The New York Board of Trade's key December cotton contract increased 0.24 cent to end at 52.11 cents a lb, moving from 51.90 to 52.70 cents. It was an inside day as the range held within Monday's 51.57 to 52.75 cents band.
March added 0.29 cent to 54.78 cents and the rest gained from 0.15 to 0.60 cent.
Keith Brown, president of commodity firm Keith Brown and Co. in Moultrie, Georgia, said the lingering failure of cotton to race past the Friday high of 52.80 cents has served to discourage a further advance in fiber contracts.
He said cotton could face further pressure due to the harvest of a huge US cotton crop and if the US Department of Agriculture's weekly export sales report showed slow US cotton sales.
"I expect more downward pressure with the door open a bit more for a test of the next all-important level of 50 (cents, basis December)," said a report by Sharon Johnson, cotton expert for First Capitol Group in Atlanta, Georgia.
"Mills purchasing new crop (cotton) are being 'stand-offish' at this level, indicating lower levels are needed to stimulate their appetite," Johnson said, adding speculative fund accounts "are already nervous about the break in cotton and additional weakness in other commodities is only adding to their discomfort."
Futures began slightly firmer and gradually built on its gains before faltering when small speculators liquidated after the December contract stalled short of the 52.80 cents level, traders said.
Brokers Flanagan Trading Corp. sees resistance in the December cotton contract at 52.50 and 53.05 cents, with support at 52.05 and 51.30 cents. Floor dealers said estimated final volume was 12,600 lots, down from Monday's tally of 22,547 lots. Open interest fell 1,310 lots to 116,155 contracts as of October 31.