{Before an audience of curious investors, Atty. Joseph Plazo delivered a immersive talk on the one market report almost nobody studies properly. He argued that the COT, when decoded correctly, is nothing less than a market x-ray—a transparent look into the intentions of the world’s most powerful traders.
“If you want to predict price, follow positioning,” he began, unpacking how Plazo Sullivan Roche Capital uses the report as a core element of its institutional models.
Most retail traders, he noted, chase indicators—they react. Professionals study posture—they anticipate. The COT is posture.
The Smart Money Tells Its Story Here
Plazo explained the three tribes that define market structure:
Hedgers, who move billions to manage real-world exposure
Large Speculators, who drive macro trends
Retail traders, whose footprints often signal tops or bottoms
The magic is in the deltas.
He shared how Plazo Sullivan integrates COT data into an AI system that detects:
Macro build-ups
Smart money accumulation
Sentiment extremes
“In markets,” he noted, “data is noise until someone gives it voice.” That voice is structure, positioning, website and timing—three pillars he hammered repeatedly throughout the TED stage.
The Simple Framework That Levels the Field
He shared a three-step method traders can use immediately:
Spot positioning extremes
When commercials hit record longs or shorts, something big is brewing.
Monitor the unwind
Sudden flips often precede major breakouts.
Trade in harmony with institutions
When funds load long into weakness, retail panic is often the entry signal.
“The COT won’t tell you when to enter,” he said, “but it will reveal where the ocean is flowing. Your job is simply to surf the tide.”
Where Plazo Sullivan Is Taking This Next
Plazo concluded with a glimpse into the next evolution of analysis at Plazo Sullivan Roche Capital:
AI that reads the Commitment of Traders Report not as one snapshot, but as a story—a shifting orchestration of institutional intent.
He forewarned a future where retail traders who ignore positioning will continue to be fuel for institutional algorithms, but those who embrace structural tools like the COT will be able to compete with unprecedented clarity.
The hall rose to their feet.
A government-issued data sheet had just been transformed into a strategic weapon—thanks to Joseph Plazo’s mastery of markets and human behavior.