Mythos AI is a cybersecurity threat, but it doesn’t rewrite the rules of the game

By Mohammad Ahmad, West Virginia University 

The cybersecurity community went on alert when Anthropic announced on April 7, 2026, that its latest and most capable general-purpose large language model, Claude Mythos Preview, had demonstrated remarkable – and unintended – capabilities. The artifical intelligence system was able to find and exploit software vulnerabilities – the most serious type of software bugs – at a rate not seen before.

The news ignited concern among the public, world governments and the information technology sector about the capabilities of today’s AI to undermine cybersecurity, with some people framing the model as a global cybersecurity threat.

Claiming that it would be too risky to release the model, and that the company had the moral responsibility to disclose these vulnerabilities, Anthropic said it would not immediately offer the model to the public. Instead, it granted exclusive access to tech giants to test the model’s capabilities, a process Anthropic dubbed Project Glasswing.

As a cybersecurity researcher, I think Mythos’ capabilities are impressive, but the AI system does not represent a radical departure. Mythos is less a new threat than a mirror reflecting how people behave and how fragile modern systems already are.

What Mythos did

During a controlled evaluation, engineers with minimal security experience prompted Mythos to scan thousands of software codebases for vulnerabilities. The model showed striking capabilities in conducting multistep, autonomous attacks that take experts weeks or even months to put together. Mythos was not only able to discover 271 vulnerabilities in Mozilla’s Firefox, it also developed exploits to take advantage of 181 of those.

Overall, Anthropic’s red team, which takes on the role of an attacker to test defenses, and the United Kingdom’s AI Security Institute reported that Mythos found thousands of zero-day, or previously unreported, vulnerabilities in major operating systems, web browsers and other applications – software flaws that have not yet been patched and can be turned into exploits immediately. National Security Agency officials testing Mythos have been impressed by the tool’s speed and efficiency in finding software vulnerabilities, according to a news report.

Anthropic’s announcement of Mythos and the cybersecurity threat it poses garnered widespread media attention.

Among the most widely reported were Mythos’ ability to identify a dormant 27-year-old security flaw in OpenBSD, a security-focused operating system, and a 16-year-old bug in FFmpeg, a video/audio processing tool. Some of these flaws allow unauthenticated users to gain control of the machines hosting these applications.

Even more striking, the relatively inexperienced engineers running Mythos’ evaluations were able to use Mythos to complete attacks overnight, from finding vulnerabilities to exploiting them – something that can take human experts weeks to do. The model’s ability to chain multiple steps is what surprised Anthropic and organizations that tried it. In an evaluation by the AI Security Institute, Mythos was able to take over a simulated corporate network in three out of 10 tries, the first AI model to succeed at the task.

These results are real. They also paint an incomplete picture in ways that matter.

Where is the breakthrough?

At first glance, Mythos’ breakthrough sounds novel and could signal a new class of cyber threats. However, a closer look suggests something different. The vulnerabilities Mythos found are not new in nature. They generally don’t belong to unknown security flaws, and in many cases they are variations of well-known and well-understood classes of software vulnerabilities.

In cybersecurity, finding new instances of known types of flaws is not unusual. The most successful attacks rely on known, well-defined vulnerabilities that stay overlooked or unpatched. What concerned the researchers was not Mythos changing the nature of finding and exploiting vulnerabilities, but rather the intense scale and speed with which it was able to find and exploit those vulnerabilities.

This is not a breakthrough per se but rather a result of decades of research in both cybersecurity and AI. In that sense, Mythos is the natural – and expected – result of powerful automation and AI integration because it follows the same fundamental procedures used in standard offensive cybersecurity practices. These include scanning for vulnerabilities, identifying patterns and testing exploitability. Mythos and similar emerging models make it possible to chain these steps together at a speed that is hard to fathom.

So why were these vulnerabilities missed in the first place?

It is crucial to understand that not all vulnerabilities are cost effective to fix, and not all vulnerabilities are a priority. Mythos did not discover a new kind of weakness – it exposed the limits of how cybersecurity practitioners search for them.

New tech, age-old dynamic

Mythos highlights an important fact about the reality of cybersecurity threats. System defenders are always at a disadvantage because they need to always succeed. Attackers, however, need to succeed only once to break the security of a system. This cat-and-mouse game will always be the same, and Mythos does not change that – it simply reinforces it.

Mythos follows a familiar dynamic: A tool created to protect can also be used to attack and harm.

“The same improvements that make the model substantially more effective at patching vulnerabilities also make it substantially more effective at exploiting them,” Anthropic officials wrote in a blog post about Mythos.

What once may have required highly specialized skills can now be achieved with significantly less effort, which raises the most important question: Who will benefit first by using tools like Mythos – defenders or attackers?The Conversation

About the Author:

Mohammad Ahmad, Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems, West Virginia University

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

 

The United States rejected Iran’s proposal for resolving the conflict. Oil prices surged again

By JustMarkets 

On Monday, US stock markets rose moderately. By the end of the day, the Dow Jones (US30) increased by 0.19%. The S&P 500 (US500) rose by 0.19%. The Technology Index NASDAQ (US100) closed higher by 0.10%. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ once again renewed historical highs thanks to strong growth in semiconductor stocks amid ongoing optimism around demand related to the development of artificial intelligence. Among the top gainers were major technology companies and chip manufacturers. Shares of Micron Technology rose particularly sharply, supported by expectations of a memory‑market shortage due to supply issues and labor disputes among competitors. The energy, industrial, and materials sectors also showed solid performance.

European stock indices ended the session lower for the third consecutive day amid continued pressure from geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and related risks to global energy supplies. By the end of the day, Germany’s DAX (DE40) rose by 0.05%, France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed down by 0.69%, Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) declined by 0.21%, and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) ended the session up by 0.36%. Market pressure intensified after US President Donald Trump stated that Washington had rejected Iran’s latest counterproposal for resolving the conflict. This increased investor concerns about further escalation and prolonged disruptions to oil and gas exports from the region. The consumer‑goods sector, which is sensitive to geopolitical risks, showed the weakest performance.

WTI oil prices continued to rise, climbing toward 98 dollars per barrel after statements by US President Donald Trump that the current ceasefire between the US and Iran remains extremely unstable. This heightened market fears of possible escalation and the risk of a larger war that could lead to further disruptions in oil supplies from the region. Additional pressure came from the US refusal to accept Iran’s counterproposal for a peace settlement, which reduced expectations of a quick diplomatic resolution. The near‑complete halt of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz continues to severely disrupt global supplies of crude oil, LNG, and petroleum products, supporting rising energy prices and intensifying inflation risks.

On Tuesday, silver prices (XAG) fell to 85 dollars per ounce, losing part of the gains achieved earlier in the trading session. The market came under pressure from persistent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which support high oil prices and increase inflation concerns. Despite the current decline, silver remains one of the leaders among precious metals. The day before, prices rose more than 7%, reaching a two‑month high. The market is supported not only by demand for safe‑haven assets but also by expectations of rising industrial consumption of silver, given its wide use in manufacturing and high‑tech industries.

The US natural gas prices (XNG) rose to 2.92 dollars per MMBtu, reaching the highest level in more than six weeks amid reduced production and the restoration of the liquefaction line at the Freeport LNG export terminal. The market is supported by the ongoing decline in production across the 48 US states. Several major producers, including EQT, have reduced output in recent weeks due to low spot prices, gradually tightening supply in the domestic market.
In Asia on Friday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) fell by 0.47%, China’s FTSE China A50 closed up by 1.38%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) rose by 0.05%, and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) declined by 0.49%.

The Business Confidence Index from the NAB showed that Australia’s economy continues to face serious pressure from high energy prices and tight monetary policy. Although the confidence indicator in April rose slightly to 24 below zero from the record‑weak 29 below zero a month earlier, business conditions deteriorated to one of the lowest levels since 2020, indicating a slowdown in activity, reduced investment, and worsening business expectations.

