Markets Advance Ahead Of US CPI

By ForexTime

Asian markets rose on Tuesday after China strengthened support for its struggling property sector. European futures are pointing to a positive open as attention falls on the pending German ZEW Economic Sentiment Index report. In the currency arena, the dollar has weakened on the back of falling Treasury yields with investors digesting the remarks from numerous Fed speakers yesterday.  Regarding commodities, oil is finding support as investors evaluate the demand outlook for China following some measures by Beijing to support its real-estate sector. Gold could push higher in the short term thanks to a weaker dollar and falling Treasury yields. Although the US inflation report is currently in the spotlight, earnings announcements by Wall Street banks on Friday could hijack investor attention.

US June CPI Report in Focus

All eyes will be on the latest US inflation report on Wednesday which has the potential to influence Fed hike expectations. Annual headline inflation is expected to slow to 3.1% in June, a noticeable decline from the 4% reading in May. However, annual core CPI, which strips out volatile energy and food prices, is expected to cool to 5% from 5.3% seen in the prior release. This remains above the Fed’s 2% target but ultimately, signs of cooling inflationary pressures will boost expectations around the Fed’s hiking cycle ending soon after July’s FOMC policy meeting. However, still stubborn inflation prints could fuel speculation around the Fed keeping rates higher for longer.

Commodity Spotlight – Gold

Gold bulls are likely to draw strength from a weaker dollar and falling US Treasury ahead of the US CPI report on Wednesday. Should the report show further signs of slowing inflation, this could fuel speculation around the Fed’s hiking cycle nearing an end. Such a development could boost attraction for zero-yielding gold, potentially pushing prices beyond the $1940 region and higher towards $1960. Should prices remain trapped below $1932, this could open a path back to $1910 and $1900, respectively.


Forex-Time-LogoArticle by ForexTime

ForexTime Ltd (FXTM) is an award winning international online forex broker regulated by CySEC 185/12 www.forextime.com

EUR/USD Rises on Stats

By RoboForex Analytical Department

The market’s most traded currency pair rose to the level of 1.0960 by Monday.

EUR/USD strengthened due to the weakness of the US dollar. Investors were disappointed by the flow of statistical data from the US labour market for June.

To be specific, the number of non-farm payrolls increased by only 209 thousand against the May value of 306 thousand. In private business, the number of jobs increased by 149 thousand, while in the public sector, it rose by 60 thousand. The unemployment rate remained at 3.6%. Average wages increased by 4.4% y/y against the forecast of 4.2%.

Market participants were counting on strong employment data to help them understand the future actions of the US Federal Reserve.

Technical analysis of EUR/USD:

On the H4 chart, EUR/USD secured above the upper boundary of a descending correction channel after a failed test of the support level. The price is above the moving averages, which indicates growing pressure from the buyers. The correction is expected to end at 1.0935, after which the quotes might rise to the nearest resistance level at 1.1015. Technically, this scenario is confirmed by the MACD: its signal line has secured above the zero level, and the histogram has been growing for 14 periods. A negative scenario for buyers would be a break of the lower boundary of the medium-term ascending channel with the price consolidating under the level of 1.0835.

On the H1 chart, EUR/USD is correcting within a bullish flag pattern. The target of this move is 1.0955. The completion of the pattern is expected with a breakout of the upper boundary of the descending channel and the price securing above 1.0965. The moving averages also indicate the presence of an uptrend, with a crossover that occurred on 10 July 2023. Technically, the MACD does not confirm the scenario of EURUSD growth. Moreover, there is a risk of forming a bearish divergence after a steep increase to 1.0955. With such a scenario, there is potential for a decline by the divergence. However, if the bearish divergence is broken again, such behaviour should be interpreted as a weakness on the sellers’ part.

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.

Trade Of The Week: USDCAD Knocks On Major Support

By ForexTime 

  • CAD weakens against most G10 currencies month-to-date.
  • Big week for the USDCAD thanks to BoC rate decision and US inflation data.
  • Trader’s pricing in a 67% probability of a BoC hike on Wednesday.
  • US Inflation data could influence USDCAD this week.
  • USDCAD trapped within wide range but breakout could be pending.

The Canadian Dollar has weakened against most G10 currencies month-to-date despite ending June as one of the top performers versus the US Dollar.

Despite the choppy price action, the USDCAD could see heightened volatility this week as investors evaluate last Friday’s mixed US jobs report along with Canada’s strong jobs data. On top of this, the Bank of Canada’s rate decision and highly anticipated US inflation data on Wednesday could place the currency pair on a rollercoaster ride.

Taking a quick peek at the technical outlook, prices are back within a range on the weekly timeframe following the breach below 1.3250 back in early June.

The USDCAD could be gearing up for a significant move and here are 3 reasons why:

  1. Bank of Canada rate decision

On Wednesday, July 12th – the Bank of Canada (BoC) will announce its rate decision.

Last Friday’s robust jobs data from Canada boosted speculation around the BoC hiking interest rates in July. The country added 60,000 jobs in June which smashed expectations, but the unemployment rate rose to 5.4% – the highest since February 2022. Traders are currently pricing in a 67% probability of a 25-basis point hike on Wednesday with this fully priced in by September’s meeting.

  • Should the BoC move ahead with a rate hike in June or signal a rate hike in September, this could be the catalyst to trigger another major breakdown below 1.3250 on the USDCAD.
  • An unexpected scenario where the central bank adopts a dovish stance towards rates could weaken the CAD, triggering a rebound on the USDCAD.
  1. US June Consumer Price Index (CPI)

On Wednesday, July 12th – the latest US inflation report will be published.

All eyes will be on the incoming US inflation data which could influence Fed hike expectations. Headline inflation is expected to slow 3.1% in June 2023 vs June 2022, a noticeable decline from May’s 4% year-on-year. However, Core CPI year-on-year which strips out volatile energy and food prices is expected to cool 5% from the 5.3% seen in May which remains above the Fed’s 2% target.

  • Ultimately, signs of still stubborn inflation may boost the dollar as expectations mount around the Fed keeping interest rates higher for longer. A strong dollar may push the USDCAD back towards 1.3600 and higher.
  • Should June’s CPI report show signs of cooling inflation across the board, this could fuel hopes around the Fed pausing rate hikes beyond July’s policy meeting. If the dollar weakens on this prospect, the USDCAD may sink lower.
  1. Technical forces: Breakdown?

