Russell 2000 COT Report
The Commitment of Traders (COT) report shows how the largest traders are positioned in Russell 2000 futures each week. The CFTC splits open interest into speculators (managed money) and commercial hedgers, so you can see who is leaning which way. Tracking when Russell 2000 speculative positioning reaches an extreme, and how speculators line up against commercials, is one of the most widely followed sentiment tools in futures.
What drives Russell 2000 positioning
In equity index futures, asset managers and dealers hedge exposure while leveraged funds trade direction, so an extreme in Russell 2000 speculative positioning often marks a sentiment extreme. Russell 2000 positioning is a clean small-cap risk gauge, driven by domestic growth, credit conditions and rates.
How to read the Russell 2000 COT report
In Russell 2000, read the 52-week z-score by trader type, since asset-manager hedges and leveraged-fund directional bets move differently: a high positive net reading is crowded long, a deeply negative one crowded short. The positioning regime distinguishes a trending tape from a stretched, reversal-prone one. Crowded shorts can fuel sharp squeezes on a risk-on turn, so read negative extremes with the credit backdrop. New to this? Start with how to read the COT report.
COTInsight scores Russell 2000 on nine analytical layers every week, the moment the CFTC data lands: the 52-week z-score, the 3-year COT Index, regime classification, price-versus-positioning divergence, open-interest trend and more, with up to ten years of history so you can see how today compares to every prior extreme.
Russell 2000 COT report FAQ
Which CFTC report covers Russell 2000?
Russell 2000 positioning comes from the CFTC Traders in Financial Futures (TFF) report, which splits Russell 2000 positioning into Dealer/Intermediary, Asset Manager, Leveraged Funds and Other Reportables. COTInsight reads it directly from the CFTC every week.
When is the Russell 2000 COT report updated?
The CFTC releases the Commitments of Traders report every Friday at 3:30pm ET, reflecting positions as of the prior Tuesday. COTInsight recomputes the Russell 2000 z-score, COT Index and regime the moment the data lands.
Is Russell 2000 COT positioning bullish or bearish right now?
The COT report is a positioning and sentiment gauge, not a direct buy or sell signal: it shows whether speculators are crowded long or short in Russell 2000. COTInsight scores this week's Russell 2000 reading on a 52-week z-score, a 3-year COT Index and a positioning regime. Start a free 7-day trial to see the current reading.
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