S&P 500 (US500) 7,412.84 +13.91 (+0.19%)

Dow Jones (US30) 49,704.47 +95.31 (+0.19%)

DAX (DE40) 24,350.28 +11.65 (+0.05%)

FTSE 100 (UK100) 10,269.43 +36.36 (+0.36%)

USD Index 97.93 +0.03 (+0.03%)

News feed for: 2026.05.12

  • Australia Westpac Consumer Confidence (m/m) at 03:30 (GMT+3) – AUD (LOW)
  • Australia NAB Business Confidence (m/m) at 04:30 (GMT+3) – AUD (MED)
  • German Inflation Rate (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+3) – EUR (MED)
  • Switzerland Producer Price Index (m/m) at 09:30 (GMT+3) – CHF (LOW)
  • German ZEW Economic Sentiment (m/m) at 12:00 (GMT+3) – EUR (MED)
  • Eurozone ZEW Economic Sentiment (m/m) at 12:00 (GMT+3) – EUR (MED)
  • US Consumer Price Index (m/m) at 15:30 (GMT+3) – USD (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.

EUR/USD on Edge: Middle East and China in Focus

By Analytical Department RoboForex

EUR/USD dipped slightly on Tuesday, retreating to 1.1762. The US dollar has returned to favour as a defensive asset after US President Donald Trump questioned the sustainability of the truce with Iran and rejected Tehran’s latest peace proposal.

Trump also plans to convene a meeting with his national security team to discuss a potential resumption of military operations and a review of plans to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

The ongoing conflict continues to keep oil prices elevated, fuelling inflationary pressures and expectations that interest rates may remain higher for longer to contain price pressures.

Investors are now turning their attention to US inflation data for April, which is expected to indicate how the Iran conflict is impacting the economy and help guide potential Federal Reserve decisions.

An additional market factor is the expected meeting later this week between Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, which is likely to focus on trade relations and the development of artificial intelligence.

Technical Analysis

On the H4 chart, EUR/USD is trading within a consolidation range around 1.1755, with potential downside towards 1.1688. At the same time, a move higher towards 1.1818 remains possible, with further upside to 1.1870. This scenario is supported by the MACD indicator, with its signal line above zero and pointing firmly upwards, indicating continued bullish momentum.

On the H1 chart, EUR/USD has reached 1.1786. A decline towards 1.1740 is likely, followed by a possible rebound to 1.1760 and further upside towards 1.1818. This scenario is confirmed by the Stochastic oscillator, with its signal line near 20 and pointing firmly upwards.

Conclusion

EUR/USD remains sensitive to geopolitical developments in the Middle East and upcoming US–China discussions. Strong inflation data could support the US dollar, while positive diplomatic progress may ease pressure on the pair and support further euro gains.

 

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 US stock indices continue to set new records. China’s exports showed a sharp increase

By JustMarkets 

On Friday, the US stock indices once again renewed their record highs. By the end of the day, the Dow Jones (US30) rose by 0.03% (weekly result +0.39%). The S&P 500 (US500) increased by 0.84% (weekly result +2.36%). The Technology Index Nasdaq (US100) closed higher by 1.71% (weekly result +2.35%). The markets were supported by strong US labor‑market data: the number of new jobs in April exceeded expectations, and the unemployment rate remained unchanged. Over the week, all major indices showed solid growth, supported by strong corporate earnings and the ongoing rally in technology stocks.

The Canadian dollar (CAD) weakened to around 1.37 per US dollar, continuing its decline after reaching late‑April highs. Pressure on the currency came from weak Canadian labor‑market data: employment unexpectedly fell, and the unemployment rate rose to its highest level in six months. This strengthened expectations that the Bank of Canada (BoC) will focus on supporting the economy and avoid tightening monetary policy in the near future. The hawkish tone of Banxico is linked to rising inflation risks amid high energy prices caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

The Mexican peso (MXN) strengthened to around 17.2 per US dollar, approaching its highest levels in nearly two years after signals from the Bank of Mexico about the end of the rate‑cutting cycle. The regulator lowered the rate by 25 basis points to 6.5%, although part of the market expected more aggressive easing. At the same time, the central bank made it clear that further rate cuts are unlikely in the near future.

On Friday, European stock markets continued to decline for the second session in a row amid a new wave of tensions between the US and Iran, which increased concerns about disruptions to Europe’s energy supplies. By the end of the day, Germany’s DAX (DE40) fell by 1.32% (weekly result +0.26%), France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed down by 1.09% (weekly result -0.12%), Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) declined by 0.95% (weekly result +0.34%), and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) ended the session down by 0.43% (weekly result -1.38%). Key European indices finished in negative territory as reports of attacks on tankers and military vessels undermined investor hopes for a quick diplomatic resolution of the conflict.

On Friday, WTI oil prices remained around $95 per barrel, showing almost no change, as new clashes between the US and Iran increased doubts about the durability of the current ceasefire and reduced expectations of a quick diplomatic settlement. Despite this, oil still fell by about 7% for the week. The main factor for the market remains the situation around the Strait of Hormuz, which has been operating under severe restrictions since late February, disrupting global oil supplies and intensifying the supply deficit.

Platinum prices (XPT) held above $2000 per ounce, remaining near their highest levels since late April, as the ongoing supply deficit continued to support the market despite rising inflation risks due to renewed tensions in the Middle East. Clashes between the US and Iran near the Strait of Hormuz once again cast doubt on the stability of the current ceasefire and increased concerns about disruptions to energy supplies.

In Asia on Friday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) fell by 0.19% (weekly result +3.60%), China’s FTSE China A50 closed down by 0.90% (weekly result -0.88%), Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) declined by 0.87% (weekly result +0.98%), and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) dropped by 1.51% (weekly result +0.22%).
On Monday, the offshore yuan was holding at 6.79 per dollar, which is the strongest level for the Chinese currency since February 2023. The market is positively assessing the resilience of China’s economy: despite the logistics crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, exports in April surged by 14.1% to a record 359.44 billion dollars, while imports, driven by strong domestic demand and semiconductor purchases, jumped by 25.3%. Domestic indicators also signal a revival – consumer inflation (CPI) reached 1.2%, and the Producer Price Index (PPI) remained in positive territory at 2.8%, indicating a recovery in industrial activity. All global market attention is now focused on Beijing, where the Donald Trump-Xi Jinping summit will take place on May 14-15. Investors expect the leaders to agree on a “roadmap” for unblocking the Strait of Hormuz, discuss the status of Taiwan, and lay the foundation for a new trade agreement that may include a dialogue on AI security.

On Friday, the New Zealand dollar (NZD) strengthened again to a two‑month high near 0.596 US dollars, recovering after a decline in the previous session. Employment statistics in New Zealand, published earlier, did not give markets a clear signal and barely changed rate expectations. Investors still assess the probability of a near‑term rate hike as moderate, although a July tightening is already priced in due to rising inflation risks from expensive energy.
In Australia, markets currently assess the probability of a June rate hike by the Reserve Bank (RBA) as low after a series of previous increases. At the same time, expectations of further tightening by the end of the summer remain fairly high, and the projected peak rate is almost fully priced in. The Australian dollar held around 0.72 US dollars after declining in the previous session.

S&P 500 (US500) 7,398.93 +61.82 (+0.84%)

Dow Jones (US30) 49,609.16 +12.19 (+0.03%)

DAX (DE40) 24,338.63 −324.98 (−1.32%)

FTSE 100 (UK100) 10,233.07 −43.88 (−0.43%)

USD Index 97.84 −0.22 (−0.23%)

News feed for: 2026.05.11

  • China Consumer Price Index (m/m) at 04:30 (GMT+3) – CHA50, HK50 (HIGH)
  • China Producer Price Index (m/m) at 04:30 (GMT+3) – CHA50, HK50 (HIGH)
  • Norway Inflation Rate (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+3) HIGH – NOK (MED)
  • US Existing Home Sales (m/m) at 17:00 (GMT+3) – USD (MED)

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.