It has been the same old story for the USDCAD on the monthly timeframe.

Prices remain trapped within multiple layers of support and resistance. Major monthly support can be found at 1.3250 and monthly resistance at 1.3850. A breakout/down beyond these levels may open a path higher towards 1.4100 or lower towards 1.2970.

Focusing on the daily timeframe, prices are bouncing within a narrower range with resistance at 1.3650 and support at 1.3270. Despite the recent rebound, bears still seem to be in some position of power with prices trading below the 50, 100, and 200-day SMA. A selloff below 1.3270 could open the doors towards 1.3130 and 1.2970, respectively. Should prices push back above the 200-day SMA, bulls could challenge 1.3650 and 1.3850, respectively.


Forex-Time-LogoArticle by ForexTime

ForexTime Ltd (FXTM) is an award winning international online forex broker regulated by CySEC 185/12 www.forextime.com

Inflation continues to fall in China. The US labor market remains strong

By JustMarkets

On Friday, at the close of the stock market Dow Jones Index (US30) decreased by 0.55% (-0.56% for the week), S&P 500 (US500) lost 0.29% (-0.53% for the week). NASDAQ Technology Index (US100) closed negative by 0.13% on Friday (-0.43% for the week).

The US labor market added 209,000 jobs in June, while the unemployment rate fell to 3.6% from 3.7%. This number is slightly below economists’ expectations of 225,000 jobs. It’s also a slowdown from the previous month’s reading, which was revised downward by 33,000 to 306,000. But overall, despite some cooling, the labor market remains resilient. The Fed is keeping a close eye on labor market indicators and is concerned that demand for workers will drive more robust wage growth and, in turn, inflation. Therefore, the Fed wants to see an increase in unemployment first to end the tightening cycle.

Another concern for the Fed today continues to be the strong growth shown by the US service sector, as reflected by the ISM Manufacturing PMI, which showed a strong side of the economy in June compared to May. This could keep the service sector relatively strong if the sector does not slow in the second half of the year.

Equity markets in Europe traded flat on Friday. German DAX (DE30) gained 0.48% (-3.61% for the week), French CAC 40 (FR40) added 0.42% on Friday (-4.09% for the week), Spanish IBEX 35 (ES35) decreased by 0.36% (-3.68% for the week), British FTSE 100 (UK100) closed negative by 0.32% (-3.65% for the week).

European Central Bank Vice President Luis de Guindos expressed some optimism that core inflation may peak. A decline in core price growth could lead to a potential pause in rate hikes. But the politician also added that incoming data will also guide the ECB. Yannis Stournaras, governor of the Bank of Greece and one of the ECB’s most dovish policymakers, echoed this view Friday. European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said Friday that the bank would not “stand idly by” if there were simultaneous increases in profits and wages, given persistently high inflation in the region.

On Sunday, French Central Bank governor François Villeroy de Galhau opposed a proposal to raise the European Central Bank’s inflation target to 2%. Villeroy, who sits on the ECB’s governing council, also said that interest rate hikes are close to the maximum and that rates will be held at elevated levels long enough for their impact on the economy to be felt.

Oil prices fell in Asian trading Monday as investors are cautious ahead of important US economic data on inflation this week, although expected crude supply cuts from Saudi Arabia and Russia will keep oil from falling.

Asian markets were mostly down last week. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) decreased by 3.37% for the week, China’s FTSE China A50 (CHA50) lost 2.19%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) fell by 3.35%, and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 (AU200) was negative by 2.24%.

China’s inflation data for June showed a decline. Over the last month, consumer prices declined by 0.2%, and the annual Consumer Price Index remained unchanged at 0.2%. The producer price index, which shows the rate of inflation between factories and plants, fell from minus 4.6% to minus 5.4%, adding to deflationary pressures. On the other hand, deflationary momentum from China may help offset service-driven inflation in developed countries over time.

S&P 500 (F) (US500) 4,398.95  −12.64 (−0.29%)

Dow Jones (US30) 33,734.88 −187.38 (−0.55%)

DAX (DE40)  15,603.40 +74.86 (+0.48%)

FTSE 100 (UK100) 7,256.94 −23.56 (−0.32%)

USD Index  102.27 −0.90 (−0.87%)

Important events for today:
  • – China Consumer Price Index (m/m) at 04:30 (GMT+3);
  • – China Producer Price Index (m/m) at 04:30 (GMT+3);
  • – US FOMC Member Daly Speaks at 17:30 (GMT+3);
  • – US FOMC Member Mester Speaks at 18:00 (GMT+3);
  • – US FOMC Member Bostic Speaks at 19:00 (GMT+3);
  • – UK BoE Gov Bailey Speaks at 22:00 (GMT+3).

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.

Markets brace for volatility ahead of Q2 earnings season

By George Prior 

Stock markets are braced for a “bout of heightened volatility” as the second-quarter earnings season kicks off this week, giving an insight in the health of corporate America.

The warning from Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group, one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory, asset management and fintech organizations, comes ahead of earnings reports from the likes of BlackRock, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Citi.

This will be followed the week after by Tesla, Netflix, IBM, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Johnson & Johnson, and United Airlines, amongst others.

The deVere Group chief executive says: “Markets are bracing for what could be the worst reporting season since the end of the pandemic.

“In the last quarterly earnings, there was a lot of negative guidance from companies. We’re likely to see this having turned out to be correct amid the brewing of a perfect storm of several major economic headwinds.

“These include the persisting challenge of inflation, meaning central banks will need to continue with, or resume, interest rate rises to bring inflation back to target; and that developed markets will experience the lag effect of monetary policy tightening during the second half of 2023.

“As companies’ costs exceed their sales, as is currently the case for many corporates, earnings take a hit.”

He continues: “With earnings being less than stellar – with some analysts saying they could be the worst since Q2 2020 – we expect a bout of heightened market volatility as investors assess the health of corporate America.

One of the main aspects of the reports that investors will be looking for this season is guidance.
“Guidance will be critical as indicators show the economy is headed for a downturn and investors will be eager to know which companies are best-positioned to manage this. Guidance helps evaluate a company’s past performance in light of its future prospects.”

