WTI Crude Oil COT Report — Futures Positioning
WTI Crude Oil futures · NYMEX · CFTC contract code 06765A
Latest positioning
Week ending 28 July 2026 · cut 281 on the week · open interest 212,110 (+9,135)
Net speculative position — last 52 weeks
The current reading sits in the 14th percentile of its 3-year range — over the past 3 years, the net position has been lower than it is now 14% of the time. A high reading means the position is crowded by its own historical standards; it is context, not a forecast.
All three cohorts
| Category | Net position | Week change |
|---|---|---|
| Large speculatorsFunds and managed money | +19,758 | -281 |
| CommercialsProducers, users and banks hedging physical exposure | +1,392 | +1,091 |
| Small tradersBelow the CFTC reporting threshold | -21,150 | — |
The three cohorts net to zero between them — every long has a short on the other side. Commercials being heavily short is normal for a produced commodity and is not a bearish view; it is a hedge against inventory they already own.
Weekly history
| Week ending | Specs net | Open interest |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Jul 2026 | +19,758 | 212,110 |
| 21 Jul 2026 | +20,039 | 202,975 |
| 14 Jul 2026 | +19,783 | 196,892 |
| 7 Jul 2026 | +20,922 | 193,493 |
| 30 Jun 2026 | +23,716 | 222,308 |
| 23 Jun 2026 | +20,974 | 218,740 |
| 16 Jun 2026 | +20,083 | 216,548 |
| 9 Jun 2026 | +19,500 | 209,220 |
| 2 Jun 2026 | +18,213 | 200,211 |
| 26 May 2026 | +25,666 | 228,086 |
| 19 May 2026 | +24,585 | 225,508 |
| 12 May 2026 | +23,348 | 222,402 |
| 5 May 2026 | +24,464 | 217,942 |
| 28 Apr 2026 | +26,708 | 239,741 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | +28,824 | 232,833 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | +27,208 | 226,616 |
| 7 Apr 2026 | +26,083 | 220,157 |
| 31 Mar 2026 | +27,118 | 235,004 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | +25,100 | 225,742 |
| 17 Mar 2026 | +31,502 | 213,364 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | +30,364 | 206,658 |
| 3 Mar 2026 | +32,899 | 188,874 |
| 24 Feb 2026 | +35,879 | 189,804 |
| 17 Feb 2026 | +32,863 | 176,823 |
| 10 Feb 2026 | +34,569 | 172,532 |
| 3 Feb 2026 | +44,123 | 167,458 |
| 27 Jan 2026 | +41,058 | 177,483 |
| 20 Jan 2026 | +38,693 | 170,314 |
| 13 Jan 2026 | +40,906 | 163,182 |
| 6 Jan 2026 | +47,131 | 153,565 |
| 30 Dec 2025 | +42,172 | 180,123 |
| 23 Dec 2025 | +42,022 | 174,882 |
| 16 Dec 2025 | +39,551 | 166,861 |
| 9 Dec 2025 | +38,317 | 163,099 |
| 2 Dec 2025 | +36,036 | 159,976 |
| 25 Nov 2025 | +33,088 | 176,638 |
| 18 Nov 2025 | +30,932 | 171,541 |
| 10 Nov 2025 | +32,982 | 163,973 |
| 4 Nov 2025 | +29,475 | 162,671 |
| 28 Oct 2025 | +28,191 | 170,277 |
| 21 Oct 2025 | +23,006 | 162,577 |
| 14 Oct 2025 | +20,737 | 160,571 |
| 7 Oct 2025 | +24,897 | 159,722 |
| 30 Sep 2025 | +28,377 | 173,720 |
| 23 Sep 2025 | +29,651 | 165,725 |
| 16 Sep 2025 | +29,091 | 163,603 |
| 9 Sep 2025 | +27,211 | 159,482 |
| 2 Sep 2025 | +29,319 | 155,964 |
| 26 Aug 2025 | +30,830 | 173,323 |
| 19 Aug 2025 | +32,169 | 170,923 |
| 12 Aug 2025 | +32,062 | 169,490 |
| 5 Aug 2025 | +30,820 | 167,430 |
Source: CFTC Commitments of Traders (Legacy, futures only) — a US government work, public domain. Positions are measured Tuesday and published the following Friday at about 15:30 ET, so this report is always at least three days behind the market. Positioning describes how traders are placed; it is not a forecast.