Yen Speculator Bets jump after intervention, CAD & AUD Bets continue higher as USD Index Bets fall

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 May 5th 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 Japanese Yen & Canadian Dollar

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

Leading the gains for the currency markets was the Japanese Yen (40,321 contracts) with the Canadian Dollar (23,817 contracts), the Brazilian Real (20,354 contracts), the Australian Dollar (6,805 contracts) and the Swiss Franc (700 contracts) also showing positive weeks.

The currencies seeing declines in speculator bets on the week were the Mexican Peso (-5,696 contracts), the US Dollar Index (-3,815 contracts), the EuroFX (-3,510 contracts), the British Pound (-3,269 contracts), the New Zealand Dollar (-1,929 contracts) and Bitcoin (-951 contracts) also registering lower bets on the week.

Yen Speculator Bets jump after intervention, CAD & AUD Bets continue higher as USD Index Bets fall

Highlighting the Currency speculator positions this week was a boost in the Japanese Yen, the Canadian Dollar, and the Brazilian Real positions while the US Dollar Index bets fell by the most since the fall.

First off, the Japanese Yen speculator position jumped by over 40,000 contracts this week after it had previously fallen in four out of the previous five weeks. This has a lot to do with the Bank of Japan intervening in the Currency market last week, as the BOJ has been trying to arrest the Japanese Yen’s fall. Currently, the speculator net position for the Japanese Yen contracts remains in a bearish level for a 10th straight week, with the total net position this week at -61,738 net contracts. The BOJ currency intervention has stemmed the slide in the yen for the time being, but this week’s USD/JPY currency pair closed out the week at 156.68.

The Brazilian Real saw its speculator bets jump this week by over 20,000 net contracts. This is a third consecutive week of positive changes and this week’s boost has pushed the net position over 66,000 bullish contracts. This is the highest level for the Brazilian Real contracts since September 30th of 2025, a span of 31 weeks. In the Futures market, the Brazilian Real continues to be on a strong bullish uptrend against the US Dollar, and this week closed at the highest level since February of 2024.

Canadian Dollar contracts continued their strong weekly gains with a third consecutive weekly rise and a boost by over 23,000 contracts this week. This recent positive sentiment for the Canadian Dollar has taken the net speculator bearish standing down to a total of -14,659 net contracts — the best position (least bearish) of the past six weeks. In the Foreign Exchange markets this week, the Canadian Dollar cooled off after four consecutive gaining weeks, and this week closed out at a 0.7321 exchange level. The CAD is still in an ascending triangle pattern and would need to rise clean above 0.7400 to the upside for a further bullish break out.

The Australian Dollar net position saw a second straight weekly gain and is now at the highest speculator position of the past five weeks. Overall, the Australian Dollar speculator positioning is in a super strong position, considering it’s near the top of its three-year range with a strength score of 98.5%. The Australian Dollar bets have now been in bullish territory for 15 consecutive weeks. In the Foreign Exchange market, the Australian Dollar has continued on a strong uptrend after falling as low as 0.5920 in April of 2025. Since that low, the AUD has ascended by over 20% and now trades at 0.7237 against the US Dollar, the highest level since 2022.

The US Dollar Index saw speculator bets dropped this week by -3,815 contracts and marks the biggest one-week fall since September. The US Dollar Index speculator bets have now declined for four consecutive weeks and have taken the overall net position to a virtual neutral level at just 693 net contracts. The US Dollar Index in the Foreign Exchange markets dipped this week for a second consecutive week, however, it remains in its range that has persisted for almost a year with a low support level of 96.50 and a high resistance level of 100.00 (the USD Index is currently trading at 97.78).

Bitcoin, Mexican Peso, and Brazilian Real lead major Currency price performances.

This week saw Bitcoin lead the pack in price gains with a modest 1.98% rise on the week. The Mexican Peso came in second with a 1.50% gain, while the Brazilian Real was also higher by 1% with a 1.17% uptick. The New Zealand Dollar was higher by approximately 1% this week, while the Swiss Franc rose by 0.58%.

The Euro gained by 0.47%. The Australian Dollar was higher by 0.41%, and the British Pound Sterling rounded out the gainers with a modest uptick of 0.27% on the week.

On the downside, the US Dollar Index tripped by -0.17% this week, while the Japanese Yen was lower by -0.30%. The Canadian Dollar was the biggest negative returner with a -0.67% shortfall.


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 Australian Dollar & Brazilian Real

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 the Australian Dollar (99 percent) and the Brazilian Real (89 percent) lead the currency markets this week. The Canadian Dollar (78 percent) and Bitcoin (78 percent) come in as the next highest in the weekly strength scores.

On the downside, the New Zealand Dollar (10 percent) and the British Pound (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 Swiss Franc (31 percent) and the Japanese Yen (34 percent).

3-Year Strength Statistics:
US Dollar Index (46.0 percent) vs US Dollar Index previous week (56.3 percent)
EuroFX (41.0 percent) vs EuroFX previous week (42.4 percent)
British Pound Sterling (12.5 percent) vs British Pound Sterling previous week (13.8 percent)
Japanese Yen (33.7 percent) vs Japanese Yen previous week (22.6 percent)
Swiss Franc (30.9 percent) vs Swiss Franc previous week (29.5 percent)
Canadian Dollar (78.1 percent) vs Canadian Dollar previous week (67.9 percent)
Australian Dollar (98.5 percent) vs Australian Dollar previous week (94.9 percent)
New Zealand Dollar (9.7 percent) vs New Zealand Dollar previous week (11.9 percent)
Mexican Peso (45.1 percent) vs Mexican Peso previous week (49.1 percent)
Brazilian Real (88.5 percent) vs Brazilian Real previous week (73.7 percent)
Bitcoin (78.1 percent) vs Bitcoin previous week (97.1 percent)


Brazilian Real & EuroFX 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 Brazilian Real (13 percent) and the EuroFX (9 percent) lead the past six weeks trends for the currencies. The Australian Dollar (4 percent) is the next highest positive mover in the 3-Year trends data.

The New Zealand Dollar (-24 percent) leads the downside trend scores currently with the Swiss Franc (-15 percent), Bitcoin (-13 percent) and the Mexican Peso (-8 percent) following next with lower trend scores.

3-Year Strength Trends:
US Dollar Index (-7.9 percent) vs US Dollar Index previous week (2.2 percent)
EuroFX (8.7 percent) vs EuroFX previous week (5.6 percent)
British Pound Sterling (-2.3 percent) vs British Pound Sterling previous week (2.1 percent)
Japanese Yen (0.3 percent) vs Japanese Yen previous week (-9.4 percent)
Swiss Franc (-15.0 percent) vs Swiss Franc previous week (-20.3 percent)
Canadian Dollar (-5.6 percent) vs Canadian Dollar previous week (-16.9 percent)
Australian Dollar (4.1 percent) vs Australian Dollar previous week (1.5 percent)
New Zealand Dollar (-24.3 percent) vs New Zealand Dollar previous week (-26.6 percent)
Mexican Peso (-8.5 percent) vs Mexican Peso previous week (-0.5 percent)
Brazilian Real (12.8 percent) vs Brazilian Real previous week (-2.1 percent)
Bitcoin (-13.2 percent) vs Bitcoin previous week (12.3 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 693 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position decline of -3,815 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 4,508 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 46.0 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 52.3 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 54.3 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Uptrend

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

US DOLLAR INDEX StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:52.530.98.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:50.335.75.4
– Net Position:693-1,569876
– Gross Longs:17,04810,0352,634
– Gross Shorts:16,35511,6041,758
– Long to Short Ratio:1.0 to 10.9 to 11.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):46.052.354.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-7.98.3-2.1

 


Euro Currency Futures:

Euro Currency Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Euro Currency large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 32,202 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position fall of -3,510 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 35,712 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 41.0 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 56.2 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 61.4 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Downtrend

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

EURO Currency StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:26.758.910.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:22.767.95.8
– Net Position:32,202-73,37941,177
– Gross Longs:217,474480,88688,156
– Gross Shorts:185,272554,26546,979
– Long to Short Ratio:1.2 to 10.9 to 11.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):41.056.261.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:8.7-9.17.8

