A demat account is not required for futures and options trades; instead, a brokerage account is required. Opening an account with a broker who will trade on your behalf is the best option.
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) both provide derivatives trading (BSE). Over 100 equities and nine key indices are available for futures and options trading on the NSE. Futures tend to move faster than options since they are the derivative with the most leverage. A futures contract’s maximum period is three months. Traders often pay only the difference between the agreed-upon contract price and the market price in a typical futures and options transaction. As a result, you will not be required to pay the actual price of the underlying item.
Commodity exchanges such as the National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) and the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) are two of the most popular venues for futures and options trading (MCX). The extreme volatility of commodity markets is the rationale for substantial derivative trading. Commodity prices can swing drastically, and futures and options allow traders to hedge against a future drop.
Simultaneously, it enables speculators to profit from commodities that are predicted to increase in value in the future. While the typical investor may trade futures and options in the stock market, commodities training takes a little more knowledge.
Is it legal to trade futures in India?
Futures trading is prohibited by SEBI. goods produced by agriculture Agricultural commodity futures trading. India’s Securities and Exchange Board.
To trade futures in India, how much money do you need?
To trade futures, how much money do I need? Margin is required when trading futures contracts. The amount of margin will be determined by the size of the stake. To place a trade, however, most brokers will require at least 10% advance margin.
How can I get started with futures trading?
Open a trading account with a broker who specializes in the markets you want to trade. A futures broker will most likely inquire about your investment experience, income, and net worth. These questions are meant to help you figure out how much risk your broker will let you take on in terms of margin and positions.
Is trading in futures risky?
They are riskier than guaranteed fixed-income investments, much like equity investments. However, many people believe that trading futures is riskier than trading stocks because of the leverage inherent in futures trading.
What is the procedure for purchasing future shares?
Purchasing and selling futures contracts is similar to purchasing and selling a number of units of a stock on the open market, but without the need to take immediate delivery.
The level of the index moves up and down in index futures as well, reflecting the movement of a stock price. As a result, you can trade index and stock contracts in the same way that you would trade stocks.
How to buy futures contracts
A trading account is one of the requirements for stock market trading, whether in the derivatives area or not.
Another obvious prerequisite is money. The derivatives market, on the other hand, has a slightly different criteria.
Unless you are a day trader using margin trading, you must pay the total value of the shares purchased while buying in the cash section.
You must pay the exchange or clearing house this money in advance.
‘Margin Money’ is the term for this upfront payment. It aids in the reduction of the exchange’s risk and the preservation of the market’s integrity.
You can buy a futures contract once you have these requirements. Simply make an order with your broker, indicating the contract’s characteristics such as theScrip, expiration month, contract size, and so on. After that, give the margin money to the broker, who will contact the exchange on your behalf.
If you’re a buyer, the exchange will find you a seller, and if you’re a selling, the exchange will find you a buyer.
How to settle futures contracts
You do not give or receive immediate delivery of the assets when you exchange futures contracts. This is referred to as contract settlement. This normally occurs on the contract’s expiration date. Many traders, on the other hand, prefer to settle before the contract expires.
In this situation, the futures contract (buy or sale) is settled at the underlying asset’s closing price on the contract’s expiration date.
For instance, suppose you bought a single futures contract of ABC Ltd. with 200 shares that expires in July. The ABC stake was worth Rs 1,000 at the time. If ABC Ltd. closes at Rs 1,050 in the cash market on the last Thursday of July, your futures contract will be settled at that price. You’ll make a profit of Rs 50 per share (the settlement price of Rs 1,050 minus your cost price of Rs 1,000), for a total profit of Rs 10,000. (Rs 50 x 200 shares). This figure is adjusted to reflect the margins you’ve kept in your account. If you make a profit, it will be added to the margins you’ve set aside. The amount of your loss will be removed from your margins if you make a loss.
A futures contract does not have to be held until its expiration date. Most traders, in practice, exit their contracts before they expire. Any profits or losses you’ve made are offset against the margins you’ve placed up until the day you opt to end your contract. You can either sell your contract or buy an opposing contract that will nullify the arrangement. Once you’ve squared off your position, your profits or losses will be refunded to you or collected from you, once they’ve been adjusted for the margins you’ve deposited.
Cash is used to settle index futures contracts. This can be done before or after the contract’s expiration date.
When closing a futures index contract on expiry, the price at which the contract is settled is the closing value of the index on the expiry date. You benefit if the index closes higher on the expiration date than when you acquired your contracts, and vice versa. Your gain or loss is adjusted against the margin money you’ve already put to arrive at a settlement.
