CNS Canada –– Speculators added to their net short positions in canola during the week ended Tuesday, according to the latest Commitment of Traders (CoT) report from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Managed money and other reportable speculators increased their net short position to roughly 29,400 contracts in canola during the reporting period, which compares with the net short of about 24,000 seen the previous week.
Long liquidation was minimal, with the creation of new shorts behind much of the move.
Read Also
U.S. grains: Wheat futures rise on supply snags in top-exporter Russia
U.S. wheat futures closed higher on Thursday on concerns over the limited availability of supplies for export in Russia, analysts said.
Increasing short positions are seen as a bet that prices will fall, which was evidenced by the continued declines in the futures during the week.
Meanwhile, commercials also put on new shorts, but also more new longs and grew their net long position by about 5,000 contracts, to 29,355.
Total open interest in the canola market increased by about 10,500 contracts compared to the previous week, to come in at 166,224 contracts.
At the Chicago Board of Trade, speculators increased their net short position in soybeans to about 41,000 contracts, from 30,000 the previous week.
Market participants usually follow the movements in the funds with interest, as large speculative positions have the potential to independently move the futures.
— Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Glacier FarmMedia company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.
