Benchmark cotton futures jumped on Tuesday to their highest since October 2014, as buy-stops exaggerated gains seen on a bullish technical outlook and low exchange inventories.
The most-active May cotton contract on ICE Futures US jumped to 64.74 cents a lb before closing up 1.21 cents, or 1.9 percent, at 64.53 cents a lb in heavy trade.
More than 45,000 contracts changed hands across the forward-curve, according to preliminary exchange data compiled by Reuters. That was almost double the average daily volume of about 24,000 lots.
Exchange stocks were unchanged at 10,685 bales on Monday, hovering near the lowest levels since late 2012, according to the most recent ICE data.
Sellers of the front-month March contract were said to be closing out positions, rather than preparing to deliver bales against the contract when it enters delivery notice period next week, due to good demand for high-grade cotton in the cash market.
"We know the fundamental picture, that's why the cash market is so strong. Now the chart is giving incentive for speculators to buy," said Ron Lawson, a partner at commodity investment firm Logic Advisors in Sonoma, California.
He said buying was triggered as prices climbed past previous highs.
The US dollar eased against a basket of major currencies, lending support to greenback-traded commodities as the dollar's recent rally has made them more expensive to holders of other currencies.
With the day's rally, the second-month climbed toward technically overbought territory. Its 14-day relative strength index rose to 69.064, its highest since January 2014.
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