Cotton Starting Off Monday with Losses

Price Movement - Cotton prices decreased by 8 to 14 points in most contracts on Monday morning, following a loss of 25 to 61 points in the previous Friday's close, with December down 54 points last week [1] - As of October 25, Cotton closed at 64.94 cents, down 25 points, while December 25 Cotton closed at 66.29 cents, down 61 points [4] Market Influences - The US dollar index increased by $0.334 to $97.305, and crude oil futures fell by $0.93, contributing to the pressure on cotton prices [1] Trading Activity - The CFTC Commitment of Traders report showed that managed money reduced their net short positions in cotton futures and options by 9,844 contracts, bringing the total to 59,061 contracts as of September 16 [2] Export Data - USDA reported upland cotton export business at 3.973 million running bales (RB), which is an 18% decrease from the previous year, representing 36% of the USDA projection and lagging behind the 52% average sales pace [3] Price Indices - The Cotlook A Index decreased by 45 points to 78.65 cents on September 18, while the USDA's Adjusted World Price (AWP) increased by 69 points to 54.79 cents per pound [4] - On September 18, ICE cotton stocks remained steady with certified stocks at 15,474 bales [4]