Futures Trading

As crypto futures trading gains traction in India, traders are departing from traditional strategies. Nischal Shetty of WazirX highlights the operational differences, benefits, and risks of futures

The NCDEX’s new ‘RainMumbai’ index will allow businesses and investors to hedge against monsoon risks by trading on rainfall variations.

Gold prices are down 10% since the onset of the US-Iran war towards the end of February. Analysts attribute the drop to rising interest rates, a stronger US dollar, and profit-taking among investors amid geopolitical tensions.

Silver prices increased by ₹6,911 to ₹2.26 lakh per kg on March 27, while gold rose by ₹1,997 to ₹1.41 lakh per 10 grams, influenced by global market gains and reduced US-Iran tensions, marking a recovery from previous declines.

Zerodha plans to increase brokerage charges for certain intraday derivatives traders from April 1, raising costs for active participants. Traders failing to meet the SEBI cash collateral requirement will incur a ₹40 charge per order, up from the previous ₹20 cap, amid tighter regulations.

Nifty’s February series rollover stood at 68.2%, falling below the previous expiry’s 70.8% and the three- and six-month averages of 70.6% and 75.6%, as the March series commenced with 142.73 lakh shares in open interest (OI), reflecting a decline of 31.54 lakh shares despite a 1% rise in prices.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced in the Budget a 150% hike in STT on futures sold, to 5 paise per rupee from the current 2 paise, on notional volumes.

SEBI data indicates retail investors lose $12 billion annually in F&O trading, primarily affecting 30–40-year-old males from small towns. Mukherjea emphasizes the need for policy changes to protect these investors from structural imbalances favoring institutional traders.