COT High/Low

COT stands for Commitment Of Traders and comes in two variations: COT High and COT Low.

It's important not to confuse this indicator with the reports published by the CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission), which also provides weekly reports on the positions of large market participants, including major speculators and hedgers. The CFTC's report is also known as COT, and you can find more information about it on their official website at https://www.cftc.gov/MarketReports/CommitmentsofTraders/index.htm

COT High (COT Low) measures the cumulative bid/ask Delta from the point where the price hits a new high (low) or revisits a previous one. It's a valuable tool for assessing the balance between buying and selling activity after a new price level is reached.

Think of a new high (low) as a market test, with COT High (COT Low) serving as the market's response. If the market rejects the new higher (lower) price, you'll observe a negative COT High (COT Low) as the price falls (rising). However, if the price remains high (low), and COT High (COT Low) is negative but increasing in magnitude, it indicates strong support from buy limit orders (sell limit orders).

COT High (CH) and COT Low (CL) on the ES chart in Quantower