs US Dollar Index previous week (33.5 percent)
EuroFX (-24.0 percent) vs EuroFX previous week (-17.8 percent)
British Pound Sterling (-7.7 percent) vs British Pound Sterling previous week (-10.7 percent)
Japanese Yen (1.9 percent) vs Japanese Yen previous week (-2.5 percent)
Swiss Franc (-8.7 percent) vs Swiss Franc previous week (-4.9 percent)
Canadian Dollar (-35.4 percent) vs Canadian Dollar previous week (-44.9 percent)
Australian Dollar (-37.5 percent) vs Australian Dollar previous week (-43.9 percent)
New Zealand Dollar (-36.0 percent) vs New Zealand Dollar previous week (-32.3 percent)
Mexican Peso (13.0 percent) vs Mexican Peso previous week (13.6 percent)
Brazilian Real (-10.3 percent) vs Brazilian Real previous week (-29.7 percent)
Bitcoin (10.1 percent) vs Bitcoin previous week (19.5 percent)


Individual COT Forex Markets:

US Dollar Index Futures:

US Dollar Index Forex Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • US Dollar Index large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 13,173 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position fall of -96 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 13,269 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 79.7 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 13.5 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 88.2 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Uptrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Uptrend.

US DOLLAR INDEX StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:59.429.98.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:34.759.63.0
– Net Position:13,173-15,8342,661
– Gross Longs:31,64115,9264,256
– Gross Shorts:18,46831,7601,595
– Long to Short Ratio:1.7 to 10.5 to 12.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):79.713.588.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:25.4-28.418.3

 


Euro Currency Futures:

Euro Currency Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Euro Currency large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -12,605 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position advance of 3,622 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -16,227 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 24.6 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 76.5 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 29.4 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Strong Downtrend.

EURO Currency StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:28.857.210.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:30.458.97.1
– Net Position:-12,605-13,39025,995
– Gross Longs:230,307457,59482,849
– Gross Shorts:242,912470,98456,854
– Long to Short Ratio:0.9 to 11.0 to 11.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):24.676.529.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-24.019.311.5

 


British Pound Sterling Futures:

British Pound Sterling Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • British Pound Sterling large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -71,253 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position gain of 16,650 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -87,903 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 13.9 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 83.7 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 35.1 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Uptrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Uptrend.

BRITISH POUND StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:19.368.610.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:46.139.012.7
– Net Position:-71,25378,244-6,991
– Gross Longs:51,085181,76326,711
– Gross Shorts:122,338103,51933,702
– Long to Short Ratio:0.4 to 11.8 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):13.983.735.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-7.76.24.9

 


Japanese Yen Futures:

Japanese Yen Forex Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Japanese Yen large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -122,663 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position lift of 1,115 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -123,778 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 16.9 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 82.1 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 30.8 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Strong Downtrend.

JAPANESE YEN StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:29.255.311.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:60.224.111.4
– Net Position:-122,663123,418-755
– Gross Longs:115,965219,17044,367
– Gross Shorts:238,62895,75245,122
– Long to Short Ratio:0.5 to 12.3 to 11.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):16.982.130.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:1.9-1.1-7.0

 


Swiss Franc Futures:

Swiss Franc Forex Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Swiss Franc large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -36,956 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position advance of 458 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -37,414 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 27.7 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 81.8 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 21.3 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Strong Downtrend.

SWISS FRANC StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:9.179.59.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:43.232.922.0
– Net Position:-36,95650,511-13,555
– Gross Longs:9,90986,23110,257
– Gross Shorts:46,86535,72023,812
– Long to Short Ratio:0.2 to 12.4 to 10.4 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):27.781.821.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-8.79.3-6.9

 


Canadian Dollar Futures:

Canadian Dollar Forex Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Canadian Dollar large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -176,279 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position lowering of -3,153 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -173,126 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 8.6 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 93.1 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 17.5 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Downtrend.

CANADIAN DOLLAR StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:8.181.08.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:55.930.411.1
– Net Position:-176,279186,718-10,439
– Gross Longs:29,712298,82630,432
– Gross Shorts:205,991112,10840,871
– Long to Short Ratio:0.1 to 12.7 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):8.693.117.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-35.435.1-14.9

 


Australian Dollar Futures:

Australian Dollar Forex Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Australian Dollar large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -30,710 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position decline of -6,059 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -24,651 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 39.8 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 54.3 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 77.7 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Strong Downtrend.

AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:32.847.616.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:47.541.48.3
– Net Position:-30,71012,81317,897
– Gross Longs:68,37799,13035,137
– Gross Shorts:99,08786,31717,240
– Long to Short Ratio:0.7 to 11.1 to 12.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):39.854.377.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-37.532.1-2.3

 


New Zealand Dollar Futures:

New Zealand Dollar Forex Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • New Zealand Dollar large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -62,766 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position gain of 2,423 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -65,189 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 2.5 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 97.8 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 3.7 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Weak Downtrend.

NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:7.688.52.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:60.732.15.5
– Net Position:-62,76666,637-3,871
– Gross Longs:8,936104,5572,583
– Gross Shorts:71,70237,9206,454
– Long to Short Ratio:0.1 to 12.8 to 10.4 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):2.597.83.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-36.036.3-19.3

 


Mexican Peso Futures:

Mexican Peso Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Mexican Peso large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 72,955 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position decrease of -4,402 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 77,357 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 52.7 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 45.4 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 62.2 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Uptrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Uptrend.

MEXICAN PESO StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:53.741.63.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:17.180.61.5
– Net Position:72,955-77,7404,785
– Gross Longs:107,12782,9737,814
– Gross Shorts:34,172160,7133,029
– Long to Short Ratio:3.1 to 10.5 to 12.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):52.745.462.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:13.0-8.8-37.8

 


Brazilian Real Futures:

Brazil Real Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Brazilian Real large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 32,757 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position boost of 1,909 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 30,848 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 63.8 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 35.0 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 43.3 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Uptrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Uptrend.

BRAZIL REAL StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:73.520.84.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:42.655.51.0
– Net Position:32,757-36,7724,015
– Gross Longs:77,98522,0555,031
– Gross Shorts:45,22858,8271,016
– Long to Short Ratio:1.7 to 10.4 to 15.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):63.835.043.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-10.310.2-0.5

 


Bitcoin Futures:

Bitcoin Crypto Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Bitcoin large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 3,091 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position lowering of -409 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 3,500 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish-Extreme with a score of 89.1 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 11.6 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 27.7 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Strong Downtrend.

BITCOIN StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:82.00.44.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:66.115.45.5
– Net Position:3,091-2,905-186
– Gross Longs:15,89971871
– Gross Shorts:12,8082,9761,057
– Long to Short Ratio:1.2 to 10.0 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):89.111.627.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:10.1-5.6-16.7

 


Article By InvestMacroReceive 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.

