Speculators increase USD bets in latest week-CFTC

March 22 (Reuters) - Currency speculators increased their bets in favor of the U.S. dollar in the latest week to the largest since the week of July 17, according to data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission released on Friday.

The value of the dollar's net long position rose to $25.753 billion in the week ended March 19, from $25.46 billion the previous week.

U.S. dollar sentiment stayed positive as the world's largest economy continued to outperform most of the other major economies.

To be short a currency is to bet it will decline in value, while being long is a view its value will rise.

The Reuters calculation for the aggregate U.S. dollar position is derived from net positions of International Monetary Market speculators in the yen, euro, British pound, Swiss franc, Canadian and Australian dollars.

JAPANESE YEN (Contracts of 12,500,000 yen) 10,511,011,247.77

3/19/13 week 3/12/13 week

Long 55,408 51,240

Short 135,401 145,003

Net -79,993 -93,763

EURO (Contracts of 125,000 euros) 7,226,885,050.00

3/19/13 week 3/12/13 week

Long 48,958 57,473

Short 93,842 82,260

Net -44,884 -24,787

POUND STERLING (Contracts of 62,500 pounds sterling) 5,801,022,250.00

3/19/13 week 3/12/13 week

Long 39,048 28,833

Short 100,528 78,633

Net -61,480 -49,800

SWISS FRANC (Contracts of 125,000 Swiss francs) 1,451,885,496.99

3/19/13 week 3/12/13 week

Long 11,143 6,206

Short 22,139 19,694

Net -10,996 -13,488

CANADIAN DOLLAR (Contracts of 100,000 Canadian dollars) 6,363,822,326.13

3/19/13 week 3/12/13 week

Long 39,417 37,020

Short 104,748 90,417

Net -65,331 -53,397

AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR (Contracts of 100,000 Aussie dollars) -5,602,260,200.00

3/19/13 week 3/12/13 week

Long 100,998 77,746

Short 46,943 54,480

Net 54,055 23,266

MEXICAN PESO (Contracts of 500,000 pesos) -4,397,307,967.55

3/19/13 week 3/12/13 week

Long 132,936 120,476

Short 23,560 6,706

Net 109,376 113,770

NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR (Contracts of 100,000 New Zealand dollars) -1,028,603,880.00

3/19/13 week 3/12/13 week

Long 23,384 24,250

Short 10,907 4,900

Net 12,477 19,350