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Aussie dollar short bets hit record, but it’s not from the hedge funds

Reported by Afr
Oct 27, 2026· 1 min read
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Key Takeaways
  • • Asset managers held a record short position in the Australian dollar worth $12.9 billion as of October 20, according to weekly US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) data cited by the Australian Financial Review.
  • • The record bearish positioning is driven by asset managers, not hedge funds, which the article reports still expect the Aussie to rally.
  • • The short build-up is linked to souring sentiment around artificial intelligence, which is weighing on the currency's outlook.
  • • The divergence between asset managers and hedge funds points to a sharp disagreement over the Australian dollar's direction.
Summary
Fund managers have built a record bet against the Australian dollar as sentiment toward artificial intelligence deteriorates, according to the Australian Financial Review. Weekly data from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) showed asset managers holding a record short position in the Aussie, worth $12.9 billion at October 20.

The positioning reflects a clear split among market participants. While asset managers have leaned heavily toward a weaker currency, hedge funds continue to expect the Australian dollar to rally. The article describes the situation as a high-stakes clash over the currency's outlook.

The publisher summary and available source material do not provide further detail on the specific AI-related developments driving the change in sentiment, nor on fund-level breakdowns or forward guidance from the managers involved.

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Sources

1 outlet

AlphaMaven summarised this story from the reporting below. Each link opens the original article.

Afr Aussie dollar short bets hit record, but it’s not from the hedge funds