All information and opinions on this website and contained in this article are for general informational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice.

Speculator Extremes: Cotton, Bitcoin, FedFunds & Lean Hogs lead Bullish & Bearish Positions

By InvestMacro 

The latest update for the weekly Commitment of Traders (COT) report was released by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on Friday for data ending on Tuesday July 14th.

This weekly Extreme Positions report highlights the Most Bullish and Most Bearish Positions for the speculator category and is a current snapshot of how speculators were positioned as of Tuesday. Extreme positioning in these markets can foreshadow strong moves in the underlying market.

To signify an extreme position, we use the Strength Index (also known as the COT Index) of each instrument, a common method of measuring COT data. The Strength Index is simply a comparison of current trader positions against the range of positions over the previous 3 years. We use over 80 percent as extremely bullish and under 20 percent as extremely bearish (Compare Strength Index scores across all markets in the data table or cot leaders table).

The 6-WK Trend score is the change in the Strength Index over the past 6 weeks and signals how strong and which way the Strength Index is going.


Extreme Bullish Speculator Table


Here Are This Week’s Most Bullish Speculator Positions:

Cotton

Extreme Bullish Leader
The Cotton speculator position comes in as the most bullish extreme standing this week as the Cotton speculator level is currently at a 96 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the percent strength score totaled a boost of 6 percentage points this week while the overall net speculator position was a total of 95,447 net contracts this week with a rise of 7,019 contract in the weekly speculator bets.


Speculators or Non-Commercials Notes:

Speculators, classified as non-commercial traders by the CFTC, are made up of large commodity funds, hedge funds and other significant for-profit participants. The Specs are generally regarded as trend-followers in their behavior towards price action – net speculator bets and prices tend to go in the same directions. These traders often look to buy when prices are rising and sell when prices are falling. To illustrate this point, many times speculator contracts can be found at their most extremes (bullish or bearish) when prices are also close to their highest or lowest levels.

These extreme levels can be dangerous for the large speculators as the trade is most crowded, there is less trading ammunition still sitting on the sidelines to push the trend further and prices have moved a significant distance. When the trend becomes exhausted, some speculators take profits while others look to also exit positions when prices fail to continue in the same direction. This process usually plays out over many months to years and can ultimately create a reverse effect where prices start to fall and speculators start a process of selling when prices are falling.

 


Bitcoin

Extreme Bullish Leader
The Bitcoin speculator position comes next in the extreme standings this week. The Bitcoin speculator level is now at a 89 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the percent strength score was an advance by 10 percentage points this week and the speculator position registered 3,091 net contracts this week with a reduction of -409 contracts in speculator bets.


Copper

Extreme Bullish Leader
The Copper speculator position comes in third this week in the extreme standings with the Copper speculator level residing at an 87 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score came in at a reduction of -13 percentage points this week. The overall speculator position was 64,385 net contracts this week with an addition of 113 contracts in the weekly speculator bets.


Wheat

Extreme Bullish Leader
The Wheat speculator position comes up number four in the extreme standings this week as the Wheat speculator level is at an 86 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score totaled an advance by 21 percentage points this week while the overall speculator position was -16,339 net contracts this week with a rise of 33,391 contracts in the speculator bets.


5-Year Bond

Extreme Bullish Leader
The 5-Year Bond speculator position rounds out the top five in this week’s bullish extreme standings as the 5-Year speculator level sits at an 83 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score was a lift of 4 percentage points this week while the speculator position was -1,294,283 net contracts this week with a boost of 64,833 contracts in the weekly speculator bets.


The Most Bearish Speculator Positions of the Week:

Extreme Bearish Speculator Table


Fed Funds

Extreme Bearish Leader
The Fed Funds speculator position comes in tied as the most bearish extreme standing this week with a FedFunds speculator level of 0 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score was a fall by -38 percentage points this week while the overall speculator position was -407,579 net contracts this week with a retreat of -53,326 contracts in the speculator bets.


Lean Hogs

Extreme Bearish Leader
The Lean Hogs speculator position also comes in tied as the most bearish extreme standing on the week. The Lean Hogs speculator level is at a 0 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score was a retreat of -17 percentage points this week and the speculator position was -65,228 net contracts this week with a fall of -807 contracts in the weekly speculator bets.


New Zealand Dollar

Extreme Bearish Leader
The New Zealand Dollar speculator position comes in as third most bearish extreme standing of the week as the NZD speculator level stands at a 3 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score was a decline of -36 percentage points this week. The overall speculator position was -62,766 net contracts this week with an increase of 2,423 contracts in the speculator bets.


3-Month Secured Overnight Financing Rate

Extreme Bearish Leader
The 3-Month Secured Overnight Financing Rate speculator position comes in as this week’s fourth most bearish extreme standing with the SOFR 3-Months speculator level at a 6 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score was a decrease of -15 percentage points this week while the speculator position was -2,692,081 net contracts this week with a boost of 83,873 contracts in the weekly speculator bets.


WTI Crude Oil

Extreme Bearish Leader
Finally, the WTI Crude Oil speculator position comes in as the fifth most bearish extreme standing for this week with the WTI Crude speculator level sitting at a 7 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score was a fall by -30 percentage points this week while the speculator position was 62,683 net contracts this week with a decrease of -13,066 contracts in the weekly speculator bets.


Article By InvestMacroReceive 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.

All information and opinions on this website and contained in this article are for general informational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice.

COT Metals Charts: Weekly Speculator Bets led by Copper & Steel

By InvestMacro 

Metals Open Interest COT Chart
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 July 14th and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial entities) were positioned in the futures markets.

Weekly Speculator Changes led by Copper & Steel

Metals Net Positions COT Chart
The COT metals markets speculator bets were overall lower this week as just two out of the six metals markets we cover had higher positioning while the other four markets had lower speculator contracts.

Leading the gains for the metals was Copper (113 contracts) with Steel (26 contracts) also showing a small positive week.

The markets with declines in speculator bets for the week were Gold (-7,564 contracts), Silver (-2,941 contracts), Palladium (-231 contracts) and with Platinum (-124 contracts) also registering lower bets on the week.

Steel leads Metals Markets Price Performances this week

In the major Metals markets this week, Steel led the gains with a modest 0.89% rise. Copper was virtually unchanged with an edge higher by 0.13% on the week and rounds out the gainers.

On the downside, Platinum dipped by -0.67%, followed by Palladium, which declined by -0.87%.

Gold was modestly lower by -1.60% on the week and was followed by Silver, which rounded out as the biggest decliner on the week with a -5.15% decrease.


