Cotton futures experienced gains of 114 to 145 points on Thursday, with December 2024 cotton at 70 cents per pound, March 2025 at 71.55 cents, and May 2025 at 72.79 cents. Concurrently, the dollar index rose by 270 points to 101.26, adding pressure to the market, while crude oil futures increased by $1.15 per barrel.
The Export Sales data for the week ending August 22 revealed notable upland cotton sales of 135,187 running bales (RB), marking a marketing year high. Pakistan was the leading destination with 74,500 RB, followed by India with 17,800 RB. Shipments totaled 144,248 RB—down 14.56% from the previous week—primarily going to China (29,200 RB) and Vietnam (21,900 RB).
The Seam reported online cash sales of only 494 bales at an average price of 59.65 cents on Tuesday, while ICE cotton stocks remained unchanged at 266 bales as of August 28. The Cotlook A Index rose to 81.45 cents per pound, and the USDA Average World Price (AWP) increased by 55 points to 55.90 cents per pound for the week.
