Cotton price today: trend, volatility and seasonality
Data updated October 13, 2026
80.04usd/lbs−0.77% today
Cotton last traded at 80.04 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 over five years (start = 100)
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 80.04 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.