Metals Data:

Metals Table COT Chart
Legend: Weekly Speculators Change | Speculators Current Net Position | Speculators Strength Score compared to last 3-Years (0-100 range)


Strength Scores led by Copper & Steel

Metals Strength Scores COT Chart
COT Strength Scores (a normalized measure of Speculator positions over a 3-Year range, from 0 to 100 where above 80 is Extreme-Bullish and below 20 is Extreme-Bearish) showed that Copper (87 percent) and Steel (71 percent) lead the metals markets this week. Palladium (60 percent) comes in as the next highest in the weekly strength scores.

On the downside, Silver (29 percent) comes in at the lowest strength level currently while the next lowest strength score was Platinum (45 percent).

Strength Statistics:
Gold (47.2 percent) vs Gold previous week (50.3 percent)
Silver (29.0 percent) vs Silver previous week (34.0 percent)
Copper (87.0 percent) vs Copper previous week (86.9 percent)
Platinum (45.4 percent) vs Platinum previous week (45.7 percent)
Palladium (59.6 percent) vs Palladium previous week (61.1 percent)
Steel (71.5 percent) vs Steel previous week (71.4 percent)

 


Gold & Silver top the 6-Week Strength Trends

Metals Trends COT Chart
COT Strength Score Trends (or move index, calculates the 6-week changes in strength scores) showed that Gold (4 percent) and Silver (2 percent) lead the past six weeks trends for metals.

Palladium (-19 percent), Copper (-13 percent) and Steel (-10 percent) lead the downside trend scores currently.

Move Statistics:
Gold (4.4 percent) vs Gold previous week (16.4 percent)
Silver (1.9 percent) vs Silver previous week (9.8 percent)
Copper (-13.0 percent) vs Copper previous week (-7.9 percent)
Platinum (-8.7 percent) vs Platinum previous week (-9.5 percent)
Palladium (-19.0 percent) vs Palladium previous week (-11.7 percent)
Steel (-10.4 percent) vs Steel previous week (-14.0 percent)


Individual Markets:

Gold Comex Futures Futures:

Gold Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Gold Comex Futures large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 186,682 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position reduction of -7,564 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 194,246 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 47.2 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 50.1 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 48.1 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Strong Downtrend.

Gold Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:59.220.811.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:10.676.74.3
– Net Position:186,682-214,78828,106
– Gross Longs:227,31079,63944,419
– Gross Shorts:40,628294,42716,313
– Long to Short Ratio:5.6 to 10.3 to 12.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):47.250.148.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:4.4-3.4-6.5

 


Silver Comex Futures Futures:

Silver Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Silver Comex Futures large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 25,074 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position decline of -2,941 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 28,015 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 29.0 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 69.2 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 49.2 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Strong Downtrend.

Silver Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:34.531.325.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:10.671.98.7
– Net Position:25,074-42,59717,523
– Gross Longs:36,24632,91926,702
– Gross Shorts:11,17275,5169,179
– Long to Short Ratio:3.2 to 10.4 to 12.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):29.069.249.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:1.90.1-6.7

 


Copper Grade #1 Futures Futures:

Copper Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Copper Grade #1 Futures large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 64,385 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position lift of 113 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 64,272 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish-Extreme with a score of 87.0 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 12.6 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 62.0 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Uptrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Uptrend.

Copper Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:38.233.77.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:13.462.03.8
– Net Position:64,385-73,6169,231
– Gross Longs:99,23687,54519,130
– Gross Shorts:34,851161,1619,899
– Long to Short Ratio:2.8 to 10.5 to 11.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):87.012.662.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-13.012.6-3.0

 


Platinum Futures Futures:

Platinum Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Platinum Futures large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 13,748 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position fall of -124 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 13,872 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 45.4 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 61.1 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 42.8 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Downtrend.

Platinum Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:41.733.314.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:16.266.07.2
– Net Position:13,748-17,5863,838
– Gross Longs:22,46117,9417,735
– Gross Shorts:8,71335,5273,897
– Long to Short Ratio:2.6 to 10.5 to 12.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):45.461.142.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-8.714.8-26.9

 


Palladium Futures Futures:

Palladium Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Palladium Futures large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of -4,889 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position lowering of -231 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -4,658 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 59.6 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 44.7 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 35.0 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Downtrend.

Palladium Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:36.146.811.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:62.423.19.3
– Net Position:-4,8894,416473
– Gross Longs:6,6988,6992,206
– Gross Shorts:11,5874,2831,733
– Long to Short Ratio:0.6 to 12.0 to 11.3 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):59.644.735.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-19.019.1-8.4

 


Steel Futures Futures:

Steel Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Steel Futures large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 8,389 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position boost of 26 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 8,363 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 71.5 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 29.2 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 48.2 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Strong Uptrend.

Steel Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:28.264.50.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:7.485.80.2
– Net Position:8,389-8,562173
– Gross Longs:11,35626,004261
– Gross Shorts:2,96734,56688
– Long to Short Ratio:3.8 to 10.8 to 13.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):71.529.248.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-10.412.4-51.8

 


Article By InvestMacroReceive 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.

All information and opinions on this website and contained in this article are for general informational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice.

COT Bonds Charts: Weekly Speculator Bets led by 2-Year, SOFR 3M & 5-Year Bonds

By InvestMacro 

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

The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday July 14th and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial hedgers) were positioned in the futures markets.

Weekly Speculator Changes led by 2-Year, SOFR 3M & 5-Year Bonds

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

Leading the gains for the bond markets was the 2-Year Bonds (103,531 contracts) with the SOFR 3-Months (83,873 contracts), the 5-Year Bonds (64,833 contracts) and the Ultra 10-Year Bonds (2,508 contracts) also showing positive weeks.

The bond markets with declines in speculator bets for the week were the Fed Funds (-53,326 contracts), the US Treasury Bonds (-35,465 contracts), the 10-Year Bonds (-17,413 contracts), the Ultra Treasury Bonds (-16,588 contracts) and the SOFR 1-Month (-14,134 contracts) also registering lower bets on the week.

US Treasury Bond leads Bond Market Price Performances this week

In the major US Bond markets this week, the long US Treasury Bond led the increases with a 0.34% rise over the past five days. This was followed by the 10-Year Note, which advanced by 0.30%. The Fed Funds was higher by 0.28%, while the Five-Year Bond advanced by 0.21%, and the Two-Year Bond was up by 0.11%.

The One-Month SOFR was unchanged on the week, while the Three-Month SOFR showed a decline by -0.17% for this week.


Bonds Data:

Bonds Market Speculators Data Table
Legend: Open Interest | Speculators Current Net Position | Weekly Specs Change | Specs Strength Score compared to last 3-Years (0-100 range)


Strength Scores led by 5-Year Bonds

Bonds Market Strength Index Comparison
COT Strength Scores (a normalized measure of Speculator positions over a 3-Year range, from 0 to 100 where above 80 is Extreme-Bullish and below 20 is Extreme-Bearish) showed that the 5-Year Bonds (83 percent), the 2-Year Bonds (70 percent) and the Ultra 10-Year Bonds (69 percent) lead the bond markets this week.

