ICE cotton futures found buyers heading into Christmas, with contracts closing 23 to 35 points higher on Wednesday. Crude oil futures rose another 12 cents per barrel to $58.50. The US dollar index increased by 0.037 to 97.650. Markets will be closed on Thursday for Christmas and reopen on Friday morning.

According to Export Sales data for the week ending December 11, cotton export commitments totaled 6.183 million RB, which is 14% below last year. This is 54% of the USDA projection and lags the 72% average sales pace.

The Seam’s December 23 online auction showed sales of 24,874 bales at an average price of 59.80 cents per pound. The Cotlook A Index fell 20 points on December 23 to 73.50 cents. ICE certified cotton stocks declined by 796 bales on Tuesday due to decertification, leaving certified stocks at 11,600 bales. The Adjusted World Price was updated last Thursday to 49.99 cents per pound, down 40 points from the previous week.