 


British Pound Sterling Futures:

British Pound Sterling Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • British Pound Sterling large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -63,908 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position lowering of -3,269 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -60,639 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 12.5 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 85.8 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 48.6 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Downtrend

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

BRITISH POUND StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:22.765.59.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:45.841.79.9
– Net Position:-63,90865,684-1,776
– Gross Longs:62,573180,93225,560
– Gross Shorts:126,481115,24827,336
– Long to Short Ratio:0.5 to 11.6 to 10.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):12.585.848.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-2.31.82.6

 


Japanese Yen Futures:

Japanese Yen Forex Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Japanese Yen large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -61,738 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position rise of 40,321 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -102,059 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 33.7 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 66.0 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 42.1 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Downtrend

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

JAPANESE YEN StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:30.852.710.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:48.235.810.1
– Net Position:-61,73859,6502,088
– Gross Longs:109,035186,54437,725
– Gross Shorts:170,773126,89435,637
– Long to Short Ratio:0.6 to 11.5 to 11.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):33.766.042.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:0.30.4-7.3

 


Swiss Franc Futures:

Swiss Franc Forex Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Swiss Franc large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -34,521 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position boost of 700 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -35,221 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 30.9 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 69.4 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 43.4 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

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

SWISS FRANC StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:7.680.511.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:44.135.220.5
– Net Position:-34,52142,861-8,340
– Gross Longs:7,14576,07611,018
– Gross Shorts:41,66633,21519,358
– Long to Short Ratio:0.2 to 12.3 to 10.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):30.969.443.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-15.018.7-17.3

 


Canadian Dollar Futures:

Canadian Dollar Forex Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Canadian Dollar large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of -14,659 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position advance of 23,817 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -38,476 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 78.1 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 23.0 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 50.5 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

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

CANADIAN DOLLAR StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:30.255.112.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:36.249.911.9
– Net Position:-14,65912,7941,865
– Gross Longs:73,650134,38330,958
– Gross Shorts:88,309121,58929,093
– Long to Short Ratio:0.8 to 11.1 to 11.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):78.123.050.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-5.65.7-3.1

 


Australian Dollar Futures:

Australian Dollar Forex Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Australian Dollar large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 78,674 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position gain of 6,805 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 71,869 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 98.5 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 1.5 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 96.8 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

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

AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:51.233.015.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:23.170.85.4
– Net Position:78,674-105,54526,871
– Gross Longs:143,21492,27242,086
– Gross Shorts:64,540197,81715,215
– Long to Short Ratio:2.2 to 10.5 to 12.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):98.51.596.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:4.1-4.97.2

 


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 -48,251 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position decline of -1,929 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -46,322 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 9.7 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 89.6 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 38.3 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

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

NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:10.685.04.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:67.227.25.3
– Net Position:-48,25149,327-1,076
– Gross Longs:9,06372,5813,486
– Gross Shorts:57,31423,2544,562
– Long to Short Ratio:0.2 to 13.1 to 10.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):9.789.638.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-24.324.3-5.0

 


Mexican Peso Futures:

Mexican Peso Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Mexican Peso large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 62,127 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position lowering of -5,696 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 67,823 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 45.1 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 52.8 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 49.5 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

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

MEXICAN PESO StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:49.046.93.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:15.882.71.0
– Net Position:62,127-66,9444,817
– Gross Longs:91,59287,6366,627
– Gross Shorts:29,465154,5801,810
– Long to Short Ratio:3.1 to 10.6 to 13.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):45.152.849.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-8.57.09.2

 


Brazilian Real Futures:

Brazil Real Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Brazilian Real large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 66,797 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position gain of 20,354 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 46,443 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 88.5 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 10.8 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 42.6 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

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

BRAZIL REAL StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:71.324.23.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:20.478.11.0
– Net Position:66,797-70,6483,851
– Gross Longs:93,50031,7435,099
– Gross Shorts:26,703102,3911,248
– Long to Short Ratio:3.5 to 10.3 to 14.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):88.510.842.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:12.8-12.60.2

 


Bitcoin Futures:

Bitcoin Crypto Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Bitcoin large speculator standing this week equaled a net position of 1,441 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position decline of -951 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 2,392 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 78.1 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 22.4 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 42.4 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Downtrend

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

BITCOIN StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:82.51.55.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:76.38.14.6
– Net Position:1,441-1,53998
– Gross Longs:19,3013491,184
– Gross Shorts:17,8601,8881,086
– Long to Short Ratio:1.1 to 10.2 to 11.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):78.122.442.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-13.29.113.2

 


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.

Speculator Extremes: Cotton, SOFR 3-Months 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 May 5th.

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 at the top of the extreme standings this week as the Cotton speculator level is at a 99 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the percent strength score was an increase by 47 percentage points this week. The speculator position registered 100,682 net contracts this week with a gain of 19,741 contracts in 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.


Soybean Oil

Extreme Bullish Leader
The Soybean Oil speculator position comes in second this week in the extreme standings. The Soybean Oil speculator level resides at an approximate 99 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score came in at a boost of 21 percentage points this week. The overall speculator position was 168,887 net contracts this week with a fall of -2,925 contracts in the weekly speculator bets.


Australian Dollar

Extreme Bullish Leader
The Australian Dollar speculator position comes in as the third in the most bullish extreme standings this week with the AUD speculator level also currently at an approximate 99 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the percent strength score totaled an advance by 4 percentage points this week. The overall net speculator position was a total of 78,674 net contracts this week with a boost of 6,805 contract in the weekly speculator bets.


Corn

Extreme Bullish Leader
The Corn speculator position comes up number four in the extreme standings this week. The Corn speculator level is at a 95 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score totaled a rise higher by 8 percentage points this week and the overall speculator position was 433,384 net contracts this week with a strong gain of 92,644 contracts in the speculator bets.


Soybeans

Extreme Bullish Leader
The Soybeans speculator position rounds out the top five in this week’s bullish extreme standings as the Soybeans speculator level sits at a 95 percent score of its 3-year range. The six-week trend for the speculator strength score was a boost of 4 percentage points this week.

The speculator position was 232,198 net contracts this week with a rise of 38,259 contracts in the weekly speculator bets.


The Most Bearish Speculator Positions of the Week:

Extreme Bearish Speculator Table


3-Month Secured Overnight Financing Rate

Extreme Bearish Leader
The 3-Month Secured Overnight Financing Rate speculator position comes in as the most bearish extreme standing this week. The SOFR 3-Months speculator level is at just a 2 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score was a fall by -35 percentage points this week while the overall speculator position was -1,100,455 net contracts this week with a fall of -347,436 contracts in the speculator bets.


Cocoa Futures

Extreme Bearish Leader
The Cocoa Futures speculator position comes in next for the most bearish extreme standing on the week as the Cocoa speculator level sits at a 3 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score saw no change this week while the speculator position was -20,234 net contracts this week with a boost of 3,409 contracts in the weekly speculator bets.


2-Year Bond

Extreme Bearish Leader
The 2-Year Bond speculator position comes in as third most bearish extreme standing of the week. The 2-Year speculator level resides at a 8 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score was a decline by -4 percentage points this week and the overall speculator position was -1,673,329 net contracts this week with an addition of 35,934 contracts in the speculator bets.


New Zealand Dollar

Extreme Bearish Leader
The New Zealand Dollar speculator position comes in as this week’s fourth most bearish extreme standing with the NZD speculator level sitting at a 10 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score was a fall by -24 percentage points this week. The speculator position was -48,251 net contracts this week with a retreat of -1,929 contracts in the weekly speculator bets.


British Pound

Extreme Bearish Leader
Next, the British Pound speculator position comes in as the fifth most bearish extreme standing for this week with the GBP speculator level at a 12 percent score of its 3-year range.

The six-week trend for the speculator strength score was a decrease by -2 percentage points this week and the speculator position was -63,908 net contracts this week with a fall of -3,269 contracts in the weekly speculator bets.


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 Metals Charts: Weekly Speculator Bets led by Gold

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 May 5th 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

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

Leading the gains for the metals was Gold with a gain of 3,732 contracts on the week.