On the downside, the Fed Funds (0.0 percent) and the SOFR 3-Months (6 percent) come in at the lowest strength level currently and are in Extreme-Bearish territory (below 20 percent). The next lowest strength scores was the US Treasury Bonds (21 percent) .

Strength Statistics:
Fed Funds (0.0 percent) vs Fed Funds previous week (7.4 percent)
2-Year Bond (69.6 percent) vs 2-Year Bond previous week (57.3 percent)
5-Year Bond (82.7 percent) vs 5-Year Bond previous week (78.9 percent)
10-Year Bond (37.3 percent) vs 10-Year Bond previous week (39.4 percent)
Ultra 10-Year Bond (69.0 percent) vs Ultra 10-Year Bond previous week (68.4 percent)
US Treasury Bond (21.1 percent) vs US Treasury Bond previous week (33.4 percent)
Ultra US Treasury Bond (49.5 percent) vs Ultra US Treasury Bond previous week (55.7 percent)
SOFR 1-Month (39.6 percent) vs SOFR 1-Month previous week (42.1 percent)
SOFR 3-Months (5.9 percent) vs SOFR 3-Months previous week (3.6 percent)


2-Year Bonds & Ultra 10-Year Bonds top the 6-Week Strength Trends

Bonds Market Trend Index Comparison
COT Strength Score Trends (or move index, calculates the 6-week changes in strength scores) showed that the 2-Year Bonds (23 percent) and the Ultra 10-Year Bonds (10 percent) lead the past six weeks trends for bonds. The 5-Year Bonds (4 percent) are the next highest positive movers in the latest trends data.

The Fed Funds (-38 percent) leads the downside trend scores currently with the SOFR 3-Months (-15 percent) and Ultra Treasury Bonds (-14 percent) following next with lower trend scores.

Strength Trend Statistics:
Fed Funds (-38.3 percent) vs Fed Funds previous week (-34.4 percent)
2-Year Bond (22.9 percent) vs 2-Year Bond previous week (-0.7 percent)
5-Year Bond (4.5 percent) vs 5-Year Bond previous week (-2.1 percent)
10-Year Bond (-0.3 percent) vs 10-Year Bond previous week (-3.1 percent)
Ultra 10-Year Bond (9.8 percent) vs Ultra 10-Year Bond previous week (-8.6 percent)
US Treasury Bond (-6.7 percent) vs US Treasury Bond previous week (19.4 percent)
Ultra US Treasury Bond (-13.8 percent) vs Ultra US Treasury Bond previous week (-18.0 percent)
SOFR 1-Month (-5.6 percent) vs SOFR 1-Month previous week (-0.8 percent)
SOFR 3-Months (-14.8 percent) vs SOFR 3-Months previous week (-28.5 percent)


30-Day Federal Funds Futures:

Federal Funds 30-Day Bonds Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • 30-Day Federal Funds large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of -407,579 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position lowering of -53,326 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -354,253 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 75.7 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Downtrend.

30-Day Federal Funds StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:10.667.31.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:28.550.11.3
– Net Position:-407,579392,20515,374
– Gross Longs:240,6081,532,03644,061
– Gross Shorts:648,1871,139,83128,687
– Long to Short Ratio:0.4 to 11.3 to 11.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):0.0100.075.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-38.338.28.9

 


Secured Overnight Financing Rate (3-Month) Futures:

SOFR 3-Months Bonds Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Secured Overnight Financing Rate (3-Month) large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of -2,692,081 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position advance of 83,873 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -2,775,954 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 5.9 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 94.1 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 59.6 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Uptrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Weak Uptrend.

SOFR 3-Months StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:11.665.80.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:32.145.40.4
– Net Position:-2,692,0812,690,2711,810
– Gross Longs:1,532,4278,673,43754,490
– Gross Shorts:4,224,5085,983,16652,680
– Long to Short Ratio:0.4 to 11.4 to 11.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):5.994.159.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-14.813.159.6

 


Secured Overnight Financing Rate (1-Month) Futures:

SOFR 1-Month Bonds Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Secured Overnight Financing Rate (1-Month) large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of -218,581 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position decline of -14,134 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -204,447 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 39.6 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 60.5 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 65.0 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Uptrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Uptrend.

SOFR 1-Month StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:14.265.20.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:29.050.30.1
– Net Position:-218,581219,474-893
– Gross Longs:208,338959,285988
– Gross Shorts:426,919739,8111,881
– Long to Short Ratio:0.5 to 11.3 to 10.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):39.660.565.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-5.65.8-2.1

 


2-Year Treasury Note Futures:

2-Year Treasury Bonds Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • 2-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of -1,157,477 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position boost of 103,531 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -1,261,008 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 69.6 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 34.0 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 19.9 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Downtrend.

2-Year Treasury Note StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:12.175.75.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:38.151.43.4
– Net Position:-1,157,4771,084,26073,217
– Gross Longs:541,9503,381,563225,820
– Gross Shorts:1,699,4272,297,303152,603
– Long to Short Ratio:0.3 to 11.5 to 11.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):69.634.019.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:22.9-26.519.9

 


5-Year Treasury Note Futures:

5-Year Treasury Bonds Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • 5-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of -1,294,283 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position increase of 64,833 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -1,359,116 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish-Extreme with a score of 82.7 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 24.4 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 16.9 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Downtrend.

5-Year Treasury Note StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:8.382.96.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:29.262.36.2
– Net Position:-1,294,2831,278,83415,449
– Gross Longs:510,3965,126,861401,135
– Gross Shorts:1,804,6793,848,027385,686
– Long to Short Ratio:0.3 to 11.3 to 11.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):82.724.416.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearishBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:4.5-4.5-0.9

 


10-Year Treasury Note Futures:

10-Year Treasury Notes Bonds Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • 10-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of -831,675 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position decline of -17,413 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -814,262 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 37.3 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 73.7 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 16.6 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Downtrend.

10-Year Treasury Note StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:10.180.47.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:25.965.26.8
– Net Position:-831,675803,58928,086
– Gross Longs:534,5554,248,102389,823
– Gross Shorts:1,366,2303,444,513361,737
– Long to Short Ratio:0.4 to 11.2 to 11.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):37.373.716.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-0.3-2.66.4

 


Ultra 10-Year Notes Futures:

Ultra 10-Year Treasury Notes Bonds Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Ultra 10-Year Notes large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of -145,636 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position rise of 2,508 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -148,144 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 69.0 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 35.0 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 43.5 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Downtrend.

