Apex Macro Research

CFTC Positioning Dashboard

An institutional view of who is long, who is short, where positioning is crowded, and whether futures behavior confirms or conflicts with price. Includes net spec, asset manager, hedge fund/leveraged money, retail/non-reportable, commercial/dealer, open interest, gross crowding, z-score, percentile, and week-over-week change lenses.

Assets Covered16
CFTC Range2026-05-26 to 2026-05-26
Core LensAsset Managers + Hedge Funds

Most Crowded Long

Highest 3-year percentile for Asset Manager + Leveraged Money net positioning.

5-Year Treasury Notes100.0%Copper96.2%2-Year Treasury Notes94.9%

Most Crowded Short

Lowest 3-year percentile for Asset Manager + Leveraged Money net positioning.

Natural Gas2.6%Russell 20003.2%Japanese Yen12.8%

Price / Positioning Confirmation

Assets where 13-week price action and institutional/HF positioning are moving together.

S&P 5009.5% price / 8.1K posCrude Oil69.6% price / 12.2K posCopper7.5% price / 19.5K posUS Dollar2.4% price / 6.3K pos

Definitions And How To Read The Deck

Plain-English translation of the CFTC labels used throughout the dashboard.

Net Speculative / Non-Commercial

Legacy COT non-commercial long contracts minus short contracts. In TFF markets, this deck uses asset managers + leveraged money + other reportables as the broad speculative proxy.

Institutional/HF Net

Asset manager net plus leveraged money net. For physical commodity disaggregated reports where asset-manager categories are not published, this becomes managed money net.

Asset Manager Net

Asset manager long contracts minus short contracts in the CFTC Traders in Financial Futures report. Think pensions, mutual funds, insurance, and real-money allocators.

Leveraged Money Net

Leveraged money long contracts minus short contracts. This is the hedge fund / CTA / fast-money proxy in the TFF report, and managed money in physical commodity disaggregated reports.

Retail / Non-Reportable Net

Non-reportable long contracts minus short contracts. This is the small-trader proxy, not literal brokerage retail flow.

%OI

Net position divided by total open interest. This normalizes contract counts across assets with different market sizes.

Gross %OI

Long plus short exposure divided by open interest. High gross exposure means the trader group is very active even if net exposure is near zero.

3Y Percentile

Where the latest reading sits versus its own trailing three-year history. 80+ is crowded high; 20 or lower is crowded low.

1Y Z-Score

Latest reading minus its one-year average, divided by its one-year volatility. This flags unusually large positioning states.

COT Index

A 0-100 location of the current net position within its rolling range. It is another way to identify crowding.

Price / Positioning Confirmation

Price and positioning are confirming when both move in the same direction over 13 weeks. Divergence can flag fading conviction or contrarian accumulation.

Cross-Asset Dashboard

One table for the portfolio meeting: price move, open interest, institutional positioning, crowding, and confirmation state.

