Hedge funds and other portfolio managers ended the last week of 2023 with the most new bearish positions in futures and options contracts since March and the second-largest jump in weekly short additions since 2017. Money managers added some 61,000 short positions in Brent Crude and WTI Crude combined in the week to January 2, per data from the exchanges handling the trades. The latest Commitment of Traders reports show that speculators reduced their net long position – the difference between bullish and bearish bets – in ICE Brent over week to January 2 by 29,532 lots to 169,843 lots as of last Tuesday. “This move ... (full story)