Commitments of Traders (COT) Report Explained

1. What Is the COT Report?

Published every Friday afternoon by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Commitments of Traders (COT) Report provides a breakdown of aggregate open interest in U.S. futures and options markets as of the previous Tuesday's market close.

2. Key Trader Categories

• Commercial Traders (Hedgers): Physical commodity producers and institutional consumers (e.g. oil refiners, gold miners, airlines) who use futures to lock in operational prices. Generally smart-money contrarians who trade against market sentiment.
• Non-Commercial Traders (Large Speculators): Commodity Trading Advisors (CTAs), hedge funds, and quantitative trend-followers who trade for speculative capital appreciation.
• Non-Reportable (Small Speculators): Retail traders with smaller position sizes, frequently caught on the wrong side at major cycle turning points.

3. COT Positioning Extremes

Quantitative models calculate the COT Index (3-Year Percentile Rank) of Non-Commercial net positions. When large speculators reach extreme net-long positioning (> 95th percentile) or commercial hedgers reach record net-short exposure, the market is crowded and vulnerable to sharp trend reversals.