AssetLatest DatePrice 13WOI 13WInst/HF %OIInst/HF 3Y %ileInst/HF 13WAsset Manager NetLev Money NetCOT ReadPressure Read
S&P 5002026-05-269.5%3.8%26.1%48.1%8.1K1.0M-457.8KBalancedTrend Confirmed
Nasdaq 1002026-05-2620.3%12.0%11.0%41.0%-19.4K85.1K-51.7KBalancedPrice Up / Positioning Fading
Russell 20002026-05-2610.5%7.2%-17.5%3.2%-93.7K-6.1K-68.2KCrowded ShortPrice Up / Positioning Fading
Natural Gas2026-05-26-4.8%1.3%-8.2%2.6%-58.6Kn/a-134.4KCrowded ShortRisk-Off Confirmation
Crude Oil2026-05-2669.6%-4.7%4.0%30.1%12.2Kn/a79.9KShort TiltTrend Confirmed
Gold2026-05-26-12.8%-15.9%27.6%30.1%1.5Kn/a97.4KShort TiltBuying Into Weakness
Silver2026-05-26-11.8%-18.9%9.9%22.4%1.5Kn/a10.1KShort TiltBuying Into Weakness
Copper2026-05-267.5%1.9%26.5%96.2%19.5Kn/a70.5KCrowded LongTrend Confirmed
Bitcoin2026-05-2618.3%-5.6%-19.8%51.3%-1.8K4.4K-8.6KBalancedPrice Up / Positioning Fading
US Dollar2026-05-262.4%61.3%8.6%48.7%6.3K16.2K-12.5KBalancedTrend Confirmed
Euro FX2026-05-26-1.1%-9.6%33.6%28.8%-154.9K269.9K7.3KShort TiltRisk-Off Confirmation
Japanese Yen2026-05-26-2.3%15.6%-30.2%12.8%-133.9K-58.7K-70.5KCrowded ShortRisk-Off Confirmation
VIX2026-05-26-13.0%7.0%12.7%73.7%2.2K-367.049.3KLong TiltBuying Into Weakness
2-Year Treasury Notes2026-05-26-1.0%6.9%4.4%94.9%227.9K2.0M-1.8MCrowded LongBuying Into Weakness
5-Year Treasury Notes2026-05-26-2.3%-7.2%9.3%100.0%327.6K2.7M-2.1MCrowded LongBuying Into Weakness
10-Year Treasury Notes2026-05-26-3.1%4.8%1.0%66.7%-108.6K2.1M-2.0MLong TiltRisk-Off Confirmation

Weekly And Tactical Highlights

Largest one-week positioning moves, plus the 4-week and 13-week context that separates noise from a real allocation shift.

AssetWoW Inst/HF4W Inst/HF13W Inst/HF13W PriceRead
10-Year Treasury Notes-250.2K-97.5K-108.6K-3.1%Risk-Off Confirmation
5-Year Treasury Notes70.5K374.9K327.6K-2.3%Buying Into Weakness
S&P 500-58.0K-41.5K8.1K9.5%Trend Confirmed
2-Year Treasury Notes-43.3K-3.2K227.9K-1.0%Buying Into Weakness
Natural Gas-38.1K-37.2K-58.6K-4.8%Risk-Off Confirmation
Japanese Yen-22.4K-26.9K-133.9K-2.3%Risk-Off Confirmation
Crude Oil-18.3K-407.012.2K69.6%Trend Confirmed
Nasdaq 100-13.5K-9.4K-19.4K20.3%Price Up / Positioning Fading
Euro FX-9.9K-25.3K-154.9K-1.1%Risk-Off Confirmation
VIX-4.8K2.9K2.2K-13.0%Buying Into Weakness

Full Metric Library

Expanded institutional table: price, open interest, net contracts, percent of open interest, percentiles, z-scores, long/short ratios, and gross crowding.

