The COT Report: What You Need to Know

The COT report is a weekly report released by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) that details the positions of commercial traders in the commodities market. The report is divided into three sections: currencies, interest rates, and metals. The report is important because it can be used to identify potential price movements in the commodities market. For example, if the report shows that commercial traders are increasing their short positions in a particular commodity, it may be a sign that the price of that commodity is about to decline.

-What is the COT report?

The COT report is a weekly report released by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). It shows the open interest for each futures contract on a variety of commodities exchanges. The report is released every Friday afternoon, and covers the previous week’s trading.

The COT report is a valuable tool for traders, as it can give them an idea of where the market is heading. For example, if there is a large increase in open interest for a particular contract, it could indicate that there is a strong demand for that commodity. This could lead to prices rising in the future.

Similarly, if there is a large decrease in open interest, it could indicate that demand is waning and prices may fall. The COT report can therefore be used as a leading indicator for price movements.

In addition to showing the open interest for each contract, the COT report also breaks down the positions held by commercial and non-commercial traders. Commercial traders are typically large institutions that use futures to hedge their exposure to the underlying commodity. Non-commercial traders are generally smaller investors that trade for speculative purposes.

The COT report can be a useful tool for traders to get an idea of how these two groups are positioned. If commercial traders are net-long (have more long positions than short positions), it could be a bullish sign for prices. Conversely, if commercial traders are net-short, it could be a bearish sign.

The COT report is just one of many tools that traders can use to make informed decisions. It should be used in conjunction with other technical and fundamental analysis.

-What information is included in the COT report?


The COT report, or the Commitment of Traders report, is a weekly report released by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) that shows the positions of large traders in the futures market. The report is released every Friday afternoon and covers the previous week’s trading activity.

The report breaks down large traders into three categories: commercial, non-commercial, and other reportables. Commercial traders are typically large hedgers who use the futures market to offset their exposure to the underlying commodity. Non-commercial traders are typically speculators who trade for their own account. Other reportables include traders who don’t fit into either of the previous two categories.

The report also shows the net position of each category of trader. The net position is the difference between the total number of long contracts and the total number of short contracts. A long contract is a contract to buy the underlying commodity, while a short contract is a contract to sell the underlying commodity.

The COT report can be used to gauge the market sentiment of large traders. A large increase in the net position of commercial traders is often seen as a bullish signal, as it indicates that hedgers are buying more contracts than they are selling. A large increase in the net position of non-commercial traders is often seen as a bearish signal, as it indicates that speculators are selling more contracts than they are buying.

The COT report can also be used to identify potential turning points in the market. A sudden change in the net position of one or more categories of traders can be an early sign that the market is about to move in a different direction.

The COT report is a valuable tool for any trader who wants to get an insight into the market sentiment of large traders.

-How can the COT report be used?


The COT report is a weekly report released by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission that breaks down the open interest for futures contracts on a number of commodities. While the report is released every Friday, it covers data from the previous Tuesday.

The report is divided into two sections: one for commercial traders and one for non-commercial traders. Each section is further divided into long and short positions. The commercial traders are generally the ones actually producing or using the commodity, while the non-commercial traders are generally speculators.

The open interest is the number of open contracts for a particular commodity. It is important to note that each contract is for a specific delivery month. So, for example, the December crude oil contract will be different from the January crude oil contract.

The open interest can be a useful indicator of market sentiment. If the open interest is rising, it means that more people are trading the contract and that the market is becoming more bullish. If the open interest is falling, it means that fewer people are trading the contract and that the market is becoming more bearish.

The COT report can also be useful in identifying potential trend changes. If the commercial traders are increasing their long positions while the non-commercial traders are decreasing their short positions, it could be a sign that the market is about to turn bullish. Conversely, if the commercial traders are decreasing their long positions while the non-commercial traders are increasing their short positions, it could be a sign that the market is about to turn bearish.

Of course, it is important to remember that the COT report is just one indicator and should not be used in isolation. It is always best to use a combination of indicators to get a more complete picture of what is happening in the market.