For example, suppose you buy two Nifty futures contracts at 6560 on July 7. This contract will end on the 27th of July, which is the last Thursday of the contract series. If you leave India for a vacation and are unable to sell the future until the day of expiry, the exchange will settle your contract at the Nifty’s closing price on the day of expiry. So, if the Nifty is at 6550 on July 27, you will have lost Rs 1,000 (difference in index levels – 10 x2 lots x 50 unit lot size). Your broker will deduct the money from your margin account and submit it to the stock exchange. The exchange will then send it to the seller, who will profit from it. If the Nifty ends at 6570, though, you will have gained a Rs 1,000 profit. Your account will be updated as a result of this.
If you anticipate the market will rise before the end of your contract period and that you will get a higher price for it at a later date, you can choose to exit your index futures contract before it expires. This type of departure is totally dependent on your market judgment and investment horizons. The exchange will also settle this by comparing the index values at the time you acquired and when you exited the contract. Your margin account will be credited or debited depending on the profit or loss.
What are the payoffs and charges on Futures contracts
Individual individuals and the investing community as a whole benefit from a futures market in a variety of ways.
It does not, however, come for free. Margin payments are the primary source of profit for traders and investors in derivatives trading.
There are various types of margins. These are normally set as a percentage of the entire value of the derivative contracts by the exchange. You can’t purchase or sell in the futures market without margins.
Why are futures preferable to stocks?
Futures are significant tools for hedging and managing various types of risk. Foreign-trade companies utilize futures to manage foreign exchange risk, interest rate risk (by locking in a rate in expectation of a rate drop if they have a large investment to make), and price risk (by locking in prices of commodities such as oil, crops, and metals that act as inputs). Futures and derivatives help to improve the efficiency of the underlying market by lowering the unanticipated costs of buying an item outright. Going long in S&P 500 futures, for example, is far cheaper and more efficient than buying every company in the index.
What is an example of future trading?
Commodity futures trading is very common. When someone buys a July crude oil futures contract (CL), they are promising to buy 1,000 barrels of oil at the agreed price when the contract expires in July, regardless of the market price at the time. Similarly, the seller agrees to sell the 1,000 barrels of oil at the agreed-upon price. The original seller will deliver 1,000 barrels of crude oil to the original buyer unless either party trades their contract to another buyer or seller by that date.
Is it possible to keep Nifty Futures?
Because the Nifty is fairly indicative of the market and the economy in general, investing in Nifty futures is a typical proxy for trading the market as a whole. Nifty futures are simply Nifty futures contracts. The Nifty’s minimum lot size is 75 units, putting the lot value at just over Rs.7.50 lakhs. What are the best strategies for trading Nifty futures and how do you trade Nifty futures? Let’s go over some key points to keep in mind as we learn how to trade Nifty futures intraday and in the long run.
Futures typically trade at a discount to spot prices. The monthly spread over the spot price is established by the current cost of funds under normal circumstances. Futures typically quote at a premium to the cost of carry, which is also known as the cost of carry. There are two things to keep in mind here. If Nifty futures are trading at a significant premium over the spot index, it could be a sign of overpricing and overconfidence. Also, don’t buy when the Nifty futures are trading at a discount, as this could indicate strong futures selling. Before trading Nifty futures, you need understand the spread’s logic.
Nifty futures, like all futures contracts, are leveraged. Your margin is roughly 10% for normal trading and 5% for MIS (intraday) deals when you buy one lot of Nifty in the next month. That means a conventional trade is 10 times leveraged, whereas intraday trades are 20 times leveraged. This is true in both directions. Profits can be multiplied by leverage, but losses can be multiplied as well. As a result, any trading in Nifty futures must follow rigorous stop-loss and profit-target guidelines.
Before buying Nifty futures, it’s always a good idea to undertake some scientific data research. A brief examination of the Nifty futures open interest and accumulation trends will reveal if the open interest is rising on the long or short side. You can gain a better understanding of the Nifty’s direction.
Because the Nifty futures is one of the most liquid products, liquidity is never a huge issue, but there are times when the Nifty futures might get you into a liquidity bind. To begin with, after the rollovers are significantly finished on the expiry day, the volumes on the Nifty futures usually vanish. Furthermore, in a market that is rapidly declining, spreads can widen dramatically, increasing your risk when trading Nifty futures.
Buying or selling Nifty futures is a linear position since it can result in endless profits and losses on both sides. When trading the Nifty, stop losses are essential, but one must also be aware of the margins. To begin, you must pay an initial margin, which includes the VAR and ELM margins, at the time of taking the position. Brokers must now collect both of these margins, and ELM is no longer an option. Second, you must pay MTM (mark to market) margins based on price change on a daily basis. These have an impact on your capital allocation.
Even if you place stop losses throughout the day, they will not cover the danger you face overnight. What do you do, for example, if you are long on Nifty Futures and the Nifty drops 200 points on opening owing to a Dow crash? Stop losses don’t operate in Nifty futures, so you’re exposed to overnight risk.
