Commitment of Traders (COT)
A weekly CFTC report showing the aggregate positions of commercial hedgers and non-commercial speculators in US futures markets — a key sentiment gauge.
Formula
Net Commercial Position = Long Contracts (Commercial) − Short Contracts (Commercial)
The Commitment of Traders (COT) report is published by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) every Friday afternoon (covering positions as of the prior Tuesday). It disaggregates open interest in futures markets into three categories: commercial hedgers, non-commercial (large speculators), and non-reportable (small traders).
Traders use the COT as a sentiment and positioning gauge. When large speculators are at extreme net-long or net-short positions (relative to historical ranges), it signals potential for a reversal as those participants are crowded and vulnerable to forced covering.
The Legacy COT covers futures only; the Disaggregated COT breaks down commercials into producers/merchants/processors and swap dealers; the Financial Traders COT focuses on financial futures.
Example
COT shows speculators are net long 250,000 WTI crude contracts — near a 5-year high. When macro sentiment shifts bearish, this crowded long position accelerates the selloff as speculative longs liquidate simultaneously, amplifying the downside move.
Related Terms
Gold
The premier precious metal and safe-haven asset, priced in $/troy oz on COMEX and driven by real interest rates, dollar strength, and risk sentiment.
BeginnerWTI Crude
West Texas Intermediate crude oil — the US benchmark grade traded on NYMEX, priced in $/barrel and settled at Cushing, Oklahoma.
Beginner