Nigel Green comments: “When costs are going up, investors should increasingly be looking at a company’s and a sector’s ability to maintain margin.

“Investors should be paying close attention to margin because it can indicate how well a company is managing costs and competing in its industry.

“It can also impact a corporation’s ability to invest in growth opportunities or pay dividends to shareholders.”

Previously, he has suggested that these include energy, healthcare, luxury goods, and agriculture.

“We’ll look at energy because there’s already a shortage of energy in the world right now.

“Healthcare is a robust sector as people will always need to stay healthy – this has come into focus more than ever since the pandemic. Also, despite wider market volatility, there’s strong earnings potential due to ageing populations and other demographic changes. Plus, healthcare is becoming increasingly tech-driven, which offers fresh opportunities.”

He goes on to say: “Luxury goods can maintain margin due to the inherent aspirational ‘elite and exclusive’ aspect of the sector.

“Agriculture is another one as populations in emerging markets around the world are eating more meat. As they eat more meat, there needs to be more grain produced.”

He concludes: “The earnings reports are a critical test for the stock market rally. Investors should buckle up.”

About:

deVere Group is one of the world’s largest independent advisors of specialist global financial solutions to international, local mass affluent, and high-net-worth clients.  It has a network of more than 70 offices across the world, over 80,000 clients and $12bn under advisement.

COT Energy Charts: Speculator Changes led by Brent Crude Oil

By InvestMacro

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 Monday July 03 2023 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 Brent Crude Oil

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

Leading the gains for energy markets was Brent Crude Oil (17,049 contracts) with WTI Crude Oil (3,041 contracts) and Heating Oil (3,599 contracts) also showing positive weeks.

The energy markets leading the declines in speculator bets this week were Natural Gas (-5,975 contracts) with Gasoline (-1,666 contracts) and the Bloomberg Commodity Index (-350 contracts) also registering lower bets on the week.


Data Snapshot of Commodity Market Traders | Columns Legend
Jul-03-2023OIOI-IndexSpec-NetSpec-IndexCom-NetCOM-IndexSmalls-NetSmalls-Index
WTI Crude1,816,04337141,4291-170,1489928,71937
Gold448,06312163,09749-184,7175321,62034
Silver114,421017,99044-29,5695811,57931
Copper204,399461,88832-4,003682,11532
Palladium14,781100-7,89008,358100-46814
Platinum69,383708,06734-13,570655,50342
Natural Gas1,241,41957-98,7753368,3136730,46252
Brent127,0191-39,8733438,114701,75933
Heating Oil305,6813827,69978-41,8104014,11147
Soybeans610,352890,97325-71,92472-19,04955
Corn1,246,983846,4032852476-46,92746
Coffee180,11838,49536-8,05268-4437
Sugar863,84340199,36861-229,7133930,34542
Wheat297,9337-45,4643451,05370-5,58954

 


Strength Scores led by Bloomberg Commodity Index and Heating Oil

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) show that the Bloomberg Commodity Index (83.9 percent) and Heating Oil (78.4 percent) lead the energy near the top of their respective ranges.

On the downside, WTI Crude Oil (0.7 percent) comes in at the lowest strength level currently and is in a Bearish-Extreme level (below 20 percent).

Strength Statistics:
WTI Crude Oil (0.7 percent) vs WTI Crude Oil previous week (0.0 percent)
Brent Crude Oil (34.0 percent) vs Brent Crude Oil previous week (0.0 percent)
Natural Gas (32.6 percent) vs Natural Gas previous week (35.0 percent)
Gasoline (29.7 percent) vs Gasoline previous week (32.5 percent)
Heating Oil (78.4 percent) vs Heating Oil previous week (71.6 percent)
Bloomberg Commodity Index (83.9 percent) vs Bloomberg Commodity Index previous week (85.2 percent)

Strength Trends led by Heating Oil

Strength Score Trends (or move index, calculates the 6-week changes in strength scores) show that Heating Oil (35.1 percent) leads the past six weeks trends for energy this week.

Bloomberg Commodity Index (-15.3 percent), WTI Crude Oil (-12.6 percent) and Gasoline (-2.1 percent) lead the downside trend scores currently.

Strength Trend Statistics:
WTI Crude Oil (-12.6 percent) vs WTI Crude Oil previous week (-12.9 percent)
Brent Crude Oil (15.8 percent) vs Brent Crude Oil previous week (-28.6 percent)
Natural Gas (5.4 percent) vs Natural Gas previous week (12.4 percent)
Gasoline (-2.1 percent) vs Gasoline previous week (11.6 percent)
Heating Oil (35.1 percent) vs Heating Oil previous week (27.9 percent)
Bloomberg Commodity Index (-15.3 percent) vs Bloomberg Commodity Index previous week (-13.9 percent)


Individual COT Market Charts:

WTI Crude Oil Futures:

WTI Crude Oil Futures COT ChartThe WTI Crude Oil Futures large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of 141,429 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly advance of 3,041 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 138,388 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.7 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 99.2 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 36.5 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

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

WTI Crude Oil Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:17.540.64.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:9.750.03.2
– Net Position:141,429-170,14828,719
– Gross Longs:316,998737,22887,049
– Gross Shorts:175,569907,37658,330
– Long to Short Ratio:1.8 to 10.8 to 11.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):0.799.236.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-12.611.09.0

 


Brent Crude Oil Futures:

Brent Last Day Crude Oil Futures COT ChartThe Brent Crude Oil Futures large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of -39,873 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly rise of 17,049 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -56,922 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 34.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 70.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 33.0 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

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

Brent Crude Oil Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:11.750.06.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:43.120.05.2
– Net Position:-39,87338,1141,759
– Gross Longs:14,88263,5428,338
– Gross Shorts:54,75525,4286,579
– Long to Short Ratio:0.3 to 12.5 to 11.3 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):34.070.033.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:15.8-14.6-11.3

 


Natural Gas Futures:

The Natural Gas Futures large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of -98,775 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -5,975 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -92,800 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 32.6 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 66.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 52.3 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