This is an intriguing feature of trading Nifty futures. When you buy Nifty futures, another party is selling, and when you sell Nifty futures, the same rationale applies. The other party could be a trader or a hedger, and open interest data will provide you with the information you require. While your Nifty view is typically what drives you, it is always beneficial to comprehend the opposing view because it can help you clarify your Nifty vision. When dealing in Nifty Futures, there are eight factors to keep in mind.
When trading Nifty futures, keep in mind that you are risking real money, thus three factors are crucial. For starters, futures do not pay dividends, hence dividends cause futures to trade at a discount. Consider this when making a decision. Second, there are brokerage and statutory charges to consider when trading Nifty futures. This has an impact on your breakeven point. Finally, because Nifty futures are classified as securities for tax purposes, any profit or loss will be treated as a capital gain or loss, with the corresponding tax implications.
Is it lucrative to trade F&O?
The value of futures and options is determined by the underlying, which might be a stock, index, bond, or commodity. For the time being, let’s concentrate on stock and index futures and options. The value of a stock future/option is derived from a stock such as RIL or Tata Steel. The value of an index future/option is derived from an underlying index such as the Nifty or the Bank Nifty. F&O volumes in India have increased dramatically in recent years, accounting for 90 percent of total volumes in the industry.
F&O, on the other hand, has its own set of myths and fallacies. Most novice traders consider F&O to be a less expensive way to trade stocks. Legendary investors like Warren Buffett, on the other hand, have referred to derivatives as “weapons of mass destruction.” The truth, of course, lies somewhere in the middle. It is feasible to benefit from online F&O trading if you master the fundamentals.
1. Use F&O as a hedge rather than a trade.
This is the fundamental principle of futures and options trading. F&O is a margin business, which is one of the reasons retail investors get excited about it. For example, you can buy Nifty worth Rs.10 lakhs for just Rs.3 lakhs if you pay a margin of Rs.3 lakhs. This allows you to double your money by three. However, this is a slightly risky approach to employ because, just as gains can expand, losses in futures might as well. You’ll also need enough cash to cover mark-to-market (MTM) margins if the market moves against you.
To hedge, take a closer look at futures and options. Let’s take a closer look at this. If you bought Reliance at Rs.1100 and the CMP is Rs.1300, you may sell the futures at Rs.1305 and lock in a profit of Rs.205 by selling the futures at Rs.1305 (futures generally price at a premium to spot). Now, regardless of how the price moves, you’ve locked in a profit of Rs.205. Similarly, if you own SBI at Rs.350 and are concerned about a potential fall, you can hedge by purchasing a Rs.340 put option at Rs.2. You are now insured for less than Rs.338. You record profits on the put option if the price of SBI falls to Rs.320, lowering the cost of owning the shares. By getting the philosophy correct, you can make F&O operate effectively!
2. Make sure the trade structure is correct, including strike, premium, expiration, and risk.
Another reason why traders make mistakes with their F&O deals is because the trade is poorly structured. What do we mean when we say a F&O trade is structured?
Check for dividends and see if the cost of carry is beneficial before buying or selling futures.
When it comes to trading futures and options, the expiration date is quite important. You can choose between near-month and far-month expiration dates. While long-term contracts can save you money, they are illiquid and difficult to exit.
In terms of possibilities, which strike should you choose? Options that are deep OTM (out of the money) may appear to be cheap, but they are usually worthless. Deep ITM (in the money) options are similar to futures in that they provide no additional value.
Get a handle on how to value alternatives. Based on the Black and Scholes model, your trading terminal includes an interface to determine if the option is undervalued or overvalued. Make careful you acquire low-cost options and sell high-cost options.
3. Pay attention to trade management, such as stop-loss and profit targets.
The last item to consider is how you handle the trade, which is very important when trading F&O. This is why:
The first step is to put a stop loss in place for all F&O deals. Keep in mind that this is a leveraged enterprise, thus a stop loss is essential. Stop losses should ideally be included into the trade rather than added later. Above all, Online Trading requires strict discipline.
Profit is defined as the amount of money you book in F&O; everything else is just book profits. Try to churn your money quickly since you can make more money in the F&O trading company if you churn your capital more aggressively.
Keep track of the greatest amount of money you’re willing to lose and adjust your strategy accordingly. Never put more money on the table than you can afford to lose. Above all, stay out of markets that are beyond your knowledge.
F&O is a fantastic online trading solution. To be lucrative in F&O, you only need to take care of the three building components.
How do you make money using futures?
Futures are traded on margin, with investors paying as little as ten percent of the contract’s value to possess it and control the right to sell it until it expires. Profits are magnified by margins, but they also allow you to gamble money you can’t afford to lose. It’s important to remember that trading on margin entails a unique set of risks. Choose contracts that expire after the period in which you estimate prices to peak. If you buy a March futures contract in January but don’t expect the commodity to achieve its peak value until April, the contract is worthless. Even if April futures aren’t available, a May contract is preferable because you can sell it before it expires while still waiting for the commodity’s price to climb.