The markets with declines in speculator bets for the week were Steel (-849 contracts), Platinum (-765 contracts), Copper (-432 contracts), Silver (-268 contracts) and with Palladium (-12 contracts) also registering lower bets on the week.

Gold Bets stable around +160,000 net contracts

Highlighting the Metals markets today: This week saw speculator bets in Gold rise very modestly by a little under +4,000 net contracts. Gold positioning has stabilized right around the +160,000 to +165,000 net contract standing over the past 15 or so weeks. Previously, Gold bullish contracts had been over 200,000 net contracts week in and week out before falling lower in late January.

Open interest levels for Gold have fallen off dramatically and are around 360,000 contracts this week. The average open interest contracts since the beginning of 2025 have been around 460,000 contracts, illustrating that the market interest has cooled off in these past few months.

The Gold’s futures price closed this week around the $4,730 level and is still in a long-term strong uptrend. It has bounced back by almost 15% from the recent fall in March to the $4,100 level.

Silver leads the Metals markets price performance.

The last five days saw Silver come in with the biggest return in price performance for the overall Metals market. Silver rose by 6.08% for the week and has now notched a 10.86% increase over the past 30 days. Copper came in second with a 4.95% rise on the week and has been higher by 12.77% over the past 30 days.

Gold comes in third with a 2.38% gain on the week and has been just a bit higher at a 1.09% return over the past 30 days.

Platinum followed with a 1.96% gain this week, and Steel rounded out the weekly gainers with a 1.74% rise.

On the downside, Palladium dipped by -3.55%. Palladium is now also down by -0.24% over the past 30 days and has fallen by -26.62% in the past 90 days.


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 (92 percent) and Steel (85 percent) lead the metals markets this week. Palladium (82.2 percent) comes in as the next highest in the weekly strength scores.

On the downside, Silver (27 percent) and Gold (38 percent) come in at the lowest strength level currently.

Strength Statistics:
Gold (37.7 percent) vs Gold previous week (36.1 percent)
Silver (27.0 percent) vs Silver previous week (27.5 percent)
Copper (91.8 percent) vs Copper previous week (92.2 percent)
Platinum (55.5 percent) vs Platinum previous week (57.4 percent)
Palladium (82.2 percent) vs Palladium previous week (82.2 percent)
Steel (84.8 percent) vs Steel previous week (88.7 percent)

 


Copper & Platinum 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 Copper (24 percent) and Platinum (4 percent) lead the past six weeks trends for metals.

Steel (-15 percent) leads the downside trend scores currently with Gold (-2.1 percent) as the next market with lower trend scores.

Move Statistics:
Gold (-2.1 percent) vs Gold previous week (-0.1 percent)
Silver (-1.3 percent) vs Silver previous week (3.8 percent)
Copper (23.6 percent) vs Copper previous week (14.2 percent)
Platinum (4.0 percent) vs Platinum previous week (4.1 percent)
Palladium (-1.5 percent) vs Palladium previous week (-8.4 percent)
Steel (-15.2 percent) vs Steel previous week (-8.5 percent)


Individual Markets:

Gold Comex Futures Futures:

Gold Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Gold Comex Futures large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of 163,303 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position rise of 3,732 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 159,571 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 37.7 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 56.5 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 70.1 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Uptrend

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

Gold Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:57.615.813.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:13.269.93.7
– Net Position:163,303-198,93535,632
– Gross Longs:211,81458,23049,252
– Gross Shorts:48,511257,16513,620
– Long to Short Ratio:4.4 to 10.2 to 13.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):37.756.570.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-2.12.00.4

 


Silver Comex Futures Futures:

Silver Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Silver Comex Futures large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of 23,892 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position decrease of -268 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 24,160 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 27.0 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 72.4 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 44.3 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Downtrend

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

Silver Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:34.026.926.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:9.468.79.5
– Net Position:23,892-40,53516,643
– Gross Longs:32,96526,09425,811
– Gross Shorts:9,07366,6299,168
– Long to Short Ratio:3.6 to 10.4 to 12.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):27.072.444.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-1.3-0.45.7

 


Copper Grade #1 Futures Futures:

Copper Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Copper Grade #1 Futures large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of 62,849 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position reduction of -432 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 63,281 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 91.8 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 8.4 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 61.7 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

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

Copper Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:41.435.67.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:14.466.63.7
– Net Position:62,849-72,0179,168
– Gross Longs:96,26182,82917,854
– Gross Shorts:33,412154,8468,686
– Long to Short Ratio:2.9 to 10.5 to 12.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):91.88.461.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:23.6-22.22.1

 


Platinum Futures Futures:

Platinum Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Platinum Futures large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of 17,785 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position lowering of -765 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 18,550 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 55.5 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 48.1 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 54.6 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:44.029.113.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:14.666.55.4
– Net Position:17,785-22,6514,866
– Gross Longs:26,66817,6598,130
– Gross Shorts:8,88340,3103,264
– Long to Short Ratio:3.0 to 10.4 to 12.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):55.548.154.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:4.0-2.3-7.9

 


Palladium Futures Futures:

Palladium Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Palladium Futures large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of -1,476 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position decline of -12 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -1,464 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 82.2 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 22.4 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 44.4 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:40.039.314.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:49.334.510.0
– Net Position:-1,476775701
– Gross Longs:6,4026,2892,307
– Gross Shorts:7,8785,5141,606
– Long to Short Ratio:0.8 to 11.1 to 11.4 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):82.222.444.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-1.54.8-19.1

 


Steel Futures Futures:

Steel Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Steel Futures large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of 11,217 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position lowering of -849 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 12,066 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 84.8 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 15.1 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 89.9 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Uptrend

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

Steel Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:32.564.31.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:3.494.60.2
– Net Position:11,217-11,631414
– Gross Longs:12,51624,734483
– Gross Shorts:1,29936,36569
– Long to Short Ratio:9.6 to 10.7 to 17.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):84.815.189.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-15.215.1-8.9

 


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: Weekly Speculator Bets led by 5-Year Bonds & Fed Funds

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 May 5th 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 5-Year Bonds & Fed Funds

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

Leading the gains for the bond markets was the 5-Year Bonds (100,106 contracts) with the Fed Funds (45,127 contracts), the 2-Year Bonds (35,934 contracts), the Ultra Treasury Bonds (34,850 contracts) and the 10-Year Bonds (23,868 contracts) also showing positive weeks.

The bond markets with declines in speculator bets for the week were the SOFR 3-Months (-347,436 contracts), the SOFR 1-Month (-97,991 contracts), the Ultra 10-Year Bonds (-77,320 contracts) and the US Treasury Bonds (-59,287 contracts) also registering lower bets on the week.

The US Treasury Bond leads Bond market price performances this week.

In the major Bond markets for the US, the US Treasury Bond saw the biggest uptick this week with a 0.53% increase. The 10-Year Note came in second with a 0.17% edge higher, followed by the Five-Year Bond, which notched up by 0.06%. The One-Month SOFR and the Three-Month SOFR markets were both virtually unchanged but edged up by 0.01%.

The Fed Funds were a minuscule tick lower with a -0.01% decline.


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 Ultra 10-Year Bonds & Ultra Treasury 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 Ultra 10-Year Bonds (80 percent) and the Ultra Treasury Bonds (74 percent) lead the bond markets this week. The 5-Year Bonds (72 percent) comes in as the next highest in the weekly strength scores.

On the downside, the SOFR 3-Months (1.7 percent) and the 2-Year Bonds (8 percent) come in at the lowest strength level currently and are in Extreme-Bearish territory (below 20 percent). The next lowest strength scores were the US Treasury Bonds (23 percent), the 10-Year Bonds (39 percent) and the SOFR 1-Month (50 percent).