Ultra 10-Year Notes StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:8.481.49.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:14.472.212.4
– Net Position:-145,636226,642-81,006
– Gross Longs:206,4971,995,015223,193
– Gross Shorts:352,1331,768,373304,199
– Long to Short Ratio:0.6 to 11.1 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):69.035.043.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:9.8-9.7-0.9

 


US Treasury Bonds Futures:

US Year Treasury Notes Long Bonds Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • US Treasury Bonds large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of -179,056 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position fall of -35,465 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -143,591 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 21.1 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 65.7 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 52.2 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Strong Downtrend.

US Treasury Bonds StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:11.273.913.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:20.969.87.6
– Net Position:-179,05676,451102,605
– Gross Longs:207,0481,362,467242,779
– Gross Shorts:386,1041,286,016140,174
– Long to Short Ratio:0.5 to 11.1 to 11.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):21.165.752.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-6.71.010.5

 


Ultra US Treasury Bonds Futures:

Ultra US Year Treasury Notes Long Bonds Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Ultra US Treasury Bonds large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of -324,407 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position fall of -16,588 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -307,819 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 49.5 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 50.6 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 57.4 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Strong Downtrend.

Ultra US Treasury Bonds StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:5.684.88.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:18.873.37.0
– Net Position:-324,407283,27041,137
– Gross Longs:138,0472,083,553212,642
– Gross Shorts:462,4541,800,283171,505
– Long to Short Ratio:0.3 to 11.2 to 11.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):49.550.657.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-13.8-4.950.8

 


Article By InvestMacroReceive 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.

All information and opinions on this website and contained in this article are for general informational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice.

COT Energy Charts: Weekly Speculator Bets led by Brent Oil & Heating Oil

By InvestMacro 

Speculators OI Energy Futures COT Chart
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 July 14th and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial entities) were positioned in the futures markets.

Weekly Speculator Changes led by Brent Oil & Heating Oil

Speculators Nets Energy Futures COT Chart
The COT energy market speculator bets were mixed this week as three out of the six energy markets we cover had higher positioning while the other three markets had lower speculator contracts.

Leading the gains for the energy markets was Brent Oil (3,225 contracts) with Heating Oil (3,214 contracts) and the Bloomberg Index (1,701 contracts) also recording positive weeks.

The markets with declines in speculator bets for the week were Natural Gas (-13,305 contracts), WTI Crude (-13,066 contracts) and Gasoline (-239 contracts) also seeing lower bets on the week.

Brent Oil, WTI Crude Oil, and Gasoline lead Energy Market Price Performances

In the Energy markets this week, all of the six markets that we cover were higher on the week. Leading the gains was Brent Oil, which jumped by 12.07% and was followed by WTI Crude Oil, which advanced by a similar 11.65%. Next up, Gasoline advanced by 11.08% on the week.

Heating Oil was higher by 8.45%, while the Bloomberg Commodity Index was above a 4% gain with a 4.35% rise. Rounding out the gainers with a small rise was Natural Gas, which edged up by 0.03%.


Energy Data:

Speculators Table Energy Futures COT Chart
Legend: Weekly Speculators Change | Speculators Current Net Position | Speculators Strength Score compared to last 3-Years (0-100 range)


Strength Scores led by Heating Oil & Bloomberg Index

Speculators Strength Energy Futures COT Chart
COT Strength Scores (a normalized measure of Speculator positions over a 3-Year range, from 0 to 100 where above 80 is Extreme-Bullish and below 20 is Extreme-Bearish) showed that Heating Oil (54.6 percent) and Bloomberg Index (53.1 percent) lead the energy markets this week. Gasoline (51.2 percent) comes in as the next highest in the weekly strength scores.

On the downside, WTI Crude (7.4 percent) and Natural Gas (17.9 percent) come in at the lowest strength level currently and are in Extreme-Bearish territory (below 20 percent).

Strength Statistics:
WTI Crude Oil (7.4 percent) vs WTI Crude Oil previous week (11.6 percent)
Brent Crude Oil (45.4 percent) vs Brent Crude Oil previous week (40.4 percent)
Natural Gas (17.9 percent) vs Natural Gas previous week (26.4 percent)
Gasoline (51.2 percent) vs Gasoline previous week (51.4 percent)
Heating Oil (54.6 percent) vs Heating Oil previous week (50.4 percent)
Bloomberg Commodity Index (53.1 percent) vs Bloomberg Commodity Index previous week (51.6 percent)

 


Bloomberg Index tops the 6-Week Strength Trends

Speculators Trend Energy Futures COT Chart
COT Strength Score Trends (or move index, calculates the 6-week changes in strength scores) showed that the Bloomberg Index (39.5 percent) leads the past six weeks trends for the energy markets. Heating Oil (5.8 percent) is the next highest positive mover in the latest trends data.

WTI Crude (-30.0 percent) leads the downside trend scores currently with Brent Oil (-4.8 percent) as the next market with lower trend scores.

Move Statistics:
WTI Crude Oil (-30.0 percent) vs WTI Crude Oil previous week (-27.5 percent)
Brent Crude Oil (-4.8 percent) vs Brent Crude Oil previous week (12.9 percent)
Natural Gas (4.8 percent) vs Natural Gas previous week (24.3 percent)
Gasoline (2.6 percent) vs Gasoline previous week (4.0 percent)
Heating Oil (5.8 percent) vs Heating Oil previous week (3.5 percent)
Bloomberg Commodity Index (39.5 percent) vs Bloomberg Commodity Index previous week (38.0 percent)


Individual COT Market Charts:

WTI Crude Oil Futures Futures:

WTI Crude Oil Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • WTI Crude Oil Futures large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of 62,683 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position reduction of -13,066 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 75,749 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 7.4 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 90.8 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 45.2 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Downtrend.

WTI Crude Oil Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:16.149.23.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:12.853.82.7
– Net Position:62,683-85,08822,405
– Gross Longs:302,429923,36472,706
– Gross Shorts:239,7461,008,45250,301
– Long to Short Ratio:1.3 to 10.9 to 11.4 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):7.490.845.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-30.031.5-19.4

 


Brent Crude Oil Futures Futures:

Brent Last Day Crude Oil Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Brent Crude Oil Futures large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of -21,424 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position boost of 3,225 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -24,649 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 45.4 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 49.7 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 60.7 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Downtrend.

Brent Crude Oil Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:21.235.13.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:29.927.72.4
– Net Position:-21,42418,5052,919
– Gross Longs:52,46286,8638,741
– Gross Shorts:73,88668,3585,822
– Long to Short Ratio:0.7 to 11.3 to 11.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):45.449.760.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-4.89.5-29.5

 


Natural Gas Futures Futures:

Natural Gas Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Natural Gas Futures large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of -178,612 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position lowering of -13,305 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -165,307 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 17.9 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 84.3 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 36.2 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Uptrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Weak Uptrend.

