NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Cotton prices climbed Friday as available supplies
dwindle.
Nearby cotton for October delivery settled 0.75 cent, or 1%, higher at 80.32
cents a pound on ICE Futures U.S. Most-active December cotton settled 0.63
cent, or 0.8%, higher at 75.34 cents a pound, its highest settlement in three
weeks.
Cotton is in the stretch of the year where few supplies are readily
available. That fact is exacerbated by the rebound in world textile demand in
the last year that accompanied world economic recovery. There is little cotton
left to back up contracts on the futures exchange, which leaves traders
uncertain whether ICE supplies--the fallback for cash market purchases--will be
available.
"The stock is so stressed and will continue to be drained," said Luis Rangel,
vice president for commodities derivatives at ICAP Futures in Jersey City, N.J.
ICE daily cotton stocks decreased by 20,393 500-pound bales Thursday to total
55,389 bales with 18,607 decertification orders, according to exchange data.
The cotton harvested from U.S. fields in the fall is likely already sold,
adding to uncertainty about the viability of ICE stocks as a last resort.
ICE cotton open interest--the number of active positions left at the end of
the session--increased by 2,771 positions Thursday to total 161,731, according
to the exchange.
Volume was estimated 16,965 lots. In options, approximately 4,123 calls and
1,502 puts traded on the floor, according to exchange data.
Close Change Range
Oct 80.32 +0.75 79.62-80.47
Dec 75.34 +0.63 74.51-75.54
Mar 74.14 +0.03 73.50-74.55