Strength Statistics:
Fed Funds (60.3 percent) vs Fed Funds previous week (53.8 percent)
2-Year Bond (7.9 percent) vs 2-Year Bond previous week (3.8 percent)
5-Year Bond (71.7 percent) vs 5-Year Bond previous week (66.0 percent)
10-Year Bond (39.3 percent) vs 10-Year Bond previous week (36.4 percent)
Ultra 10-Year Bond (79.7 percent) vs Ultra 10-Year Bond previous week (100.0 percent)
US Treasury Bond (23.2 percent) vs US Treasury Bond previous week (43.8 percent)
Ultra US Treasury Bond (73.9 percent) vs Ultra US Treasury Bond previous week (60.8 percent)
SOFR 1-Month (50.1 percent) vs SOFR 1-Month previous week (67.2 percent)
SOFR 3-Months (1.7 percent) vs SOFR 3-Months previous week (20.0 percent)


Ultra 10-Year Bonds & Fed Funds 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 Ultra 10-Year Bonds (19 percent) and the Fed Funds (9 percent) lead the past six weeks trends for bonds. The Ultra Treasury Bonds (7 percent) are the next highest positive movers in the latest trends data.

The US Treasury Bond (-62.5 percent) leads the downside trend scores currently with the SOFR 3-Months (-35 percent) following next with lower trend scores.

Strength Trend Statistics:
Fed Funds (8.9 percent) vs Fed Funds previous week (1.3 percent)
2-Year Bond (-4.0 percent) vs 2-Year Bond previous week (-25.5 percent)
5-Year Bond (1.5 percent) vs 5-Year Bond previous week (14.3 percent)
10-Year Bond (-20.7 percent) vs 10-Year Bond previous week (-28.9 percent)
Ultra 10-Year Bond (19.3 percent) vs Ultra 10-Year Bond previous week (46.8 percent)
US Treasury Bond (-62.5 percent) vs US Treasury Bond previous week (-42.6 percent)
Ultra US Treasury Bond (7.4 percent) vs Ultra US Treasury Bond previous week (-8.7 percent)
SOFR 1-Month (-4.8 percent) vs SOFR 1-Month previous week (22.5 percent)
SOFR 3-Months (-35.5 percent) vs SOFR 3-Months previous week (-10.2 percent)


30-Day Federal Funds Futures:

Federal Funds 30-Day Bonds Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • 30-Day Federal Funds large speculator standing this week was a net position of 30,815 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position boost of 45,127 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -14,312 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 60.3 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 38.6 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 71.3 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Uptrend

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

30-Day Federal Funds StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:14.663.92.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:12.666.71.7
– Net Position:30,815-43,82313,008
– Gross Longs:232,0661,019,08740,483
– Gross Shorts:201,2511,062,91027,475
– Long to Short Ratio:1.2 to 11.0 to 11.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):60.338.671.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:8.9-8.7-2.5

 


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 was a net position of -1,100,455 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position lowering of -347,436 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -753,019 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 1.7 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 99.2 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 37.0 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:14.262.10.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:22.953.50.4
– Net Position:-1,100,4551,102,960-2,505
– Gross Longs:1,813,6187,914,41046,774
– Gross Shorts:2,914,0736,811,45049,279
– Long to Short Ratio:0.6 to 11.2 to 10.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):1.799.237.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-35.536.0-5.4

 


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 was a net position of -158,195 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position fall of -97,991 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -60,204 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 50.1 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 49.8 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 66.9 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:15.867.80.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:29.554.10.1
– Net Position:-158,195158,16035
– Gross Longs:182,424781,5981,383
– Gross Shorts:340,619623,4381,348
– Long to Short Ratio:0.5 to 11.3 to 11.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):50.149.866.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-4.84.80.3

 


2-Year Treasury Note Futures:

2-Year Treasury Bonds Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • 2-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week was a net position of -1,673,329 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position advance of 35,934 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -1,709,263 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 7.9 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 92.1 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 10.9 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

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

2-Year Treasury Note StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:10.580.54.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:45.747.03.1
– Net Position:-1,673,3291,590,30983,020
– Gross Longs:497,3993,820,890228,341
– Gross Shorts:2,170,7282,230,581145,321
– Long to Short Ratio:0.2 to 11.7 to 11.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):7.992.110.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-4.03.90.4

 


5-Year Treasury Note Futures:

5-Year Treasury Bonds Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • 5-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week was a net position of -1,421,299 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position rise of 100,106 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -1,521,405 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 71.7 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 29.7 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 26.6 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

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

5-Year Treasury Note StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:9.680.56.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:31.160.15.3
– Net Position:-1,421,2991,352,39068,909
– Gross Longs:636,5745,331,093419,738
– Gross Shorts:2,057,8733,978,703350,829
– Long to Short Ratio:0.3 to 11.3 to 11.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):71.729.726.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:1.5-3.512.1

 


10-Year Treasury Note Futures:

10-Year Treasury Notes Bonds Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • 10-Year Treasury Note large speculator standing this week was a net position of -815,269 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position rise of 23,868 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -839,137 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 39.3 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 65.8 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 45.2 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

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

10-Year Treasury Note StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:11.477.57.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:26.663.56.5
– Net Position:-815,269747,34367,926
– Gross Longs:610,5434,158,508418,672
– Gross Shorts:1,425,8123,411,165350,746
– Long to Short Ratio:0.4 to 11.2 to 11.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):39.365.845.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-20.720.712.8

 


Ultra 10-Year Notes Futures:

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

  • Ultra 10-Year Notes large speculator standing this week was a net position of -105,160 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position decrease of -77,320 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -27,840 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 with a score of 37.2 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 5.3 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Downtrend

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

Ultra 10-Year Notes StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:9.481.38.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:13.871.613.6
– Net Position:-105,160234,926-129,766
– Gross Longs:228,2361,968,305200,190
– Gross Shorts:333,3961,733,379329,956
– Long to Short Ratio:0.7 to 11.1 to 10.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):79.737.25.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:19.3-9.5-29.6

 


US Treasury Bonds Futures:

US Year Treasury Notes Long Bonds Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • US Treasury Bonds large speculator standing this week was a net position of -172,942 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position decline of -59,287 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -113,655 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 23.2 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 69.9 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 36.4 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

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

US Treasury Bonds StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:9.976.312.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:19.471.28.5
– Net Position:-172,94293,02479,918
– Gross Longs:181,1281,395,908234,966
– Gross Shorts:354,0701,302,884155,048
– Long to Short Ratio:0.5 to 11.1 to 11.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):23.269.936.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-62.548.9-7.7

 


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 was a net position of -259,435 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position advance of 34,850 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -294,285 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 45.1 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 5.4 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

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

Ultra US Treasury Bonds StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:5.985.47.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:17.273.78.2
– Net Position:-259,435268,886-9,451
– Gross Longs:136,6941,964,862179,461
– Gross Shorts:396,1291,695,976188,912
– Long to Short Ratio:0.3 to 11.2 to 10.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):73.945.15.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:7.44.3-31.9

 


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 Energy Charts: Speculators push Brent Crude Oil Bearish Bets to lowest since October

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 May 5th 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 & Gasoline

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 (16,333 contracts) with Gasoline (2,677 contracts) and Heating Oil (2,022 contracts) also having positive weeks.

The markets with declines in speculator bets for the week were WTI Crude (-13,125 contracts), Bloomberg Index (-1,552 contracts) and Natural Gas (-373 contracts) also seeing lower bets on the week.

Brent Crude Oil Bearish Bets drop to lowest since October

Highlighting Energy futures markets this week is Brent Crude Oil. This market saw a jump by over 16,000 speculative net contracts this week and this market has seen gains in seven out of the past 10 weeks. The Brent Crude Oil futures market traditionally has a negative net large speculator standing due to a lot of hedging activity. This week, however, the market is close to an almost neutral overall position with a total of -9,224 net contracts. This is the least bearish level for Brent Crude Oil since October 2025. Typically, when bets have fallen this low, the oil price is also low. The last two times the net position has been this low, the Brent Crude Oil price has been trading around $60 per barrel. But due to the Iran war, the oil price is currently over $100 per barrel with perhaps more risk to the upside at the moment.

Energy market prices were down across the board this week.

