Cotton Mostly Weaker on Friday

Group 1 - Cotton futures are experiencing steady trade with losses ranging from 20 to 32 points in the front months on Friday [1] - Crude oil prices increased by $2.51 to reach $98.09, while the US dollar index decreased by $0.267 to 99.345 [1] Group 2 - Total cotton export commitments stand at 9.354 million RB, reflecting a 9% decrease from the previous year, which is 83% of the USDA's forecast and below the 96% average pace of the last five years [2] - Cotton shipments are at 5.303 million RB, which is 5% lower than a year ago and represents 47% of the USDA export estimate, lagging behind the 52% average shipping pace [2] Group 3 - The Seam reported sales of 3,286 bales on March 19, averaging 65.60 cents per pound [3] - The Cotlook A Index remained steady at 79.35 cents on Thursday [3] - ICE certified cotton stocks were unchanged at 115,640 bales as of March 18 [3] - The Adjusted World Price increased by 2.72 cents to 54.22 cents per pound on Thursday [3] - May 26 Cotton is priced at 67.35 cents, down 32 points; July 26 Cotton is at 69.36 cents, down 25 points; December 26 Cotton is at 71.99 cents, unchanged [3]