AssetLatest DateLatest PricePrice 4WPrice 13WOpen InterestOI 4WOI 13WOI 26WNonComm NetNonComm %OINonComm 3Y %ileInst/HF NetInst/HF %OIInst/HF 1Y ZInst/HF 3Y %ileInst/HF WoWInst/HF 4WInst/HF 13WAsset Manager NetLev Money NetRetail NetRetail %OIRetail 3Y %ileCommercial NetCommercial 3Y %ileNonComm L/SAsset Mgr L/SLev Money L/SBroad Spec Gross %OIInstitutional/HF Gross %OI
S&P 5002026-05-26750.65.5%9.5%2.1M6.8%3.8%1.1%566.1K27.0%49.4%545.8K26.1%0.3048.1%-58.0K-41.5K8.1K1.0M-457.8K110.9K5.3%72.4%-677.0K48.7%1.665.990.25109.4%103.3%
Nasdaq 1002026-05-26730.311.1%20.3%303.0K9.8%12.0%2.1%38.4K12.7%36.5%33.4K11.0%-0.8941.0%-13.5K-9.4K-19.4K85.1K-51.7K6.6K2.2%46.2%-45.0K62.8%1.273.630.51105.5%101.4%
Russell 20002026-05-26290.56.1%10.5%424.7K3.1%7.2%15.8%-74.7K-17.6%5.8%-74.3K-17.5%-1.063.2%-4.8K-28.9K-93.7K-6.1K-68.2K5.8K1.4%37.8%68.8K95.5%0.750.960.48123.2%118.3%
Natural Gas2026-05-2610.95.6%-4.8%1.6M3.9%1.3%9.8%-203.2K-12.4%1.3%-134.4K-8.2%-2.392.6%-38.1K-37.2K-58.6Kn/a-134.4K13.0K0.8%28.8%-10.7K82.7%0.53n/a0.5740.5%30.2%
Crude Oil2026-05-26137.0-1.9%69.6%2.0M-0.7%-4.7%6.0%161.0K8.0%28.2%79.9K4.0%0.4130.1%-18.3K-407.012.2Kn/a79.9K34.5K1.7%84.0%366.1K99.4%1.74n/a1.6629.7%16.0%
Gold2026-05-26414.0-1.9%-12.8%353.5K-4.3%-15.9%-18.4%154.3K43.6%11.5%97.4K27.6%-0.9230.1%3.9K7.7K1.5Kn/a97.4K31.5K8.9%67.9%-19.5K94.9%4.32n/a4.6369.9%42.7%
Silver2026-05-2669.75.3%-11.8%101.7K0.5%-18.9%-29.6%22.2K21.8%14.7%10.1K9.9%-0.9422.4%-1.5K-551.01.5Kn/a10.1K18.7K18.3%54.5%-19.5K90.4%3.11n/a2.5242.6%22.9%
Copper2026-05-2639.07.7%7.5%266.2K15.5%1.9%14.0%73.0K27.4%98.7%70.5K26.5%1.2896.2%-3.7K9.6K19.5Kn/a70.5K10.7K4.0%77.6%-110.9K1.9%3.24n/a5.6751.9%37.8%
Bitcoin2026-05-2675.8K-0.7%18.3%21.6K-0.3%-5.6%-17.7%-4.2K-19.4%47.4%-4.3K-19.8%0.9351.3%-142.0653.0-1.8K4.4K-8.6K108.00.5%21.8%4.1K53.8%0.723.720.35121.5%118.0%
US Dollar2026-05-2627.80.8%2.4%42.3K38.1%61.3%-10.4%5.4K12.8%61.5%3.6K8.6%1.1448.7%760.0-1.1K6.3K16.2K-12.5K1.6K3.7%82.7%-7.0K36.5%1.208.880.48143.6%131.3%
Euro FX2026-05-26107.3-0.6%-1.1%824.2K2.8%-9.6%-0.8%286.0K34.7%28.8%277.2K33.6%-1.7728.8%-9.9K-25.3K-154.9K269.9K7.3K36.1K4.4%48.1%-322.1K69.9%1.992.591.07104.7%99.9%
Japanese Yen2026-05-2657.60.2%-2.3%427.3K14.6%15.6%24.1%-80.4K-18.8%19.9%-129.3K-30.2%-2.0912.8%-22.4K-26.9K-133.9K-58.7K-70.5K7.0K1.6%78.8%73.4K71.8%0.720.540.55116.9%103.5%
VIX2026-05-2617.0-4.6%-13.0%384.6K6.1%7.0%-7.5%48.9K12.7%75.0%49.0K12.7%-0.2873.7%-4.8K2.9K2.2K-367.049.3K2.7K0.7%70.5%-51.6K23.7%0.731.010.5782.6%81.9%
2-Year Treasury Notes2026-05-26103.3-0.4%-1.0%5.0M4.7%6.9%8.8%324.8K6.5%94.9%218.7K4.4%1.0094.9%-43.3K-3.2K227.9K2.0M-1.8M54.6K1.1%0.6%-379.4K12.8%1.114.180.17126.3%115.8%
5-Year Treasury Notes2026-05-26107.1-0.8%-2.3%6.8M5.6%-7.2%-1.7%632.2K9.2%92.3%636.5K9.3%1.88100.0%70.5K374.9K327.6K2.7M-2.1M64.3K0.9%12.2%-696.5K26.9%1.163.410.18121.9%115.9%
10-Year Treasury Notes2026-05-26109.8-0.9%-3.1%6.3M16.4%4.8%3.5%167.2K2.7%43.6%64.4K1.0%0.3866.7%-250.2K-97.5K-108.6K2.1M-2.0M291.8K4.7%100.0%-459.0K3.2%1.053.330.17114.0%106.6%

S&P 500

Core US equity beta and the main risk-appetite reference line.