Natural Gas Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:17.332.23.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:28.022.32.6
– Net Position:-178,612165,52813,084
– Gross Longs:287,255536,31256,425
– Gross Shorts:465,867370,78443,341
– Long to Short Ratio:0.6 to 11.4 to 11.3 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):17.984.336.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:4.8-5.42.2

 


Gasoline Blendstock Futures Futures:

RBOB Gasoline Energy Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Gasoline Blendstock Futures large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of 57,985 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position reduction of -239 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 58,224 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 51.2 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 43.2 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 66.1 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Weak Downtrend.

Nasdaq Mini Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:30.043.47.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:12.264.64.4
– Net Position:57,985-68,65310,668
– Gross Longs:97,460140,93325,057
– Gross Shorts:39,475209,58614,389
– Long to Short Ratio:2.5 to 10.7 to 11.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):51.243.266.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:2.6-1.8-2.6

 


#2 Heating Oil NY-Harbor Futures Futures:

NY Harbor Heating Oil Energy Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • #2 Heating Oil NY-Harbor Futures large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of 8,476 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position rise of 3,214 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 5,262 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 54.6 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 35.7 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 83.5 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Weak Downtrend.

Heating Oil Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:18.743.519.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:15.555.810.2
– Net Position:8,476-32,39523,919
– Gross Longs:49,219114,39650,855
– Gross Shorts:40,743146,79126,936
– Long to Short Ratio:1.2 to 10.8 to 11.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):54.635.783.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:5.8-1.2-8.7

 


Bloomberg Commodity Index Futures Futures:

Bloomberg Commodity Index Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Bloomberg Commodity Index Futures large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of -30,195 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position boost of 1,701 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -31,896 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 53.1 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 46.9 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 79.1 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Weak Downtrend.

Bloomberg Index Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:50.248.80.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:66.532.70.0
– Net Position:-30,19529,772423
– Gross Longs:92,87190,259436
– Gross Shorts:123,06660,48713
– Long to Short Ratio:0.8 to 11.5 to 133.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):53.146.979.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:39.5-39.4-1.0

 


Article By InvestMacroReceive 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.

All information and opinions on this website and contained in this article are for general informational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice.

COT Soft Commodities Charts: Weekly Speculator Bets led by Wheat, Corn & Soybean Meal

By InvestMacro

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

The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday July 14th and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial entities) were positioned in the futures markets.

Weekly Speculator Changes led by Wheat, Corn & Soybean Meal

Speculators Nets Softs
The COT soft commodities markets speculator bets were overall higher this week as eight out of the eleven softs markets we cover had higher positioning while the other three markets had lower speculator contracts.

Leading the gains for the softs markets was Wheat (33,391 contracts) with Corn (30,483 contracts), Soybean Meal (24,649 contracts), Soybeans (12,596 contracts), Soybean Oil (12,577 contracts), Cotton (7,019 contracts), Cocoa (2,145 contracts) and Coffee (2,204 contracts) also showing positive weeks.

The markets with the declines in speculator bets this week were Live Cattle (-11,963 contracts) with Sugar (-2,872 contracts) and Lean Hogs (-807 contracts) also seeing lower bets on the week.

Wheat leads Soft Commodities Price Performances this week

The top market this week in the Soft Commodities price performances was Wheat, which rose by a strong 7.17% over the past five days. Soybean Oil comes in next with a 2.84% rise on the week, while Lean Hogs was up by 2.68%.

Soybeans had a modest 0.52% gain on the week, and Corn rounded out the gainers with a 0.16% increase.

On the downside, Sugar dipped by -0.27%, followed by Soybean Meal, which fell by a similar -0.30%. Cotton dropped by more than -2.5% with a -2.88% decline, while Live Cattle dropped by -4.27%, and Coffee fell by -4.93% over the past five days.

The biggest decliner on the week was Cocoa, which saw a reduction by -6.08%.


Soft Commodities Data:

Speculators Table Softs
Legend: Weekly Speculators Change | Speculators Current Net Position | Speculators Strength Score compared to last 3-Years (0-100 range)


Strength Scores led by Cotton & Wheat

Speculators Strength Softs
COT Strength Scores (a normalized measure of Speculator positions over a 3-Year range, from 0 to 100 where above 80 is Extreme-Bullish and below 20 is Extreme-Bearish) showed that Cotton (96 percent) and Wheat (86 percent) currently lead the softs markets this week. Soybean Oil (74 percent), Soybeans (71 percent) and Soybean Meal (71 percent) come in as the next highest in the weekly strength scores.

On the downside, Lean Hogs (0 percent) and Cocoa (12 percent) come in at the lowest strength levels currently and are in Extreme-Bearish territory (below 20 percent). The next lowest strength scores are the Sugar (38 percent) and the Live Cattle (47 percent).

Strength Statistics:
Corn (54.1 percent) vs Corn previous week (50.0 percent)
Sugar (38.4 percent) vs Sugar previous week (39.0 percent)
Coffee (51.1 percent) vs Coffee previous week (48.9 percent)
Soybeans (71.5 percent) vs Soybeans previous week (68.7 percent)
Soybean Oil (73.9 percent) vs Soybean Oil previous week (68.8 percent)
Soybean Meal (70.5 percent) vs Soybean Meal previous week (60.5 percent)
Live Cattle (46.5 percent) vs Live Cattle previous week (58.4 percent)
Lean Hogs (0.0 percent) vs Lean Hogs previous week (0.5 percent)
Cotton (95.9 percent) vs Cotton previous week (91.7 percent)
Cocoa (11.7 percent) vs Cocoa previous week (9.8 percent)
Wheat (85.5 percent) vs Wheat previous week (57.5 percent)


Wheat & Coffee top the 6-Week Strength Trends

Speculators Trend Softs
COT Strength Score Trends (or move index, calculates the 6-week changes in strength scores) showed that Wheat (21 percent) and Coffee (14 percent) lead the past six weeks trends for soft commodities. Sugar (9 percent), Cocoa (6 percent) and Cotton (6 percent) are the next highest positive movers in the latest trends data.

Soybean Meal (-28 percent) leads the downside trend scores currently with Lean Hogs (-17 percent), Soybean Oil (-17 percent) and Live Cattle (-16 percent) following next with lower trend scores.

