Inside the COT MindsetTEDTalk: Plazo’s Guide to Outsmarting the Markets

{Before an audience of curious investors, hedge fund strategist Joseph Plazo delivered a immersive talk on the data set that quietly moves global markets. 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.

“You cannot beat smart money unless you first understand what it sees,” 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 Power Behind the Report

He detailed the three tribes that define market structure:

Hedgers, who move billions to manage real-world exposure

Institutions, who drive macro trends

Leveraged novices, 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

Sentiment extremes

“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.

How Anyone Can Apply COT in Real Trading

He introduced a four-part method traders can use immediately:

Spot positioning extremes
When commercials hit record longs or shorts, something big is brewing.

Track weekly deltas
Violent swings often precede trend reversals.

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

He wrapped up with a glimpse into the next evolution of analysis at Plazo Sullivan Roche Capital:
AI that reads the Commitment of Traders get more info Report not as one snapshot, but as a story—a shifting orchestration of institutional intent.

He projected 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.