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

Natural Gas Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:20.539.65.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:28.534.13.1
– Net Position:-98,77568,31330,462
– Gross Longs:254,883491,19869,432
– Gross Shorts:353,658422,88538,970
– Long to Short Ratio:0.7 to 11.2 to 11.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):32.666.752.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:5.4-5.1-2.3

 


Gasoline Blendstock Futures:

The Gasoline Blendstock Futures large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of 46,014 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decline of -1,666 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 47,680 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 29.7 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 67.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 69.1 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

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

Nasdaq Mini Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:27.045.77.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:12.662.74.6
– Net Position:46,014-54,4808,466
– Gross Longs:86,285146,03123,246
– Gross Shorts:40,271200,51114,780
– Long to Short Ratio:2.1 to 10.7 to 11.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):29.767.869.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-2.1-3.122.3

 


#2 Heating Oil NY-Harbor Futures:

The #2 Heating Oil NY-Harbor Futures large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of 27,699 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lift of 3,599 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 24,100 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 78.4 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 39.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 47.2 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

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

Heating Oil Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:17.944.414.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:8.858.09.7
– Net Position:27,699-41,81014,111
– Gross Longs:54,613135,61143,667
– Gross Shorts:26,914177,42129,556
– Long to Short Ratio:2.0 to 10.8 to 11.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):78.439.947.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:35.1-40.022.5

 


Bloomberg Commodity Index Futures:

Bloomberg Commodity Index Futures COT ChartThe Bloomberg Commodity Index Futures large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of -5,746 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decline of -350 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -5,396 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish-Extreme with a score of 83.9 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 16.4 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 55.1 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

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

Bloomberg Index Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:11.886.80.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:22.176.80.2
– Net Position:-5,7465,553193
– Gross Longs:6,51448,124294
– Gross Shorts:12,26042,571101
– Long to Short Ratio:0.5 to 11.1 to 12.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):83.916.455.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-15.315.30.2

 


Article By InvestMacroReceive our weekly COT Newsletter

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

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

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

Speculators push Canadian Dollar bets into bullish level for 1st time in 41 weeks

By InvestMacro

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 Monday July 3rd 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 Canadian Dollar

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

Leading the gains for the currency markets was the Canadian Dollar (7,374 contracts) with the New Zealand Dollar (1,661 contracts), Swiss Franc (1,542 contracts) and Bitcoin (18 contracts) also showing positive weeks.

The currencies seeing declines in speculator bets on the week were the Australian Dollar (-5,158 contracts) with the Japanese Yen (-5,050 contracts), Mexican Peso (-1,109 contracts), the British Pound (-1,729 contracts), the EuroFX (-2,191 contracts), the US Dollar Index (-651 contracts) and the Brazilian Real (-491 contracts) also registering lower bets on the week.

Speculators push Canadian Dollar bets into bullish level for 1st time in 41 weeks

Highlighting the COT currency’s data this week is the new bullish positioning in the Canadian dollar. Large speculative Canadian dollar positions rose this week for the fourth consecutive week and for the fifth time in the past six weeks.

Speculators have now added +42,856 net contracts to the overall position in just the last four weeks. This positive sentiment has pushed the CAD speculator net position (currently at +4,527 contracts) to the first bullish level of the past 41 weeks, dating back to September 9th of 2022.

The Canadian dollar’s futures price (versus the US dollar) has been in an uptrend since hitting a recent 2023-low in March of 2022 near 0.7223. The CAD front month futures price climbed back over the 200-day moving average in June and closed this week at the 0.7541 level. Helping the CAD go higher at the end of this week was the better than expected Canadian jobs report which could help propel the currency higher and continue on its current uptrend.


Data Snapshot of Forex Market Traders | Columns Legend
Jul-03-2023OIOI-IndexSpec-NetSpec-IndexCom-NetCOM-IndexSmalls-NetSmalls-Index
USD Index26,619714,31749-16,580492,26341
EUR725,92756142,83773-189,4592646,62253
GBP221,0215050,26599-63,664213,39984
JPY265,06689-117,9200126,01097-8,09037
CHF40,63938-3,404467,56557-4,16143
CAD156,284314,52759-18,8154314,28855
AUD153,74444-44,5824451,37457-6,79236
NZD34,05718830561,51150-2,34122
MXN238,2695195,24097-99,39924,15938
RUB20,93047,54331-7,15069-39324
BRL66,5476231,10475-27,44031-3,66415
Bitcoin17,00885-2,076411,132094434

 


Strength Scores led by British Pound & Mexican Peso

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 British Pound (99 percent) and the Mexican Peso (97 percent) lead the currency markets this week and are in Extreme-Bullish levels. The Brazilian Real (75 percent), EuroFX (73 percent) and the Canadian Dollar (59 percent) come in as the next highest in the weekly strength scores.

On the downside, the Japanese Yen (0 percent) comes in at the lowest strength levels currently and is in Extreme-Bearish territory (below 20 percent).

Strength Statistics:
US Dollar Index (48.8 percent) vs US Dollar Index previous week (49.9 percent)
EuroFX (73.4 percent) vs EuroFX previous week (74.3 percent)
British Pound Sterling (98.7 percent) vs British Pound Sterling previous week (100.0 percent)
Japanese Yen (0.0 percent) vs Japanese Yen previous week (3.0 percent)
Swiss Franc (45.6 percent) vs Swiss Franc previous week (41.5 percent)
Canadian Dollar (58.8 percent) vs Canadian Dollar previous week (51.9 percent)
Australian Dollar (43.5 percent) vs Australian Dollar previous week (48.3 percent)
New Zealand Dollar (55.8 percent) vs New Zealand Dollar previous week (51.3 percent)
Mexican Peso (97.3 percent) vs Mexican Peso previous week (97.9 percent)
Brazilian Real (75.3 percent) vs Brazilian Real previous week (76.0 percent)
Bitcoin (40.7 percent) vs Bitcoin previous week (40.4 percent)

 

Canadian Dollar & British Pound top the 6-Week Strength Trends

COT Strength Score Trends (or move index, calculates the 6-week changes in strength scores) showed that the Canadian Dollar (49 percent) and the British Pound (29 percent) lead the past six weeks trends for the currencies. The Mexican Peso (11 percent), the US Dollar Index (5 percent) and the Australian Dollar (4 percent) are the next highest positive movers in the latest trends data.