In the Energy markets, In the Energy markets price performances, we saw lower markets all across the board for the week. Heating Oil dipped by -1.43%, followed by the Bloomberg Commodity Index, which fell by -1.63%.

Gasoline was lower by over 2% this week with a -2.02% decline. Natural Gas was also lower by -2.68%. Brent Oil fell by -6.58%, while WTI Crude Oil was the biggest negative returner on the week with a -7.32% decrease.


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 Brent Oil & Gasoline

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 Brent Oil (68.0 percent) and Gasoline (52.2 percent) lead the energy markets this week.

On the downside, the Bloomberg Index (0.0 percent) comes in at the lowest strength level currently and is in Extreme-Bearish territory (below 20 percent). The next lowest strength score was Natural Gas (25.5 percent).

Strength Statistics:
WTI Crude Oil (44.8 percent) vs WTI Crude Oil previous week (49.0 percent)
Brent Crude Oil (68.0 percent) vs Brent Crude Oil previous week (44.7 percent)
Natural Gas (25.5 percent) vs Natural Gas previous week (25.8 percent)
Gasoline (52.2 percent) vs Gasoline previous week (49.2 percent)
Heating Oil (50.9 percent) vs Heating Oil previous week (48.3 percent)
Bloomberg Commodity Index (0.0 percent) vs Bloomberg Commodity Index previous week (1.6 percent)

 


Brent Oil & Natural Gas top 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 Brent Oil (11.9 percent) and Natural Gas (3.8 percent) lead the past six weeks trends for the energy markets.

The Bloomberg Index (-64.9 percent) leads the downside trend scores currently with WTI Crude Oil (-17.7 percent) as the next market with lower trend scores.

Move Statistics:
WTI Crude Oil (-17.7 percent) vs WTI Crude Oil previous week (-8.6 percent)
Brent Crude Oil (11.9 percent) vs Brent Crude Oil previous week (-4.3 percent)
Natural Gas (3.8 percent) vs Natural Gas previous week (7.5 percent)
Gasoline (-12.1 percent) vs Gasoline previous week (-22.5 percent)
Heating Oil (-5.1 percent) vs Heating Oil previous week (-15.5 percent)
Bloomberg Commodity Index (-64.9 percent) vs Bloomberg Commodity Index previous week (-62.5 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 178,786 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position fall of -13,125 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 191,911 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 44.8 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 53.8 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 55.0 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Uptrend

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

WTI Crude Oil Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:18.545.13.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:9.855.12.5
– Net Position:178,786-206,15027,364
– Gross Longs:381,542933,44279,154
– Gross Shorts:202,7561,139,59251,790
– Long to Short Ratio:1.9 to 10.8 to 11.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):44.853.855.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-17.718.6-11.9

 


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 -9,224 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position advance of 16,333 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -25,557 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 68.0 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 28.6 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 81.6 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Uptrend

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

Brent Crude Oil Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:30.932.04.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:34.929.32.8
– Net Position:-9,2246,2033,021
– Gross Longs:71,48574,0799,396
– Gross Shorts:80,70967,8766,375
– Long to Short Ratio:0.9 to 11.1 to 11.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):68.028.681.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:11.9-14.111.3

 


Natural Gas Futures Futures:

Natural Gas Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • Natural Gas Futures large speculator standing this week resulted in a net position of -166,646 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position lowering of -373 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -166,273 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 25.5 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 79.3 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 37.2 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

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

Natural Gas Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:14.635.53.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:24.826.12.6
– Net Position:-166,646153,15013,496
– Gross Longs:237,674578,70855,616
– Gross Shorts:404,320425,55842,120
– Long to Short Ratio:0.6 to 11.4 to 11.3 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):25.579.337.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:3.80.3-16.1

 


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 58,893 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position lift of 2,677 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 56,216 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 52.2 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 38.5 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 83.6 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Uptrend

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

Nasdaq Mini Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:26.747.88.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:7.871.43.8
– Net Position:58,893-73,38214,489
– Gross Longs:83,248149,32926,330
– Gross Shorts:24,355222,71111,841
– Long to Short Ratio:3.4 to 10.7 to 12.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):52.238.583.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-12.110.14.2

 


#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 5,689 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position lift of 2,022 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 3,667 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 50.9 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish with a score of 38.4 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 83.3 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Uptrend

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

Heating Oil Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:17.447.819.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:15.059.99.2
– Net Position:5,689-29,53723,848
– Gross Longs:42,178115,95646,091
– Gross Shorts:36,489145,49322,243
– Long to Short Ratio:1.2 to 10.8 to 12.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):50.938.483.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBearishBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-5.10.110.4

 


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 -76,636 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position lowering of -1,552 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -75,084 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 63.1 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Uptrend

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

Bloomberg Index Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:44.754.50.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:75.424.00.0
– Net Position:-76,63676,162474
– Gross Longs:111,634136,162527
– Gross Shorts:188,27060,00053
– Long to Short Ratio:0.6 to 12.3 to 19.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):0.0100.063.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-64.964.91.8

 


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 Soft Commodities Charts: Corn Speculator Bets surge higher for 3rd Week to 1-Year High

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 May 5th 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 Corn & Sugar

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

Leading the gains for the softs markets was Corn (92,644 contracts) with Sugar (48,432 contracts), Soybeans (38,259 contracts), Cotton (19,741 contracts), Cocoa (3,409 contracts) and Live Cattle (3,381 contracts) also showing positive weeks.

The markets with the declines in speculator bets this week were Wheat (-17,534 contracts) with Lean Hogs (-9,721 contracts), Soybean Meal (-8,387 contracts), Soybean Oil (-2,925 contracts) and Coffee (2,599 contracts) also registering lower bets on the week.

Corn Speculator Bets surge higher for 3rd Week to 1-Year High

Highlighting the Soft Commodities market this week is Corn, which has been on a spectacular run in speculator positioning. This week, Corn speculator bets jumped by over 92,000 contracts and rose for a third consecutive week. The Corn speculator position has now increased in eight out of the last 11 weeks and has added a whopping +441,219 contracts to its overall standing in just those 11 weeks. This recent climb higher has seen the overall speculator position from a total of -7,835 net contracts on February 17th to this week’s net speculator standing of 433,384 net contracts — marking the highest level for Corn bets in over a year.

Corn’s futures price has been on a steady uptrend since a recent bottom in August of 2025. Since then, the Corn price has been up by roughly 25% and is trading right below its 200-weekly moving average. Corn’s overall price is still down by roughly 70% since 2022, when the height of the Russian-Ukraine War saw the Corn price go parabolic and reach its highest level in 10 years.

Cocoa leads Soft Commodities price performances this week.

Leading the price performances for the Soft Commodities on the week was Cocoa, which had a very strong week this week and was only one of two Soft Commodities markets that saw gaining returns this week. Cocoa jumped by 17.87% over the past five days and gained for a third consecutive week. Cocoa’s overall price over the past few years has taken a sharp fall after an incredible run-up that brought the Cocoa future prices over 12,000 in late 2024. Currently, Cocoa’s price has fallen by over 60% since that timeframe but has been rebounding since March.

Next up, Cotton was the only other gainer on the week with a 0.76% gain. On the downside, Soybeans dipped by a virtually unchanged amount of -0.14%, followed by Soybean Meal, which also dipped by -0.16%. Wheat fell by over a percent with a -1.35% decline, followed by Live Cattle, which dipped by -1.51%, while Soybean Oil fell by a similar -1.54%. Corn was next up and fell lower this week with -1.72%. Sugar followed suit with a -1.74% decline, while Lean Hogs dropped by -2.62% on the week. Coffee was the biggest negative returner this week with a -4.26% shortfall.


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 Soybean Oil & Cotton

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 Soybean Oil (99 percent) and Cotton (99 percent) lead the softs markets this week. Soybeans (95 percent), Corn (95 percent) and Soybean Meal (93 percent) come in as the next highest in the weekly strength scores.

On the downside, Cocoa (3 percent) comes in at the lowest strength levels currently and is in Extreme-Bearish territory (below 20 percent). The next lowest strength scores are Sugar (30 percent) and Lean Hogs (31 percent).

