# Cot Contrarian Detector

Detect crowded speculative positioning in CFTC futures markets (COT report analysis) to...

- Repository: https://github.com/tradermonty/claude-trading-skills (3536 stars)
- Category: Engineering
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-11-01
- Runs scripts: yes, review before use

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add tradermonty/claude-trading-skills --skill cot-contrarian-detector -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add tradermonty/claude-trading-skills --skill cot-contrarian-detector -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add tradermonty/claude-trading-skills --skill cot-contrarian-detector -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add tradermonty/claude-trading-skills --skill cot-contrarian-detector -g -a gemini-cli -y`

## Description

Detect crowded speculative positioning in CFTC futures markets (COT report analysis) to find contrarian setups using Jason Shapiro's methodology. Screens large-speculator ("non-commercial") net positioning across 65 futures markets (indices, rates, FX, metals, energy, crypto) via the FMP Commitment of Traders API, computes a 3-year and 26-week COT Index per market, and classifies extremes as CROWDED_LONG / CROWDED_SHORT. Use when the user asks about COT report analysis, crowded positioning, "who is trapped", speculative positioning extremes, contrarian futures setups, or wants to run Jason Shapiro-style analysis. This skill automates crowding DETECTION only (step 1 of 5), it does not generate trade signals by itself.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# COT Contrarian Detector

## Overview

Implements step 1 of Jason Shapiro's COT (Commitment of Traders) contrarian
process: detect when large speculators are crowded into one side of a futures
market. Crowded positioning is a *precondition* for a contrarian trade, not a
trade signal, a market only becomes tradable once crowding is confirmed by a
news failure and price-action reversal (steps 2-3), which this skill guides
the user through manually.

**Core thesis (Shapiro):** Large speculators (hedge funds, CTAs, momentum
traders) tend to be maximally positioned at trend exhaustion, not trend
inception. When they are already crowded onto one side, the next big move is
statistically more likely to run them over than to reward them further. Fade
the *speculators*, not the commercials (commercials hedge for structural
reasons and are not a crowd-psychology signal).

## When to Use This Skill

**English:**
- "What markets are the speculators crowded into right now?"
- "Run a COT report analysis" / "Show me COT positioning extremes"
- "Is anyone 'trapped' in gold / the dollar / bonds right now?"
- User wants to find contrarian futures setups
- User asks for a Jason Shapiro-style COT screen

**Japanese:**
- 「COTレポートで買われすぎ・売られすぎのポジションを調べて」
- 「投機筋が偏っている市場は？」
- 「ジェイソン・シャピロ式の逆張り分析をして」

**Do NOT use when:**
- The user wants a trade signal right now, crowding alone is not
  actionable; see Guardrails below
- The user is asking about individual equities, COT reports cover CFTC
  futures markets only (indices, rates, FX, metals, energy, agri, crypto),
  not single stocks

## Prerequisites

The rest: https://github.com/tradermonty/claude-trading-skills/blob/HEAD/skills/cot-contrarian-detector/SKILL.md