Leveraged funds covered equity and Bitcoin shorts, while asset managers reduced exposure. DXY saw the clearest bearish positioning shift.

The September 8 COT report shows asset managers adding Nasdaq, Dow and Russell 2000 exposure, while leveraged funds became more bearish across equities. Silver attracted new longs but grew increasingly crowded, Ether positioning weakened and the dollar remained net long.

The August 25 CFTC COT report shows Nasdaq positioning improving while leveraged funds added new S&P 500 shorts. Gold remained constructive but crowded, crypto positioning diverged, and leveraged-fund DXY exposure reached a one-year extreme.

The latest CFTC COT report reveals important positioning shifts across equity futures, gold, silver, crude oil, Bitcoin, Ether and the U.S. dollar. Here is what changed during the week of August 18, 2026, and where positioning has become historically crowded.

The August 14 CFTC COT report shows sharp leveraged-fund short covering in the S&P 500 but weaker Nasdaq and Russell 2000 positioning. Gold attracted new managed-money longs but remains crowded, while VIX, crude oil, crypto and DXY produced more divided signals.

The latest CFTC COT report shows increasingly defensive positioning in Nasdaq and Russell 2000 futures alongside a sharp rise in leveraged-fund VIX exposure. Gold remains constructive but crowded, while crypto and DXY show a more mixed positioning picture.