Strength Statistics:
Corn (95.2 percent) vs Corn previous week (82.6 percent)
Sugar (30.0 percent) vs Sugar previous week (20.8 percent)
Coffee (50.9 percent) vs Coffee previous week (48.3 percent)
Soybeans (95.1 percent) vs Soybeans previous week (86.7 percent)
Soybean Oil (98.8 percent) vs Soybean Oil previous week (100.0 percent)
Soybean Meal (92.7 percent) vs Soybean Meal previous week (96.2 percent)
Live Cattle (80.2 percent) vs Live Cattle previous week (76.9 percent)
Lean Hogs (30.5 percent) vs Lean Hogs previous week (37.5 percent)
Cotton (99.0 percent) vs Cotton previous week (87.3 percent)
Cocoa (3.0 percent) vs Cocoa previous week (0.0 percent)
Wheat (85.3 percent) vs Wheat previous week (100.0 percent)


Cotton, Live Cattle & Soybean Oil 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 Cotton (47 percent), Soybean Oil (21 percent) and Live Cattle (21 percent) lead the past six weeks trends for soft commodities. Corn (8 percent) and Soybeans (4 percent) are the next highest positive movers in the latest trends data.

Lean Hogs (-30 percent) leads the downside trend scores currently with Cocoa (-0.1 percent) following next with a lower trend score.

Strength Trend Statistics:
Corn (7.9 percent) vs Corn previous week (3.9 percent)
Sugar (0.1 percent) vs Sugar previous week (12.1 percent)
Coffee (2.2 percent) vs Coffee previous week (6.5 percent)
Soybeans (3.8 percent) vs Soybeans previous week (-6.0 percent)
Soybean Oil (20.9 percent) vs Soybean Oil previous week (20.9 percent)
Soybean Meal (3.2 percent) vs Soybean Meal previous week (17.0 percent)
Live Cattle (21.4 percent) vs Live Cattle previous week (22.0 percent)
Lean Hogs (-29.9 percent) vs Lean Hogs previous week (-33.6 percent)
Cotton (46.7 percent) vs Cotton previous week (38.5 percent)
Cocoa (-0.1 percent) vs Cocoa previous week (-5.2 percent)
Wheat (0.4 percent) vs Wheat previous week (22.3 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 433,384 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position boost of 92,644 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 340,740 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 95.2 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 1.3 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 31.4 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

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

CORN Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:31.539.47.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:8.858.710.4
– Net Position:433,384-368,848-64,536
– Gross Longs:601,877752,467133,696
– Gross Shorts:168,4931,121,315198,232
– Long to Short Ratio:3.6 to 10.7 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):95.21.331.4
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:7.9-8.3-4.0

 


SUGAR Futures:

SUGAR Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • SUGAR large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of -95,519 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position rise of 48,432 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -143,951 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 30.0 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 69.3 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 45.3 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:25.549.78.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:35.340.97.7
– Net Position:-95,51984,97410,545
– Gross Longs:247,159481,68685,327
– Gross Shorts:342,678396,71274,782
– Long to Short Ratio:0.7 to 11.2 to 11.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):30.069.345.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:0.11.5-11.1

 


COFFEE Futures:

COFFEE Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • COFFEE large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 27,625 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position boost of 2,599 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 25,026 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 50.9 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 51.0 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 22.9 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Downtrend

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

COFFEE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:31.635.44.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:15.951.34.3
– Net Position:27,625-28,056431
– Gross Longs:55,70362,2597,936
– Gross Shorts:28,07890,3157,505
– Long to Short Ratio:2.0 to 10.7 to 11.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):50.951.022.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BullishBullishBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:2.2-1.7-7.9

 


SOYBEANS Futures:

SOYBEANS Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • SOYBEANS large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 232,198 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position rise of 38,259 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 193,939 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 95.1 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 5.8 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 25.5 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Uptrend

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

SOYBEANS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:31.243.45.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:7.364.48.3
– Net Position:232,198-204,545-27,653
– Gross Longs:303,880423,32253,507
– Gross Shorts:71,682627,86781,160
– Long to Short Ratio:4.2 to 10.7 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):95.15.825.5
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:3.8-5.117.2

 


SOYBEAN OIL Futures:

SOYBEAN OIL Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • SOYBEAN OIL large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 168,887 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position fall of -2,925 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 171,812 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 98.8 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.2 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 87.1 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Uptrend

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

SOYBEAN OIL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:31.340.95.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:7.466.83.9
– Net Position:168,887-182,70613,819
– Gross Longs:220,821288,80941,182
– Gross Shorts:51,934471,51527,363
– Long to Short Ratio:4.3 to 10.6 to 11.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):98.80.287.1
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:20.9-20.22.0

 


SOYBEAN MEAL Futures:

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • SOYBEAN MEAL large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 134,714 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position lowering of -8,387 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 143,101 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 92.7 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 6.7 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 70.2 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Uptrend

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

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:33.041.68.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:9.768.94.5
– Net Position:134,714-157,28922,575
– Gross Longs:190,466239,91048,705
– Gross Shorts:55,752397,19926,130
– Long to Short Ratio:3.4 to 10.6 to 11.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):92.76.770.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:3.2-2.7-6.1

 


LIVE CATTLE Futures:

LIVE CATTLE Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • LIVE CATTLE large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 103,719 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position gain of 3,381 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 100,338 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 80.2 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 13.9 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 46.7 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Strong Uptrend

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

LIVE CATTLE Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:45.928.07.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:17.152.711.7
– Net Position:103,719-89,036-14,683
– Gross Longs:165,391100,64627,527
– Gross Shorts:61,672189,68242,210
– Long to Short Ratio:2.7 to 10.5 to 10.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):80.213.946.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:21.4-24.0-6.1

 


LEAN HOGS Futures:

LEAN HOGS Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • LEAN HOGS large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 6,451 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position fall of -9,721 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 16,172 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 30.5 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish with a score of 71.6 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 57.0 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Uptrend

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

LEAN HOGS Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:28.139.27.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:26.140.28.4
– Net Position:6,451-2,889-3,562
– Gross Longs:89,062124,19122,980
– Gross Shorts:82,611127,08026,542
– Long to Short Ratio:1.1 to 11.0 to 10.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):30.571.657.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):BearishBullishBullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-29.928.427.3

 


COTTON Futures:

COTTON Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • COTTON large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 100,682 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position rise of 19,741 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 80,941 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 99.0 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 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:43.330.36.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:13.064.92.5
– Net Position:100,682-114,93114,249
– Gross Longs:144,088100,80522,683
– Gross Shorts:43,406215,7368,434
– Long to Short Ratio:3.3 to 10.5 to 12.7 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):99.00.0100.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:46.7-46.943.6

 


COCOA Futures:

COCOA Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • COCOA large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of -20,234 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position boost of 3,409 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -23,643 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 3.0 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 96.5 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 46.3 percent.

Price Trend-Following Model: Weak Downtrend

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

COCOA Futures StatisticsSPECULATORSCOMMERCIALSSMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:23.251.25.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:33.342.14.7
– Net Position:-20,23418,2252,009
– Gross Longs:46,562102,50611,501
– Gross Shorts:66,79684,2819,492
– Long to Short Ratio:0.7 to 11.2 to 11.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):3.096.546.3
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bearish-ExtremeBullish-ExtremeBearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:-0.1-1.416.3

 


WHEAT Futures:

WHEAT Futures COT ChartPositioning Notes:

  • WHEAT large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of -16,668 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday.
  • Weekly Speculator position decrease of -17,534 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 866 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 85.3 percent.
  • The Commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 9.9 percent.
  • The Small Traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 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:29.731.68.7
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:33.529.76.8
– Net Position:-16,6688,4258,243
– Gross Longs:128,830137,09837,730
– Gross Shorts:145,498128,67329,487
– Long to Short Ratio:0.9 to 11.1 to 11.3 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):85.39.9100.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):Bullish-ExtremeBearish-ExtremeBullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:0.4-6.943.0

 


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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.