Kuala lumpur: Crude palm oil (CPO) futures on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives are projected to trade within the RM3,800 to RM3,900 per tonne range in the coming week, according to a trader.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Jim Teh, a senior palm oil trader at Interband Group of Companies, stated that these price levels are anticipated to attract physical buyers from several regions, including India, China, Pakistan, the Middle East, the European Union, and the United States. This demand is expected to help decrease Malaysia's current high physical inventory levels. Teh mentioned that if prices fall within this range, it would result in physical buyers being ready to purchase at these prices.

In contrast, David Ng, a Kuala Lumpur-based proprietary trader at Iceberg X Sdn Bhd, predicts that CPO futures will trade with a bullish bias. This outlook is based on the recent strength in exports and the expectation of weaker output in the upcoming weeks. Ng anticipates that prices will range between RM4,080 and RM4,200 per tonne next week.

The CPO futures market saw an increase on a Friday-to-Friday basis, with the February 2026 contract rising by RM71 to RM4,128 per tonne. The March 2026 contract increased by RM92 to RM4,164 per tonne, and the April 2026 contract gained RM96 to RM4,175 per tonne. Additionally, the May 2026 contract strengthened by RM90 to RM4,172 per tonne, the June 2026 contract climbed RM84 to RM4,161 per tonne, and the July 2026 contract stood at RM4,149 per tonne.

The weekly trading volume decreased to 333,697 lots from 539,268 lots the previous week, accompanied by a reduction in open interest to 228,950 contracts from 249,340 contracts. The new physical CPO price for January South also rose by RM90 to settle at RM4,140 a tonne.