Cotton futures settled easier Thursday on modest speculative sales but solid trade buying pared losses and some analysts believe the decline in values may be short-lived.
The New York Board of Trade's key March cotton contract fell 0.75 cent to end at 51.53 cents a lb, in a band from 51.40 to 52.60 cents. May lost 0.78 to 52.80 cents. Back months shed 0.45 to 0.89 cent.
Sharon Johnson, cotton expert for First Capitol Group in Atlanta, Georgia, said steady speculative sales dragged the market down, but losses were limited by trade accounts. "We ran into a wall of (trade) buying," she said.
She feels that cotton futures may slip further but the heavy amounts of trade buying will likely limit losses in the market and nudge it back up in the days ahead. "Cotton is well known for false breakouts to the downside," she said.
The benchmark March cotton contract had been pinned in a band from 52.05 to 53.45 cents, and several dealers said automatic sell-orders kicked into trading when the contract slipped below 52.05 cents.
"We should lose about 1.00 cent from 52.05, but there's pretty good business being done here which is a reason why we will not stay here long," one broker said.
Demand for cotton has been robust and this could be seen in the US Department of Agriculture's weekly export sales report.
USDA said US cotton sales reached 325,500 running bales (RBs, 500-lbs each), from last week's 380,200 RBs and trade belief it would range from 200,000 to 350,000 RBs. The bulk of the sales were to China at 265,100 RBs.
US cotton shipments of previously booked orders amounted to 138,000 RBs, down from last week's 180,800 RBs and analysts feel that is mainly due to the recent long holiday weekend.
Brokers Flanagan Trading Corp put resistance in the March contract at 52 and 52.45 cents, with support at 51.20 and 50.60 cents. Floor dealers said estimated final volume hit 17,000 lots, up from Wednesday's tally of 9,297 lots. Open interest rose 1,637 lots to 92,211 contracts as of November 30.