19 Jan 2015
Specs keep adding to aggregate USD longs - TDS
FXStreet (Bali) - According to the latest CFTC Commitments of Traders Report, for the week ending Tuesday, January 13th, speculative accounts continued to add to aggregate USD long positioning.
Key Quotes
"The latest IMM data showed that speculative accounts continued to add to aggregate USD long positioning in the week through January 13th. The overall implied USD long position amassed versus the major currencies totaled USD49.0bn in the past week—the largest ever by our reckoning—which represents a net increase of USD2.5bn over the prior week and a USD12bn bump from the mid-December total."
"Short EUR and JPY positioning (equating to USD24bn and USD10bn) account for the bulk of the overall bull bet on the USD still. Net EUR shorts rose to –167.8k contracts in the latest week, from –161.4k in the prior week. Net JPY short contracts rose to –94.6k contracts, from –90.0k. Net short GBP positioning rose quite sharply this week also, however, with the total net bet against the pound by speculative accounts rising to –37.1k contracts (from –25.5k in the prior week). This is the biggest bet against the GBP since August last year."
"Elsewhere, investors continued to build short positions in the CHF—a very costly decision, in the light of the SNB’s decision to pull-out of supporting the EURCHF floor last week; net short CHF positions rose to –26.4k contracts, the biggest net short in the Swissie since August last year."
"Commodity currency positioning saw little change in the NZD (-1.7k contract net short), a small reduction in the net AUD positioning (-45.3k, from –48.6k) and a bump up in net short CAD exposure (-21.1k contracts, from –17.0k in the January 6th week). Investors cut net short MXN exposure back to –54.3k contracts, from –64.4k this week, however, despite the slide in oil prices."
Key Quotes
"The latest IMM data showed that speculative accounts continued to add to aggregate USD long positioning in the week through January 13th. The overall implied USD long position amassed versus the major currencies totaled USD49.0bn in the past week—the largest ever by our reckoning—which represents a net increase of USD2.5bn over the prior week and a USD12bn bump from the mid-December total."
"Short EUR and JPY positioning (equating to USD24bn and USD10bn) account for the bulk of the overall bull bet on the USD still. Net EUR shorts rose to –167.8k contracts in the latest week, from –161.4k in the prior week. Net JPY short contracts rose to –94.6k contracts, from –90.0k. Net short GBP positioning rose quite sharply this week also, however, with the total net bet against the pound by speculative accounts rising to –37.1k contracts (from –25.5k in the prior week). This is the biggest bet against the GBP since August last year."
"Elsewhere, investors continued to build short positions in the CHF—a very costly decision, in the light of the SNB’s decision to pull-out of supporting the EURCHF floor last week; net short CHF positions rose to –26.4k contracts, the biggest net short in the Swissie since August last year."
"Commodity currency positioning saw little change in the NZD (-1.7k contract net short), a small reduction in the net AUD positioning (-45.3k, from –48.6k) and a bump up in net short CAD exposure (-21.1k contracts, from –17.0k in the January 6th week). Investors cut net short MXN exposure back to –54.3k contracts, from –64.4k this week, however, despite the slide in oil prices."