Bitcoin (-52 percent) leads the downside trend scores currently with the Japanese Yen (-22 percent), EuroFX (-12 percent) and the Swiss Franc (-7 percent) following next with lower trend scores.

Strength Trend Statistics:
US Dollar Index (5.1 percent) vs US Dollar Index previous week (9.1 percent)
EuroFX (-11.9 percent) vs EuroFX previous week (-16.2 percent)
British Pound Sterling (29.2 percent) vs British Pound Sterling previous week (29.8 percent)
Japanese Yen (-22.1 percent) vs Japanese Yen previous week (-28.5 percent)
Swiss Franc (-6.6 percent) vs Swiss Franc previous week (-8.2 percent)
Canadian Dollar (49.5 percent) vs Canadian Dollar previous week (37.4 percent)
Australian Dollar (4.2 percent) vs Australian Dollar previous week (13.1 percent)
New Zealand Dollar (3.2 percent) vs New Zealand Dollar previous week (3.4 percent)
Mexican Peso (11.2 percent) vs Mexican Peso previous week (13.9 percent)
Brazilian Real (-2.0 percent) vs Brazilian Real previous week (-2.6 percent)
Bitcoin (-51.8 percent) vs Bitcoin previous week (-54.2 percent)


Individual COT Forex Markets:

US Dollar Index Futures:

US Dollar Index Forex Futures COT ChartThe US Dollar Index large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 14,317 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -651 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 14,968 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 48.8 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 49.4 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 41.3 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

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

US DOLLAR INDEX StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:76.12.216.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:22.464.58.3
– Net Position:14,317-16,5802,263
– Gross Longs:20,2675844,462
– Gross Shorts:5,95017,1642,199
– Long to Short Ratio:3.4 to 10.0 to 12.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):48.849.441.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:5.1-4.3-4.0

 


Euro Currency Futures:

Euro Currency Futures COT ChartThe Euro Currency large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 142,837 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -2,191 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 145,028 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 73.4 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 26.5 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 53.4 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

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

EURO Currency StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:30.555.312.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:10.881.46.1
– Net Position:142,837-189,45946,622
– Gross Longs:221,272401,25690,921
– Gross Shorts:78,435590,71544,299
– Long to Short Ratio:2.8 to 10.7 to 12.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):73.426.553.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-11.911.7-6.1

 


British Pound Sterling Futures:

British Pound Sterling Futures COT ChartThe British Pound Sterling large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 50,265 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decrease of -1,729 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 51,994 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish-Extreme with a score of 98.7 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 1.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 84.3 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

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

BRITISH POUND StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:43.633.716.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:20.962.510.5
– Net Position:50,265-63,66413,399
– Gross Longs:96,46174,44636,707
– Gross Shorts:46,196138,11023,308
– Long to Short Ratio:2.1 to 10.5 to 11.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):98.71.984.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:29.2-28.716.3

 


Japanese Yen Futures:

Japanese Yen Forex Futures COT ChartThe Japanese Yen large speculator standing this week reached a net position of -117,920 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -5,050 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -112,870 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 97.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 37.0 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

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

JAPANESE YEN StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:15.771.711.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:60.224.214.5
– Net Position:-117,920126,010-8,090
– Gross Longs:41,713190,15730,449
– Gross Shorts:159,63364,14738,539
– Long to Short Ratio:0.3 to 13.0 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):0.097.137.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-22.116.47.4

 


Swiss Franc Futures:

Swiss Franc Forex Futures COT ChartThe Swiss Franc large speculator standing this week reached a net position of -3,404 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly boost of 1,542 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -4,946 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 45.6 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 57.5 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 43.4 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Uptrend

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

SWISS FRANC StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:26.245.927.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:34.527.237.8
– Net Position:-3,4047,565-4,161
– Gross Longs:10,63418,63311,193
– Gross Shorts:14,03811,06815,354
– Long to Short Ratio:0.8 to 11.7 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):45.657.543.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-6.69.7-11.4

 


Canadian Dollar Futures:

Canadian Dollar Forex Futures COT ChartThe Canadian Dollar large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 4,527 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly gain of 7,374 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -2,847 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 58.8 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 43.3 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 54.5 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

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

CANADIAN DOLLAR StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:28.347.022.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:25.459.013.7
– Net Position:4,527-18,81514,288
– Gross Longs:44,17873,43735,761
– Gross Shorts:39,65192,25221,473
– Long to Short Ratio:1.1 to 10.8 to 11.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):58.843.354.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:49.5-46.233.1

 


Australian Dollar Futures:

Australian Dollar Forex Futures COT ChartThe Australian Dollar large speculator standing this week reached a net position of -44,582 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -5,158 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -39,424 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 43.5 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 57.2 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 35.9 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Downtrend

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

AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:32.653.411.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:61.620.016.3
– Net Position:-44,58251,374-6,792
– Gross Longs:50,17082,07618,331
– Gross Shorts:94,75230,70225,123
– Long to Short Ratio:0.5 to 12.7 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):43.557.235.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:4.2-6.510.2

 


New Zealand Dollar Futures:

New Zealand Dollar Forex Futures COT ChartThe New Zealand Dollar large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 830 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly gain of 1,661 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -831 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 55.8 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 50.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 22.1 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Downtrend

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

NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:38.753.47.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:36.248.913.9
– Net Position:8301,511-2,341
– Gross Longs:13,17018,1762,390
– Gross Shorts:12,34016,6654,731
– Long to Short Ratio:1.1 to 11.1 to 10.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):55.850.122.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:3.24.9-38.8

 


Mexican Peso Futures:

Mexican Peso Futures COT ChartThe Mexican Peso large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 95,240 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -1,109 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 96,349 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish-Extreme with a score of 97.3 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 2.2 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 37.7 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

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

MEXICAN PESO StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:52.044.13.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:12.085.91.9
– Net Position:95,240-99,3994,159
– Gross Longs:123,919105,1728,685
– Gross Shorts:28,679204,5714,526
– Long to Short Ratio:4.3 to 10.5 to 11.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):97.32.237.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:11.2-10.0-9.7

 


Brazilian Real Futures:

Brazil Real Futures COT ChartThe Brazilian Real large speculator standing this week reached a net position of 31,104 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -491 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 31,595 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 75.3 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 30.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 14.8 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Uptrend

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

BRAZIL REAL StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:57.135.37.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:10.476.513.1
– Net Position:31,104-27,440-3,664
– Gross Longs:38,01223,4615,070
– Gross Shorts:6,90850,9018,734
– Long to Short Ratio:5.5 to 10.5 to 10.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):75.330.914.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-2.011.4-60.8

 


Bitcoin Futures:

Bitcoin Crypto Futures COT ChartThe Bitcoin large speculator standing this week reached a net position of -2,076 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly boost of 18 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -2,094 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 40.7 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 34.4 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

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

BITCOIN StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:75.610.09.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:87.83.33.7
– Net Position:-2,0761,132944
– Gross Longs:12,8541,6981,568
– Gross Shorts:14,930566624
– Long to Short Ratio:0.9 to 13.0 to 12.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):40.7100.034.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-51.891.613.5

 


Article By InvestMacroReceive our weekly COT Newsletter

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

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

Speculator Extremes: GBP, MXN, 2-Year and Palladium 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 July 3rd.

This weekly Extreme Positions report highlights the Most Bullish and Most Bearish Positions for the speculator category. 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)


Here Are This Week’s Most Bullish Speculator Positions:

British Pound


The British Pound speculator position comes in as the most bullish extreme standing this week. The British Pound speculator level is currently at a 98.7 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the percent strength score totaled 29.2 this week. The overall net speculator position was a total of 50,265 net contracts this week with a change of -1,729 contract in the weekly speculator bets.


Mexican Peso


The Mexican Peso speculator position comes next in the extreme standings this week. The Mexican Peso speculator level is now at a 97.3 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the percent strength score was 11.2 this week. The speculator position registered 95,240 net contracts this week with a weekly change of -1,109 contracts in speculator bets.


3-Month Secured Overnight Financing Rate


The 3-Month Secured Overnight Financing Rate speculator position comes in third this week in the extreme standings. The 3-Month Secured Overnight Financing Rate speculator level resides at a 97.0 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score came in at 23.5 this week. The overall speculator position was 239,839 net contracts this week with a change of -44,151 contracts in the weekly speculator bets.


Cocoa Futures


The Cocoa Futures speculator position comes up number four in the extreme standings this week. The Cocoa Futures speculator level is at a 94.4 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score totaled a change of 7.6 this week. The overall speculator position was 72,584 net contracts this week with a change of 1,032 contracts in the speculator bets.


Live Cattle


The Live Cattle speculator position rounds out the top five in this week’s bullish extreme standings. The Live Cattle speculator level sits at a 92.7 percent score of its 3-year range. The six-week trend for the speculator strength score was 4.1 this week.

The speculator position was 105,443 net contracts this week with a change of 2,354 contracts in the weekly speculator bets.


This Week’s Most Bearish Speculator Positions:

Ultra U.S. Treasury Bonds


The Ultra U.S. Treasury Bonds speculator position comes in as the most bearish extreme standing this week. The Ultra U.S. Treasury Bonds speculator level is at a 0.0 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score was -17.2 this week. The overall speculator position was -450,572 net contracts this week with a change of -26,881 contracts in the speculator bets.


2-Year Bond


The 2-Year Bond speculator position comes in next for the most bearish extreme standing on the week. The 2-Year Bond speculator level is at a 0.0 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score was -14.7 this week. The speculator position was -1,058,426 net contracts this week with a change of -44,022 contracts in the weekly speculator bets.


1-Month Secured Overnight Financing Rate

The 1-Month Secured Overnight Financing Rate speculator position comes in as third most bearish extreme standing of the week. The 1-Month Secured Overnight Financing Rate speculator level resides at a 0.0 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score was -48.2 this week. The overall speculator position was -206,500 net contracts this week with a change of -18,761 contracts in the speculator bets.


Japanese Yen


The Japanese Yen speculator position comes in as this week’s fourth most bearish extreme standing. The Japanese Yen speculator level is at a 0.0 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score was -22.1 this week. The speculator position was -117,920 net contracts this week with a change of -5,050 contracts in the weekly speculator bets.


Palladium


Finally, the Palladium speculator position comes in as the fifth most bearish extreme standing for this week. The Palladium speculator level is at a 0.0 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score was -22.4 this week. The speculator position was -7,890 net contracts this week with a change of -566 contracts in the weekly speculator bets.


Article By InvestMacroReceive our weekly COT Newsletter

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.


*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.

COT Metals Charts: Weekly Speculator Changes led by Gold

By InvestMacro

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 Monday July 3rd 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 Gold

The COT metals markets speculator bets were lower this week as 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 Gold (11,187 contracts) with Steel (1,150 contracts) also showing a positive week.

The markets with declines in speculator bets for the week were Copper (-11,702 contracts), Palladium (-566 contracts), Platinum (-4,093 contracts) and Silver (-1,062 contracts) also registering lower bets on the week.


Data Snapshot of Commodity Market Traders | Columns Legend
Jul-03-2023OIOI-IndexSpec-NetSpec-IndexCom-NetCOM-IndexSmalls-NetSmalls-Index
Gold448,06312163,09749-184,7175321,62034
Silver114,421017,99044-29,5695811,57931
Copper204,399461,88832-4,003682,11532
Palladium14,781100-7,89008,358100-46814
Platinum69,383708,06734-13,570655,50342

 


Strength Scores led by Steel & Gold

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 Steel (73 percent) and Gold (49 percent) lead the metals markets this week.

On the downside, Palladium (0 percent)comes in at the lowest strength level currently and is in Extreme-Bearish territory (below 20 percent).

Strength Statistics:
Gold (48.9 percent) vs Gold previous week (43.9 percent)
Silver (43.9 percent) vs Silver previous week (45.4 percent)
Copper (23.3 percent) vs Copper previous week (33.4 percent)
Platinum (34.2 percent) vs Platinum previous week (43.6 percent)
Palladium (0.0 percent) vs Palladium previous week (4.9 percent)
Steel (72.8 percent) vs Palladium previous week (69.5 percent)

 

Copper & Steel top the 6-Week Strength Trends

COT Strength Score Trends (or move index, calculates the 6-week changes in strength scores) showed that Copper (23 percent) and Steel (15 percent) lead the past six weeks trends for metals.