Latest CFTC Date2026-05-26

CFTC positioning is weekly, usually Tuesday data released Friday.

Inst/HF Net545.8K

Asset manager plus leveraged money net futures positioning.

Inst/HF 3Y Percentile48.1%

Where current positioning sits versus its own trailing 3-year range.

13W Price / Positioning9.5% / 8.1K

Trend Confirmed

No relative ratio is configured for this asset.

Nasdaq 100

Growth beta. The key chart overlays QQQ, QQQ/SPY, and Asset Manager + Leveraged Money net futures positioning.

Latest CFTC Date2026-05-26

CFTC positioning is weekly, usually Tuesday data released Friday.

Inst/HF Net33.4K

Asset manager plus leveraged money net futures positioning.

Inst/HF 3Y Percentile41.0%

Where current positioning sits versus its own trailing 3-year range.

13W Price / Positioning20.3% / -19.4K

Price Up / Positioning Fading

Russell 2000

Small-cap risk appetite and domestic cyclicality.

Latest CFTC Date2026-05-26

CFTC positioning is weekly, usually Tuesday data released Friday.

Inst/HF Net-74.3K

Asset manager plus leveraged money net futures positioning.

Inst/HF 3Y Percentile3.2%

Where current positioning sits versus its own trailing 3-year range.

13W Price / Positioning10.5% / -93.7K

Price Up / Positioning Fading

Natural Gas

Natural gas positioning and energy-volatility impulse before the broader crude oil complex.

Latest CFTC Date2026-05-26

CFTC positioning is weekly, usually Tuesday data released Friday.

Inst/HF Net-134.4K

Asset manager plus leveraged money net futures positioning.

Inst/HF 3Y Percentile2.6%

Where current positioning sits versus its own trailing 3-year range.

13W Price / Positioning-4.8% / -58.6K

Risk-Off Confirmation

No relative ratio is configured for this asset.

Crude Oil

Energy positioning, inflation impulse, and macro cyclicality.

Latest CFTC Date2026-05-26

CFTC positioning is weekly, usually Tuesday data released Friday.

Inst/HF Net79.9K

Asset manager plus leveraged money net futures positioning.

Inst/HF 3Y Percentile30.1%

Where current positioning sits versus its own trailing 3-year range.

13W Price / Positioning69.6% / 12.2K

Trend Confirmed

No relative ratio is configured for this asset.

Gold

Real-rate, dollar, and defensive-demand positioning.

Latest CFTC Date2026-05-26

CFTC positioning is weekly, usually Tuesday data released Friday.

Inst/HF Net97.4K

Asset manager plus leveraged money net futures positioning.

Inst/HF 3Y Percentile30.1%

Where current positioning sits versus its own trailing 3-year range.

13W Price / Positioning-12.8% / 1.5K

Buying Into Weakness

No relative ratio is configured for this asset.

Silver

Hybrid precious/industrial metal risk expression.

Latest CFTC Date2026-05-26

CFTC positioning is weekly, usually Tuesday data released Friday.

Inst/HF Net10.1K

Asset manager plus leveraged money net futures positioning.

Inst/HF 3Y Percentile22.4%

Where current positioning sits versus its own trailing 3-year range.

13W Price / Positioning-11.8% / 1.5K

Buying Into Weakness

Copper

Global growth and industrial-cycle positioning.

Latest CFTC Date2026-05-26

CFTC positioning is weekly, usually Tuesday data released Friday.

Inst/HF Net70.5K

Asset manager plus leveraged money net futures positioning.

