MDS / COT
COT - futures market positioning
What it measures
The CFTC's weekly report on positions held by participant categories. Managed Money is one category. Net equals long positions minus short positions. A change in Net is not the same as a change in Long alone.
Why traders follow it
Check both the position date and publication date. This is lagged context, not current order flow or an intraday signal. Futures positions do not describe the entire global spot gold market.
Check the country, period and source. A single value or regime label does not determine a trade's direction.
Official methodology