Platinum (-45 percent) leads the downside trend scores currently.

Move Statistics:
Gold (1.0 percent) vs Gold previous week (-12.3 percent)
Silver (-5.7 percent) vs Silver previous week (-6.8 percent)
Copper (18.2 percent) vs Copper previous week (30.7 percent)
Platinum (-44.8 percent) vs Platinum previous week (-31.5 percent)
Palladium (-22.4 percent) vs Palladium previous week (-20.7 percent)
Steel (15.0 percent) vs Steel previous week (9.1 percent)


Individual Markets:

Gold Comex Futures:

Gold Futures COT ChartThe Gold Comex Futures large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of 163,097 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly boost of 11,187 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 151,910 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 48.9 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 52.6 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 34.1 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Uptrend

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

Gold Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:52.525.610.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:16.166.95.3
– Net Position:163,097-184,71721,620
– Gross Longs:235,081114,90545,490
– Gross Shorts:71,984299,62223,870
– Long to Short Ratio:3.3 to 10.4 to 11.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):48.952.634.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:1.00.9-11.7

 


Silver Comex Futures:

Silver Futures COT ChartThe Silver Comex Futures large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of 17,990 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -1,062 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 19,052 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 43.9 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 58.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 30.7 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Uptrend

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

Silver Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:40.633.020.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:24.958.910.0
– Net Position:17,990-29,56911,579
– Gross Longs:46,43337,78423,020
– Gross Shorts:28,44367,35311,441
– Long to Short Ratio:1.6 to 10.6 to 12.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):43.958.130.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-5.76.5-8.0

 


Copper Grade #1 Futures:

The Copper Grade #1 Futures large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of -8,762 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -11,702 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 2,940 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 23.3 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 77.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 32.0 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

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

Copper Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:31.742.48.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:30.744.47.2
– Net Position:1,888-4,0032,115
– Gross Longs:64,74086,76116,759
– Gross Shorts:62,85290,76414,644
– Long to Short Ratio:1.0 to 11.0 to 11.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):32.568.331.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:23.1-19.7-19.0

 


Platinum Futures:

Platinum Futures COT ChartThe Platinum Futures large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of 8,067 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -4,093 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 12,160 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 34.2 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 65.4 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 41.8 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

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

Platinum Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:52.528.613.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:40.948.25.1
– Net Position:8,067-13,5705,503
– Gross Longs:36,44319,8569,026
– Gross Shorts:28,37633,4263,523
– Long to Short Ratio:1.3 to 10.6 to 12.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):34.265.441.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-44.838.411.0

 


Palladium Futures:

Palladium Futures COT ChartThe Palladium Futures large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of -7,890 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decline of -566 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -7,324 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 13.6 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

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

Palladium Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:22.663.19.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:76.06.613.1
– Net Position:-7,8908,358-468
– Gross Longs:3,3429,3301,463
– Gross Shorts:11,2329721,931
– Long to Short Ratio:0.3 to 19.6 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):0.0100.013.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-22.421.0-5.3

 


Steel Futures Futures:

Steel Futures COT ChartThe Steel Futures large speculator standing this week recorded a net position of -130 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly boost of 1,150 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -1,280 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 72.8 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 26.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 40.6 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

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

Steel Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:17.574.91.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:18.175.10.7
– Net Position:-130-28158
– Gross Longs:4,12917,669312
– Gross Shorts:4,25917,697154
– Long to Short Ratio:1.0 to 11.0 to 12.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):72.826.940.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:15.0-16.040.6

 


Article By InvestMacroReceive our weekly COT Newsletter

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

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

COT Bonds Charts: Speculator bets led by 10-Year Bonds

By InvestMacro

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

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

Weekly Speculator Changes led by 10-Year Bonds & Ultra 10-Year Bonds

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

The only market with gains for the bond category was the 10-Year Bonds with a total rise of 20,321 contracts.

The bond markets with declines in speculator bets for the week were the SOFR 3-Months (-44,151 contracts), the 2-Year Bonds (-44,022 contracts), 5-Year Bonds (-31,326 contracts), the US Treasury Bonds (-24,681 contracts), the Ultra Treasury Bonds (-26,881 contracts), the Fed Funds (-17,553 contracts) and the Ultra 10-Year Bonds (-8,713 contracts) also registering lower bets on the week.


Data Snapshot of Bond Market Traders | Columns Legend
Jul-03-2023OIOI-IndexSpec-NetSpec-IndexCom-NetCOM-IndexSmalls-NetSmalls-Index
SOFR-3-Months9,300,04289239,83997-233,4362-6,40384
FedFunds1,414,52539-106,75834115,92166-9,16373
2-Year3,667,737100-1,058,4260970,60210087,82497
Long T-Bond1,242,91863-139,92939106,7424933,18773
10-Year4,737,76291-780,6787719,9099660,76987
5-Year5,080,61099-1,029,81401,026,6871003,12782

 


Strength Scores led by SOFR 3-Months & US Treasury Bonds

COT Strength Scores (a normalized measure of Speculator positions over a 3-Year range, from 0 to 100 where above 80 is Extreme-Bullish and below 20 is Extreme-Bearish) showed that the SOFR 3-Months (97 percent). The US Treasury Bonds (39 percent) and the Fed Funds (34 percent) come in as the next highest in the weekly strength scores.

On the downside, the Ultra Treasury Bonds (0 percent), the 5-Year Bonds (0 percent), the 2-Year Bonds (0 percent) and the 10-Year Bonds (7 percent) come in at the lowest strength level currently and are in Extreme-Bearish territory (below 20 percent).

