Producer/Merchant/Processor/User
Mining companies, refiners, jewelers, and others tied to physical gold; they mostly hedge to manage business risk.
Managed Money
Hedge funds and professional traders betting on price direction.
Swap Dealers
Banks and institutions, often hedging customer trades or OTC positions.
Other Reportables
Large traders like prop desks and family offices that don’t fit other categories.
Non-Reportables
Smaller players, including retail traders.
Hedged / Hedging
Taking positions that offset risk from other exposures. For example, shorting futures to protect against losses if other holdings are long.
Source: CFTC Disaggregated COT (Futures & Options Combined). Contract size: 100 troy ounces.