Currency speculators increased bets against the US dollar, according to data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission released on Friday. The value of the dollar's net short position rose to $13.55 billion in the week ended August 16 from $11.6 billion a week earlier.
Speculators turned bullish on the euro, with net longs of 6,726 contracts. But they turned bearish on the pound with net short positions of 3,096 contracts. To be short a currency is to bet it will decline in value, while being long a currency is a bet its value will rise.