Strength Trend Statistics:
Corn (-9.3 percent) vs Corn previous week (-27.4 percent)
Sugar (9.0 percent) vs Sugar previous week (4.1 percent)
Coffee (14.5 percent) vs Coffee previous week (9.0 percent)
Soybeans (-13.8 percent) vs Soybeans previous week (-20.4 percent)
Soybean Oil (-16.6 percent) vs Soybean Oil previous week (-18.9 percent)
Soybean Meal (-28.0 percent) vs Soybean Meal previous week (-37.4 percent)
Live Cattle (-15.7 percent) vs Live Cattle previous week (-5.1 percent)
Lean Hogs (-16.7 percent) vs Lean Hogs previous week (-24.2 percent)
Cotton (6.1 percent) vs Cotton previous week (0.4 percent)
Cocoa (6.0 percent) vs Cocoa previous week (3.1 percent)
Wheat (20.5 percent) vs Wheat previous week (-33.9 percent)


Individual Soft Commodities Markets:

CORN Futures:

CORN Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • CORN large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 131,463 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position increase of 30,483 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 100,980 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 54.1 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 42.8 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 73.9 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Weak Downtrend.

CORN Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:28.241.28.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:20.546.810.4
– Net Position:131,463-94,976-36,487
– Gross Longs:482,223703,349140,668
– Gross Shorts:350,760798,325177,155
– Long to Short Ratio:1.4 to 10.9 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):54.142.873.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-9.32.544.2

 


SUGAR Futures:

SUGAR Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • SUGAR large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of -62,145 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position decrease of -2,872 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -59,273 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 38.4 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 63.2 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 37.0 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Weak Downtrend.

SUGAR Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:27.047.77.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:33.241.97.1
– Net Position:-62,14558,2633,882
– Gross Longs:270,018477,14974,460
– Gross Shorts:332,163418,88670,578
– Long to Short Ratio:0.8 to 11.1 to 11.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):38.463.237.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:9.0-8.64.3

 


COFFEE Futures:

COFFEE Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • COFFEE large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 27,827 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position gain of 2,204 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 25,623 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 51.1 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 49.7 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 43.7 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Weak Downtrend.

COFFEE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:32.338.24.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:15.655.93.3
– Net Position:27,827-29,4501,623
– Gross Longs:53,91363,8177,156
– Gross Shorts:26,08693,2675,533
– Long to Short Ratio:2.1 to 10.7 to 11.3 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):51.149.743.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:14.5-15.526.3

 


SOYBEANS Futures:

SOYBEANS Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • SOYBEANS large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 125,403 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position boost of 12,596 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 112,807 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 71.5 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 29.5 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 37.0 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Weak Downtrend.

SOYBEANS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:22.049.84.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:9.559.87.0
– Net Position:125,403-101,014-24,389
– Gross Longs:220,823500,11946,389
– Gross Shorts:95,420601,13370,778
– Long to Short Ratio:2.3 to 10.8 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):71.529.537.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-13.814.6-4.8

 


SOYBEAN OIL Futures:

SOYBEAN OIL Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • SOYBEAN OIL large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 107,243 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position rise of 12,577 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 94,666 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 73.9 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 25.1 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 73.7 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Uptrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Weak Uptrend.

SOYBEAN OIL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:25.147.45.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:8.366.04.0
– Net Position:107,243-118,35911,116
– Gross Longs:159,949302,75136,891
– Gross Shorts:52,706421,11025,775
– Long to Short Ratio:3.0 to 10.7 to 11.4 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):73.925.173.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-16.614.617.7

 


SOYBEAN MEAL Futures:

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • SOYBEAN MEAL large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 87,037 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position gain of 24,649 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 62,388 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 70.5 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 29.2 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 78.4 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Downtrend.

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:28.443.48.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:13.962.04.5
– Net Position:87,037-111,25224,215
– Gross Longs:170,509260,24451,424
– Gross Shorts:83,472371,49627,209
– Long to Short Ratio:2.0 to 10.7 to 11.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):70.529.278.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-28.026.027.4

 


LIVE CATTLE Futures:

LIVE CATTLE Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • LIVE CATTLE large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 69,705 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position decrease of -11,963 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 81,668 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 46.5 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 46.0 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 68.9 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Strong Downtrend.

LIVE CATTLE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:39.233.59.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:16.953.111.6
– Net Position:69,705-61,324-8,381
– Gross Longs:122,352104,34527,905
– Gross Shorts:52,647165,66936,286
– Long to Short Ratio:2.3 to 10.6 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):46.546.068.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-15.76.736.9

 


LEAN HOGS Futures:

LEAN HOGS Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • LEAN HOGS large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of -65,228 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position decline of -807 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -64,421 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 99.5 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Downtrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Weak Downtrend.

LEAN HOGS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:21.943.77.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:44.821.57.1
– Net Position:-65,22863,1532,075
– Gross Longs:62,355124,45722,248
– Gross Shorts:127,58361,30420,173
– Long to Short Ratio:0.5 to 12.0 to 11.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):0.0100.099.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-16.714.731.4

 


COTTON Futures:

COTTON Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • COTTON large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 95,447 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position increase of 7,019 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 88,428 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish-Extreme with a score of 95.9 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 6.4 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 72.3 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Strong Uptrend.

COTTON Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:41.735.15.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:12.167.82.5
– Net Position:95,447-105,2789,831
– Gross Longs:134,337113,27117,856
– Gross Shorts:38,890218,5498,025
– Long to Short Ratio:3.5 to 10.5 to 12.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):95.96.472.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:6.1-6.49.1

 


COCOA Futures:

COCOA Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • COCOA large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of -10,584 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position boost of 2,145 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -12,729 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 11.7 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 86.9 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 40.7 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Strong Uptrend.

COCOA Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:16.750.25.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:21.945.74.3
– Net Position:-10,5849,1701,414
– Gross Longs:33,972102,31710,134
– Gross Shorts:44,55693,1478,720
– Long to Short Ratio:0.8 to 11.1 to 11.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):11.786.940.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:6.0-6.912.6

 


WHEAT Futures:

WHEAT Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • WHEAT large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of -16,339 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position gain of 33,391 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -49,730 net contracts.
  • This week’s current strength score (range over the past 3 years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish-Extreme with a score of 85.5 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 16.2 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 56.8 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

Our weekly trend-following model classifies the current market price position as: Strong Uptrend.

WHEAT Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:27.539.98.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:31.336.37.9
– Net Position:-16,33915,634705
– Gross Longs:117,880171,30734,741
– Gross Shorts:134,219155,67334,036
– Long to Short Ratio:0.9 to 11.1 to 11.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):85.516.256.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:20.5-19.7-9.3

 


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*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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Gold Is Rapidly Declining in Price: Statistics Hardly Help

By Analytical Department RoboForex

Gold fell to 4,033 USD per ounce on Thursday, extending its losing streak. Pressure on the market is being exerted by a sharp rise in oil prices amid intensified attacks in the Middle East, which is once again heightening inflationary fears and expectations of tighter central bank policies.

On Wednesday, the United States launched new strikes on Iranian targets. At the same time, Donald Trump stated that Tehran had signalled its readiness to return to negotiations, which somewhat reduced the geopolitical temperature.

