NYMEX natgas funds cut net short futures-CFTC

NEW YORK, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Noncommercial or speculative investment funds on the New York Mercantile Exchange decreased their net short exposure to natural gas futures by about 9,800 contracts for the week ended Dec. 30, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said on Monday.

The report showed funds holding 144,814 net short futures, down 9,799 contracts from the previous week's total of 154,613.

Noncommercial speculative traders decreased their total short futures exposure by 16,736 contracts to 217,141, while they trimmed 6,937 longs, decreasing total length to 72,327.

Fund net short futures only positions hit a record high of 177,606 in late September.

The largest net long futures only position ever held by funds was 55,495 in August 1999.

For the week ended Dec. 30, total natural gas futures open interest, or the number of longs or shorts outstanding, fell 17,121 contracts to 671,730.

In combined futures and options, the report showed funds added 10,313 contracts to their net short positions, increasing the total to 82,816.

Fund net short futures and options positions combined hit a record high 285,828 in early July. (Reporting by Eileen Moustakis; Editing by Walter Bagley)