Perhaps the main feature in the cotton markets for the week ending Oct. 1 was the sensational advance in prices which occurred on Sept. 27. That day was the first day for the issuance of notices of deliveries to be made on October future contracts at the two future exchanges and it is reported that the notices issued were for more than 80,000 bales at New York and over 20,000 bales at New Orleans. However, in spite of these notices of heavy deliveries, the demand for October contracts during the day was such that the price at New York rose 13⁄4¢ per lb. and at New Orleans nearly 11⁄2¢ over the low point reached early in the morning.
The closing prices for October future contracts for that day were 21.03¢ at New York and 20.70¢ at New Orleans, or 143 points and 135 points, respectively, above the closing prices of the previous Saturday. The average price of middling in the 10 designated markets reached 20.89¢ per lb. on Sept. 27, or very nearly $5 per bale higher than at the close of the previous week.
TRADE APPREHENSIVE.
Only the better grades of cotton are deliverable on future contracts so that probably one of the main causes of the keen demand for October contracts was the apprehension that the present crop will not only be the smallest for many years but that it will also be of low grade, as is indicated by reports from some sections.
During the remainder of the week prices eased off somewhat under heavy hedge selling and liquidation by long interests, but indications were that the demand for future contracts, as well as for spot cotton during the entire week, was fully equal to the offerings. The end of the week found prices higher than those prevailing at the close of the previous week except for the prices for the more distant months, which were a few points lower.
The average price of Middling as determined from the quotations of the 10 designated spot markets closed at 20.71¢ per lb. on Oct. 1, compared with 19.92¢ at the close of the previous week and 23.11¢ for the corresponding day in 1920.
Fluctuations in prices for futures ranged from a decline of 27 points for July future contracts at New York to an advance of 88 points for October futures in the same market. October futures on the New Orleans Cotton Exchange advanced 70 points. October future contracts on the Liverpool Cotton Association closed at 14.68d. per lb. on Sept. 30, compared with 14.16d. at the close of the previous week and 17.23d. for the corresponding day in 1920.
SPOT SALES LARGER.
Spot sales during the week at the 10 designated markets were much larger than they have been for any week this season. They amounted to 209,938 bales, compared with 155,954 the previous week and 96,095 bales for the corresponding week in 1920. On Sept. 28 the sales in the 10 markets were 59,929 bales, the largest single day’s sales for this season. The previous largest day’s sales for the season, involving 38,504 bales, occurred on Sept. 6. The total sales in the 10 designated markets from Aug. 1 to Oct. 1 were 980,146 bales, compared with 503,135 for the corresponding period last year. (Sales for 1920 exclude Dallas.)
SPOT COTTON QUOTATIONS.