Group 1: Report Overview - Report Title: Commodity Quantitative CTA Weekly Tracking [1] - Report Date: March 17, 2026 [2] - Report Author: Guotou Futures Research Institute, Financial Engineering Group [2] Group 2: Industry Investment Rating - Not provided in the report Group 3: Core Viewpoints - The proportion of long positions in commodities decreased slightly this week, mainly due to the decline in the strength of agricultural product factors. The relatively strong sectors in the cross - section are energy - chemical and black, while the relatively weak one is the agricultural product sector. Short - term price - volume factors are highly volatile due to macro factors [3]. Group 4: Commodity Factor Analysis Overall Commodity Situation - The short - term cross - section differentiation of agricultural products narrowed, and short - term factors declined marginally. The short - term momentum of the chemical industry as a whole declined, with asphalt showing relatively little change. The short - term momentum of the black sector increased marginally, and iron ore was relatively strong in the cross - section. The short - cycle momentum differentiation of the non - ferrous sector expanded, and aluminum and tin were strong in the term structure. The time - series momentum of gold fluctuated within a narrow range, and the position factor of silver rebounded [3]. Factor Performance | Sector | Momentum Time - series | Momentum Cross - section | Term Structure | Position | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Black | 0 | 0.09 | 0 | - 0.08 | | Non - ferrous | 0.05 | - 0.21 | 0.52 | 1.13 | | Energy - chemical | - 0.02 | 0.18 | 0.37 | 0.69 | | Agricultural | 0.13 | 0.35 | 0.41 | - 0.19 | | Stock Index | - 0.71 | 0.46 | - 0.63 | 1.06 | | Precious Metals | 0.12 | | | 0.88 | [6] Group 5: Strategy Net Value and Fundamental Factor Analysis Methanol - In terms of strategy net value, the inventory factor weakened by 0.22%, the spread factor decreased by 0.21%, and the synthetic factor decreased by 0.23%. This week, the comprehensive signal turned neutral. On the fundamental factors, the import volume of methanol released a short signal on the supply side; the demand side was neutral to bearish; the inventory side turned bullish; the spread side was neutral to bullish [5]. Float Glass - Strategy net value: The supply factor strengthened by 0.02%, the demand factor increased by 0.21%, the inventory factor increased by 0.18%, the profit factor increased by 0.04%, and the synthetic factor increased by 0.17%. This week, the comprehensive signal was bearish. On the fundamental factors, the demand side turned neutral, the inventory side continued to be bearish, the profit side turned neutral, and the spread side was neutral to bearish [8]. Iron Ore - Strategy net value: The supply factor decreased by 0.79% last week, and the comprehensive factor weakened by 0.16%. This week, the comprehensive signal changed from neutral to bullish. The supply side signal changed from bearish to bullish, the demand side signal changed from bullish to bearish, the inventory side signal remained neutral, and the spread side signal turned bullish [8]. Aluminum - Strategy net value: Last week, the demand factor increased by 0.5%, the inventory factor strengthened by 0.59%, the spread factor decreased by 0.35%, and the synthetic factor strengthened by 0.15%. This week, the comprehensive signal remained bearish. The supply side signal remained neutral, the inventory side bearish signal weakened, and the spread side signal remained bullish [8].

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - The report focuses on the positioning and flows of Commodity Trading Advisors (CTAs) in various asset classes including equities, bonds, credit, and currencies. Core Insights and Arguments 1. **Equity Exposure Reduction** - CTAs are beginning to reduce their equity exposure, with potential sales of $80-$90 billion in a severe market downturn scenario (S&P down to 6200), an increase from the previously estimated $50-$60 billion [20][21][27]. 2. **Bond Positioning** - CTAs maintain a neutral stance on bonds, favoring long positions in the US belly of the curve while remaining bearish on EU, UK, Japan, and US back-end bonds [2][10][30]. 3. **Credit Market Sentiment** - There is a general bullish sentiment across credit markets, with particular risk noted in Itraxx indices [2][10]. 4. **Foreign Exchange Activity** - Trading activity in FX has been subdued, with CTAs favoring long positions in EMEA and Latam currencies while shorting USD and Asian currencies. Notably, CTAs are expected to turn net long on CNH against USD for the first time in months [3][10]. 5. **Commodity Market Dynamics** - The end of summer saw supportive conditions for commodities, with CTAs increasing their positions across all four cohorts. Anticipated buybacks in agricultural commodities are expected in the coming weeks [3][4]. 6. **Current Market Signals** - The current signals indicate a bullish outlook for stocks, credit, and precious metals, while being bearish on bonds and the USD [4][10]. Additional Important Insights 1. **Market Volatility and Uncertainty** - The macro and political uncertainty is influencing CTAs' strategies, particularly in the bond market where they are expected to be reactive to both positive and negative scenarios [2][30]. 2. **Potential Trades** - The report suggests potential trades based on momentum signals, indicating where CTAs are likely to add to their positions [11][13]. 3. **Expected Flows and Positions** - The report includes detailed figures on expected flows and positions across major markets, highlighting significant expected outflows in equities under adverse conditions [9][27]. 4. **Monitoring Levels** - Key levels to watch include the S&P 500 and UST 10-year yields, which are critical for assessing market movements and CTA positioning [4][30]. 5. **Long-term Projections** - The simulations provided in the report project various scenarios for the S&P 500 and UST 10-year yields, indicating a range of potential outcomes based on current market conditions [21][31]. This summary encapsulates the critical insights and data points from the conference call, providing a comprehensive overview of the current positioning and sentiment within the CTA landscape across various asset classes.