VIX COT Report
The Commitment of Traders (COT) report shows how the largest traders are positioned in VIX 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 VIX 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 VIX positioning
In equity index futures, asset managers and dealers hedge exposure while leveraged funds trade direction, so an extreme in VIX speculative positioning often marks a sentiment extreme. VIX-futures positioning measures expected S&P volatility, with speculative net shorts reflecting the carry and short-volatility trade.
How to read the VIX COT report
In VIX, 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. Persistent large speculative shorts signal complacency and a crowded short-vol trade that can unwind violently in a shock. New to this? Start with how to read the COT report.
COTInsight scores VIX 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.
VIX COT report FAQ
Which CFTC report covers VIX?
VIX positioning comes from the CFTC Traders in Financial Futures (TFF) report, which splits VIX positioning into Dealer/Intermediary, Asset Manager, Leveraged Funds and Other Reportables. COTInsight reads it directly from the CFTC every week.
When is the VIX 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 VIX z-score, COT Index and regime the moment the data lands.
Is VIX 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 VIX. COTInsight scores this week's VIX 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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