Strength Statistics:
Fed Funds (33.5 percent) vs Fed Funds previous week (36.3 percent)
2-Year Bond (0.0 percent) vs 2-Year Bond previous week (3.8 percent)
5-Year Bond (0.5 percent) vs 5-Year Bond previous week (3.3 percent)
10-Year Bond (6.8 percent) vs 10-Year Bond previous week (4.8 percent)
Ultra 10-Year Bond (15.9 percent) vs Ultra 10-Year Bond previous week (17.7 percent)
US Treasury Bond (39.1 percent) vs US Treasury Bond previous week (47.1 percent)
Ultra US Treasury Bond (0.0 percent) vs Ultra US Treasury Bond previous week (11.1 percent)
SOFR 3-Months (97.0 percent) vs SOFR 3-Months previous week (100.0 percent)

 

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

COT Strength Score Trends (or move index, calculates the 6-week changes in strength scores) showed that the SOFR 3-Months (24 percent) and the Ultra 10-Year Bonds (4 percent) lead the past six weeks trends for bonds. The 10-Year Bonds (-1 percent) and the are the next highest positive movers in the latest trends data.

The US Treasury Bonds (-31 percent), the Ultra Treasury Bonds (-17 percent) and the 2-Year Bonds (-15 percent) lead the downside trend scores currently.

Strength Trend Statistics:
Fed Funds (-2.9 percent) vs Fed Funds previous week (-3.4 percent)
2-Year Bond (-14.7 percent) vs 2-Year Bond previous week (-14.0 percent)
5-Year Bond (-8.5 percent) vs 5-Year Bond previous week (-6.6 percent)
10-Year Bond (-0.9 percent) vs 10-Year Bond previous week (-10.5 percent)
Ultra 10-Year Bond (3.7 percent) vs Ultra 10-Year Bond previous week (11.2 percent)
US Treasury Bond (-31.5 percent) vs US Treasury Bond previous week (-17.5 percent)
Ultra US Treasury Bond (-17.2 percent) vs Ultra US Treasury Bond previous week (-14.4 percent)
SOFR 3-Months (23.5 percent) vs SOFR 3-Months previous week (31.1 percent)


Secured Overnight Financing Rate (3-Month) Futures:

SOFR 3-Months Bonds Futures COT ChartThe Secured Overnight Financing Rate (3-Month) large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 239,839 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decline of -44,151 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 283,990 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish-Extreme with a score of 97.0 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 2.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 84.4 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Uptrend

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

SOFR 3-Months StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:20.258.60.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:17.661.10.4
– Net Position:239,839-233,436-6,403
– Gross Longs:1,880,5775,453,30028,213
– Gross Shorts:1,640,7385,686,73634,616
– Long to Short Ratio:1.1 to 11.0 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):97.02.184.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:23.5-23.90.5

 


30-Day Federal Funds Futures:

Federal Funds 30-Day Bonds Futures COT ChartThe 30-Day Federal Funds large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of -106,758 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -17,553 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -89,205 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 33.5 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 66.3 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 73.0 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

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

30-Day Federal Funds StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:6.572.02.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:14.063.83.1
– Net Position:-106,758115,921-9,163
– Gross Longs:91,6101,018,37935,112
– Gross Shorts:198,368902,45844,275
– Long to Short Ratio:0.5 to 11.1 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):33.566.373.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-2.91.418.9

 


2-Year Treasury Note Futures:

2-Year Treasury Bonds Futures COT ChartThe 2-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of -1,058,426 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -44,022 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -1,014,404 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 96.6 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

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

2-Year Treasury Note StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:11.181.26.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:39.954.74.2
– Net Position:-1,058,426970,60287,824
– Gross Longs:405,4592,977,688241,676
– Gross Shorts:1,463,8852,007,086153,852
– Long to Short Ratio:0.3 to 11.5 to 11.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):0.0100.096.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-14.716.7-0.9

 


5-Year Treasury Note Futures:

5-Year Treasury Bonds Futures COT ChartThe 5-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of -1,029,814 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -31,326 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -998,488 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.5 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 81.9 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

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

5-Year Treasury Note StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:6.984.67.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:27.164.47.3
– Net Position:-1,029,8141,026,6873,127
– Gross Longs:348,2304,297,985373,393
– Gross Shorts:1,378,0443,271,298370,266
– Long to Short Ratio:0.3 to 11.3 to 11.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):0.5100.081.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-8.513.0-13.3

 


10-Year Treasury Note Futures:

10-Year Treasury Notes Bonds Futures COT ChartThe 10-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of -780,678 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly boost of 20,321 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -800,999 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 6.8 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 95.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 86.7 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

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

10-Year Treasury Note StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:9.280.28.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:25.665.07.6
– Net Position:-780,678719,90960,769
– Gross Longs:434,4563,798,675418,993
– Gross Shorts:1,215,1343,078,766358,224
– Long to Short Ratio:0.4 to 11.2 to 11.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):6.895.986.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-0.94.0-6.2

 


Ultra 10-Year Notes Futures:

Ultra 10-Year Treasury Notes Bonds Futures COT ChartThe Ultra 10-Year Notes large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of -139,901 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -8,713 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -131,188 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 15.9 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 76.4 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 79.9 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Uptrend

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

Ultra 10-Year Notes StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:9.976.811.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:18.165.215.2
– Net Position:-139,901197,302-57,401
– Gross Longs:168,0891,304,780201,280
– Gross Shorts:307,9901,107,478258,681
– Long to Short Ratio:0.5 to 11.2 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):15.976.479.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:3.7-8.111.5

 


US Treasury Bonds Futures:

US Year Treasury Notes Long Bonds Futures COT ChartThe US Treasury Bonds large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of -139,929 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decrease of -24,681 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -115,248 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 39.1 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 48.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 72.6 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

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

US Treasury Bonds StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:5.779.314.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:16.970.711.6
– Net Position:-139,929106,74233,187
– Gross Longs:70,648985,219177,299
– Gross Shorts:210,577878,477144,112
– Long to Short Ratio:0.3 to 11.1 to 11.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):39.148.772.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-31.536.7-4.6

 


Ultra US Treasury Bonds Futures:

Ultra US Year Treasury Notes Long Bonds Futures COT ChartThe Ultra US Treasury Bonds large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of -450,572 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decline of -26,881 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -423,691 net contracts.

This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 99.2 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 90.3 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

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

Ultra US Treasury Bonds StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:4.683.611.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:34.257.77.8
– Net Position:-450,572394,35456,218
– Gross Longs:69,9551,272,590174,627
– Gross Shorts:520,527878,236118,409
– Long to Short Ratio:0.1 to 11.4 to 11.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):0.099.290.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-17.223.2-2.3

 


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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.