CFTC COT Report, Week to October 20, 2026: British Pound Net Speculative Position Rises 14k
Leveraged funds significantly increased their net long exposure to the British Pound last week, marking the largest shift in positioning. Across the board, speculative activity showed a mixed picture, with some currencies seeing net long positions grow or net shorts shrink, while others experienced the opposite.
In the British Pound, leveraged funds increased their net long position by 13.8k contracts, bringing their total net long to +24.1k. This move occurred while asset managers held a significant net short of -134.6k contracts.
Euro positioning saw leveraged funds’ net short position grow by 0.8k contracts, reaching -68.8k. This net short position is at the lower end of its 52-week range of -68.8k to +56.1k.
Leveraged funds further increased their net short in the Canadian Dollar by 3.0k contracts, pushing their net short to -91.1k. This position is near its 52-week extreme, which ranges from -102.5k to -31.7k.
Japanese Yen saw leveraged funds’ net short position shrink by 10.8k contracts, resulting in a net short of -22.9k. Asset managers, in contrast, maintained a net long position of +79.1k contracts.
The US Dollar Index saw leveraged funds increase their net long position by 1.1k contracts, bringing it to +3.2k. This net long position is near its 52-week range of -24.8k to +9.2k.
Open interest saw notable shifts, with British Pound contracts decreasing by 14.5k, while Japanese Yen contracts increased by 5.6k and New Zealand Dollar contracts rose by 6.3k.
The numbers, week to October 20, 2026
| Market | Leveraged funds net | Weekly change | Asset managers net | Legacy speculators net | Open interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Euro (EUR) | -68.8k | -0.8k | +190.4k | -134.5k | 878k |
| Japanese Yen (JPY) | -22.9k | +10.8k | +79.1k | +69.9k | 379k |
| British Pound (GBP) | +24.1k | +13.8k | -134.6k | -80.4k | 254k |
| Australian Dollar (AUD) | +52.5k | +1.9k | -128.7k | -127.3k | 333k |
| Canadian Dollar (CAD) | -91.1k | -3.0k | -5.4k | -74.7k | 384k |
| Swiss Franc (CHF) | -13.6k | +1.3k | -25.5k | -18.1k | 136k |
| New Zealand Dollar (NZD) | -19.3k | -7.7k | -49.3k | -58.1k | 131k |
| Mexican Peso (MXN) | +63.8k | +0.3k | -24.1k | +17.0k | 278k |
| US Dollar Index (USD) | +3.2k | +1.1k | +17.0k | +15.0k | 49k |
Data: CFTC Traders in Financial Futures (futures only) and legacy Commitments of Traders reports. Net = long contracts minus short contracts. Positioning describes the state of the futures market, it is not trading advice.