Inst/HF 3Y Percentile96.2%

Where current positioning sits versus its own trailing 3-year range.

13W Price / Positioning7.5% / 19.5K

Trend Confirmed

Bitcoin

High-beta liquidity and speculative appetite proxy.

Latest CFTC Date2026-05-26

CFTC positioning is weekly, usually Tuesday data released Friday.

Inst/HF Net-4.3K

Asset manager plus leveraged money net futures positioning.

Inst/HF 3Y Percentile51.3%

Where current positioning sits versus its own trailing 3-year range.

13W Price / Positioning18.3% / -1.8K

Price Up / Positioning Fading

US Dollar

Dollar positioning and cross-asset liquidity pressure.

Latest CFTC Date2026-05-26

CFTC positioning is weekly, usually Tuesday data released Friday.

Inst/HF Net3.6K

Asset manager plus leveraged money net futures positioning.

Inst/HF 3Y Percentile48.7%

Where current positioning sits versus its own trailing 3-year range.

13W Price / Positioning2.4% / 6.3K

Trend Confirmed

No relative ratio is configured for this asset.

Euro FX

Euro futures positioning versus the dollar, useful for global liquidity and policy divergence reads.

Latest CFTC Date2026-05-26

CFTC positioning is weekly, usually Tuesday data released Friday.

Inst/HF Net277.2K

Asset manager plus leveraged money net futures positioning.

Inst/HF 3Y Percentile28.8%

Where current positioning sits versus its own trailing 3-year range.

13W Price / Positioning-1.1% / -154.9K

Risk-Off Confirmation

Japanese Yen

Yen positioning, carry pressure, and risk-off funding stress.

Latest CFTC Date2026-05-26

CFTC positioning is weekly, usually Tuesday data released Friday.

Inst/HF Net-129.3K

Asset manager plus leveraged money net futures positioning.

Inst/HF 3Y Percentile12.8%

Where current positioning sits versus its own trailing 3-year range.

13W Price / Positioning-2.3% / -133.9K

Risk-Off Confirmation

VIX

Volatility risk transfer. Extreme shorts can matter more than simple direction.

Latest CFTC Date2026-05-26

CFTC positioning is weekly, usually Tuesday data released Friday.

Inst/HF Net49.0K

Asset manager plus leveraged money net futures positioning.

Inst/HF 3Y Percentile73.7%

Where current positioning sits versus its own trailing 3-year range.

13W Price / Positioning-13.0% / 2.2K

Buying Into Weakness

No relative ratio is configured for this asset.

2-Year Treasury Notes

Front-end rate positioning tied to Fed policy expectations and curve repricing.

Latest CFTC Date2026-05-26

CFTC positioning is weekly, usually Tuesday data released Friday.

Inst/HF Net218.7K

Asset manager plus leveraged money net futures positioning.

Inst/HF 3Y Percentile94.9%

Where current positioning sits versus its own trailing 3-year range.

13W Price / Positioning-1.0% / 227.9K

Buying Into Weakness

No relative ratio is configured for this asset.

5-Year Treasury Notes

Intermediate-rate positioning and the belly of the curve.

Latest CFTC Date2026-05-26

CFTC positioning is weekly, usually Tuesday data released Friday.

Inst/HF Net636.5K

Asset manager plus leveraged money net futures positioning.

Inst/HF 3Y Percentile100.0%

Where current positioning sits versus its own trailing 3-year range.

13W Price / Positioning-2.3% / 327.6K

Buying Into Weakness

No relative ratio is configured for this asset.

10-Year Treasury Notes

Duration positioning. Price proxy uses the 10-year Treasury note futures contract.

Latest CFTC Date2026-05-26

CFTC positioning is weekly, usually Tuesday data released Friday.

Inst/HF Net64.4K

Asset manager plus leveraged money net futures positioning.

Inst/HF 3Y Percentile66.7%

Where current positioning sits versus its own trailing 3-year range.

13W Price / Positioning-3.1% / -108.6K

Risk-Off Confirmation

No relative ratio is configured for this asset.