Cotton Futures Surge on Strong Export Sales Data

Cotton futures rallied on Feb. 20, 2026, with March contracts up 98 points to 62.91 cents and May contracts adding 148 points to 65.62 cents. The price increase followed a USDA report revealing net export sales of 466,253 running bales for the week ending Feb. 12, a marketing year high and the largest weekly sale since June 2023. Shipments, however, fell to a five-week low of 172,615 metric tons. ICE certified stocks rose by 2,382 bales to 119,457 bales on Feb. 19, while the Cotlook A Index settled at 73.70 cents. Crude oil futures declined 8 cents to $66.32, and the U.S. dollar index dropped to $97.695.