Commitment of Traders reports are the wrong tool for a scalper

[Shadow Trader]

The weekly report shows how large speculators, commercial hedgers and others are positioned in currency futures. It has genuine value for people who hold positions for weeks or months, and it's free, which is probably why it gets mentioned so often.

For a scalper, it's a snapshot from a different universe. The data is published with a lag of days, covers only futures, and reflects positions built up over long periods. Nothing in it says what the next five minutes will do, and nothing in it can be acted on at that speed.

It can still be useful as background, a way of knowing whether the big players are leaning heavily in one direction before a major event. Used that way, it frames the day without picking any entries.

Does anyone with a very short horizon find a use for it?