Cotton price today: trend, volatility and seasonality
Data updated October 13, 2026
80.80usd/lbs+0.36% today
Cotton last traded at 80.80 usd/lbs (close of October 13, 2026), up 25.2% year to date and up 26.8% over twelve months.
It is in an uptrend: both the price and its 50-day average are above the 200-day average, with the price 5.7% above that average.
Over the past 52 weeks it has ranged between 61.04 and 93.14; today's price sits at 61% of that range.
One-month volatility is 26% annualised, close to the middle of its historical range, and the largest fall from a high in the last year was 16.5%.
Returns by period
- 1W
- −0.9%
- 1M
- −6.4%
- 3M
- −0.4%
- 6M
- +5.2%
- Year to date
- +25.2%
- 1Y
- +26.8%
- 3Y
- —
- 5Y
- —
Spot price changes, close to close. They do not include the roll cost or carry of futures, which is what commodity ETFs earn.
Cotton price over five years
Trend and risk
- Trend (50/200-day)
- Uptrend
- vs 200-day average
- +5.7%
- RSI (14 days)
- 43
- Momentum 12-1
- +35.6%
- Volatility 1M
- 25.8%
- Volatility 1Y
- 22.5%
- Max drawdown 1Y
- −16.5%
- 52-week range position
- 61%
Futures positioning (CFTC COT)
Managed money (hedge funds and CTAs) held a net long position of 57,118 contracts in Cotton (14.9% of open interest), in the upper part of its one-year range. MEDGE reads this as “funds adding shorts”. Report of October 6, 2026.
Cotton COT report: positions, history and what followed extremes →
Questions
How has cotton performed this year?
As of October 13, 2026, Cotton is +25.2% year to date and +26.8% over the last twelve months, at 80.80 usd/lbs.
Is cotton above its 200-day moving average?
Yes: the price is 5.7% above its 200-day average of 76.20. With the 50-day average also above it, the trend reads as up.
How volatile is cotton?
Its one-month volatility is 25.8% annualised and one-year volatility 22.5%. Current volatility is at the 75th percentile of all one-month windows in the available history.
Are hedge funds long or short cotton?
Managed money (hedge funds and CTAs) held a net long position of 57,118 contracts in Cotton (14.9% of open interest), in the upper part of its one-year range. Figures from the CFTC Commitments of Traders report of October 6, 2026.
Related
Source: MarketStack commodity prices; CFTC Commitments of Traders (Disaggregated, 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.