VIX futures COT report: hedge fund and commercial positioning
Data updated October 6, 2026 (positions as of Tuesday)
VIX futures on Cboe, the market for expected S&P 500 volatility.
Leveraged funds (hedge funds and CTAs) held a net long position of 5,494 contracts in VIX futures (1.2% of open interest), near the most long of the past year.
Asset managers (pension funds, insurers, mutual funds) held a net short position of 80,614 contracts in VIX futures (18.3% of open interest), near the most short of the past year.
Dealers (banks and market makers) held a net long position of 71,707 contracts in VIX futures (16.3% of open interest), in the upper part of its one-year range.
Positions this week
| Group | Net contracts | % of OI | 1 week | 4 weeks | Index 52W | Index 3Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leveraged funds | 5,494 | 1.2% | 12,961 | 28,764 | 95 | 96 |
| Asset managers | -80,614 | -18.3% | -14,114 | -43,201 | 0 | 0 |
| Dealers | 71,707 | 16.3% | 1,743 | 18,813 | 79 | 84 |
Open interest 441,261 contracts. Report of October 6, 2026 (Traders in Financial Futures, futures only).
Net positions, three years
Questions
Are hedge funds long or short VIX futures?
Leveraged funds (hedge funds and CTAs) held a net long position of 5,494 contracts in VIX futures (1.2% of open interest), near the most long of the past year. Report of October 6, 2026.
What is the COT report?
The Commitments of Traders is a weekly CFTC report of open positions in US futures markets, split by type of trader. It reflects positions as of Tuesday and is published on Friday afternoon. Commodity markets use the Disaggregated report (producers, swap dealers, managed money); financial futures use the Traders in Financial Futures report (dealers, asset managers, leveraged funds).
What is the COT index?
It places the latest net position between the lowest (0) and highest (100) of a look-back window, here 52 weeks and 3 years. Readings near 0 or 100 mean the group is at an extreme of its recent range; they describe positioning and do not predict prices on their own.
Related
Source: CFTC Commitments of Traders (Traders in Financial Futures, futures only). Figures are historical and descriptive; they are not forecasts and not investment advice. MEDGE Capital does not recommend buying or selling any instrument. Risk disclaimer.