Some support for gold came from weaker-than-expected US inflation data. In June, producer prices unexpectedly fell for the first time in nearly a year, largely due to cheaper energy. Earlier, softer-than-forecast consumer inflation data were also released.

However, June’s figures do not yet reflect the consequences of the renewed US-Iran conflict. The interim peace deal reached last month has effectively lapsed, meaning the risks of accelerating inflation and further pressure on gold remain firmly in place.

Technical Analysis

On the H4 XAU/USD chart, the market has formed a consolidation range around the 4,060 USD level. A downward wave to 4,015 USD and a growth leg to 4,080 USD have been completed. A continuation of the downward wave to 3,920 USD is expected, followed by a potential rise to 4,055 USD, with the prospect of the wave extending to 4,150 USD. The MACD indicator confirms the current downside momentum, with its signal line below the centre line and pointing strictly downwards.

On the H1 chart, the market has broken below the 4,060 USD level and is forming a downward wave structure towards 4,012 USD. A wide consolidation range is practically forming around 4,060 USD. The Stochastic oscillator confirms this scenario, with its signal line remaining below the 50 level and under pressure to decline to 20.

Conclusion

Gold continues its sharp decline as rising oil prices and heightened Middle East tensions reinforce inflationary fears and expectations of tighter monetary policy. While US inflation data for June came in softer than expected-with producer prices unexpectedly falling-these figures predate the collapse of the interim peace deal and the renewed US-Iran hostilities. As a result, the risks of accelerating inflation and further pressure on gold remain firmly intact. Technical indicators point to further downside towards 3,920 USD, with any recovery likely to be capped by persistent geopolitical and inflation concerns. The metal’s safe-haven appeal is being overshadowed by the prospect of sustained central bank tightening.

 

Disclaimer

Any forecasts contained herein are based on the author’s particular opinion. This analysis may not be treated as trading advice. RoboForex bears no responsibility for trading results based on trading recommendations and reviews contained herein.

The Bank of Canada kept its interest rate unchanged. Platinum prices reached a three‑week high

By JustMarkets 

By the end of the day, the Dow Jones Index (US30) rose by 0.29%. The S&P 500 Index (US500) gained 0.38%. The tech‑heavy Nasdaq (US100) closed Wednesday in the green at 0.62%. On Wednesday, the US stock market showed mixed dynamics: optimism about slowing inflation, supported by Producer‑price Index data, helped the S&P 500 and Dow Jones close higher. The statistics confirmed moderate price pressure, reducing expectations of further Fed rate hikes and allowing the market to ignore geopolitical risks linked to energy commodities.

The Canadian dollar (CAD) strengthened to a one‑month high, reaching 1.40 per US dollar after the Bank of Canada decided to keep its key rate at 2.25%. The regulator adopted a fairly hawkish stance, pointing to signs of economic recovery and raising inflation expectations for the current year. This rhetoric convinced investors that borrowing costs will remain high for an extended period, supporting the national currency. An additional factor was external conditions, particularly the weakening of the US dollar following US producer‑price data that came in below expectations.

European indices mostly declined on Wednesday. By the end of the day, Germany’s DAX (DE40) fell by 0.59%, France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed up 0.19%, Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) dropped 0.42%, and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) closed down 0.13%.

Crude oil prices (WTI) stabilized near $80 per barrel, holding at monthly highs due to a sharp escalation in the Persian Gulf. The US military campaign aimed at protecting navigation in the Strait of Hormuz entered a phase of intensive airstrikes on Iran’s missile depots and launch sites. The situation is further complicated by the potential expansion of the conflict’s geography: the Trump administration’s discussion of a scenario involving the seizure of the key export terminal on Kharg Island creates critical risks for global energy supplies.

Platinum prices (XPT) reached a three‑week high, rising to $1,670 per ounce. The main catalyst was the weakening of the US dollar to a one‑month low, triggered by weak inflation data that virtually eliminated the possibility of a Fed rate hike this month. The cheaper dollar increased the attractiveness of platinum as a commodity asset. Beyond macroeconomic factors, the platinum market is supported by a persistent fundamental supply deficit, now in its fourth consecutive year.

In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) fell by 0.77%, China’s FTSE China A50 (CHA50) closed up 0.52%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) gained 1.38%, and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) closed down 0.12%. On Thursday, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index showed strong growth, adding 1.3%. The positive dynamics were driven by an overall improvement in global risk appetite after the release of unexpectedly weak US producer‑price inflation, which significantly eased concerns about price pressure. Against this backdrop, market participants continued reallocating capital into Hong Kong‑listed equities, ignoring weaker‑than‑expected macroeconomic data from mainland China.

The Australian dollar (AUD) remains resilient, holding near $0.70 and consolidating at three‑week highs. The currency is effectively offsetting geopolitical pressure caused by the escalation of the US-Iran conflict and the subsequent spike in energy prices. The main driver of the current exchange rate remains US dollar weakness. Domestic factors in Australia also support current market sentiment: inflation expectations continue to decline, falling in July to a six‑month low of 4.7%. Despite this, traders remain cautious in expecting further steps by the Reserve Bank of Australia, pricing in only a 20% probability of an August rate hike.

The New Zealand dollar (NZD) consolidated near a six‑week high at $0.584, supported by expectations of continued tightening by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. Market participants project that, following the recent rate increase, the regulator will act again in September, aiming to bring the official rate to 3.0% by year‑end. An additional support factor is the overall weakness of the US dollar, which is near a one‑month low as investors reassess expectations regarding Fed aggressiveness.

S&P 500 (US500) 7,572.40 +28.81 (+0.38%)

Dow Jones (US30) 52,658.64 +150.37 (+0.29%)

DAX (DE40) 24,999.53 -147.50 (-0.59%)

FTSE 100 (UK100) 10,515.92 -13.47 (-0.13%)

USD Index 100.51 +0.02 (+0.02%)

News feed for: 2026.07.16

  • UK GDP (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+3) – GBP (MED)
  • UK Industrial Production (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+3) – GBP (MED)
  • UK Trade Balance (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+3) – GBP (MED)
  • CHF Summary of Monetary Policy Discussions at 10:30 (GMT+3) – CHF (LOW)
  • Eurozone Trade Balance (m/m) at 12:00 (GMT+3) – EUR (LOW)
  • US Retail Sales (m/m) at 15:30 (GMT+3) – USD (MED)
  • US Initial Jobless Claims (w/w) at 15:30 (GMT+3) – USD (MED)
  • US Natural Gas Storage (w/w) at 17:30 (GMT+3) – XNG (HIGH)

By JustMarkets

 

This article reflects a personal opinion and should not be interpreted as an investment advice, and/or offer, and/or a persistent request for carrying out financial transactions, and/or a guarantee, and/or a forecast of future events.