{Speaking to a hall filled with traders hungry for clarity, Plazo Sullivan Roche Capital co-founder Joseph Plazo delivered a electric talk on the institutional footprint hidden in plain sight. 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.
“The markets talk. The COT is its confession,” he began, revealing 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.
Why Institutions Treat COT Like Gold
He illuminated the three tribes that define market structure:
Commercials, who move billions to manage real-world exposure
Large Speculators, who drive macro trends
Small Speculators, whose footprints often signal tops or bottoms
The secret, he said, is not the numbers—it’s the changes.
He shared how Plazo Sullivan integrates COT data into an AI system that detects:
Impending reversals
Institutional distribution
Crowded trade unwinds
“In markets,” he noted, “data is noise until someone gives it voice.” That voice is structure, positioning, and timing—three pillars he hammered repeatedly throughout the TED stage.
The Simple Framework That Levels the Field
He shared a simple but powerful method traders can use immediately:
Locate unprecedented imbalances
When commercials hit record longs or shorts, something big is brewing.
Monitor the unwind
Sharp changes often precede major breakouts.
Align bias with smart money
When funds load long into weakness, retail panic is often the entry signal.
“The COT website 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.”
Why COT Matters More in an AI-Driven Market
He closed 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 audience erupted.
A weekly PDF had just been transformed into a strategic weapon—thanks to Joseph Plazo’s mastery of markets and human behavior.