Shorting futures – Varsity by Zerodha (2024)

We recommend reading this chapter on Varsity to learn more and understand the concepts in-depth.

Key takeaways from this chapter

  1. Shorting requires us to sell first and buy later.
  2. The short trade is profitable only when the closing price is lower than the entry price.
  3. There would be a loss when the price goes higher than the price at which one has shorted.
  4. The stop loss in a short trade is always higher than the price at which one has shorted.
  5. One can only short on an intraday basis in the spot market.
  6. The short positions cannot be carried overnight in the spot market.
  7. The short position in the futures market can be carried forward overnight.
  8. The margins requirement for both short and long trades are similar.
  9. The M2M computation is also similar for both short and long trades.
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  1. Shorting futures – Varsity by Zerodha (1)Amogh says:

    This was so helpful. Thanks a lot

    Reply

  2. Shorting futures – Varsity by Zerodha (3)Udhav says:

    Hi Karthik and Prateek.
    Quick Question – What if I short the futures of a company by using the overnight function because my initial intention was to hold my position for a few days; however, towards the end of the trading day (the same day I placed my short position) I decided to exit my position since I notice a significant profit/loss. Is there a way I would be able to exit my position on the same day even though I placed an overnight position and not intraday?

  3. Shorting futures – Varsity by Zerodha (5)Chetan says:

    Hi Prakeek/Kartik,

    Why are futures some companies not available? Is there an option to short a stock that you know will fall in a few months time (for which the future contract is not available)?

    Reply

  4. Shorting futures – Varsity by Zerodha (6)KRISHNA says:

    can i sell the future stock first and then buy the stock after one week

    Reply

  5. Shorting futures – Varsity by Zerodha (8)Rohit says:

    Lets say I short a futures contract trading $120 (spot trading at $100) when the futures is in contango and I exit it on expiry when futures’ price approaches spot and lets say at the time of expiry spot is still at $100.
    1. Will I be at a profit of $20 now? because futures’ price approaches spot on expiry be it in contango or backwardation
    2. Does this mean futures’ sellers have an edge over buyers when in contango? (which is usually the case)

    Reply

    • Shorting futures – Varsity by Zerodha (9)Karthik Rangappa says:

      1) Yes, thats right.
      2) Hmm, not really. If the spot is not priced in correctly, then the spot can also catch up with the futures right?

      Reply

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Shorting futures – Varsity by Zerodha (2024)

FAQs

Shorting futures – Varsity by Zerodha? ›

On the trading platform when you are required to short, all you need to do is highlight the stock (or futures contract) you wish to short and press F2 on your trading platform. Doing so invokes the sell order form; enter the quantity and other details before you hit Submit.

Is short selling allowed in Zerodha? ›

One can only short on an intraday basis in the spot market. The short positions cannot be carried overnight in the spot market. The short position in the futures market can be carried forward overnight.

Can I short a futures contract? ›

Key Takeaways

A futures contract allows an investor to speculate on the direction of a security, commodity, or financial instrument, either long or short, using leverage.

Does Zerodha have futures trading? ›

If you have a directional view on an assets price, you can financially benefit from it by entering into a futures agreement. To transact in a futures contract, one needs to deposit a token advance called the margin.

Can you short futures in India? ›

SEBI (Reuters)

The markets regulator further informed that all stocks that trade in the futures and options segment are eligible for short-selling. Short selling refers to the practice of selling a stock that the seller does not currently own at the moment of the transaction.

How much money is required for short selling? ›

To make the trade, you'll need cash or stock equity in that margin account as collateral, equivalent to at least 50% of the short position's value, according to Federal Reserve requirements. If this is satisfied, you'll be able to enter a short-sell order in your brokerage account.

What is the penalty for short selling? ›

This can lead to extra payment by the Exchange to purchase the shares of the sellers. The extra expenses are to be paid by the person who has defaulted by short delivery. Apart from the extra expenses, the defaulter also has to bear the penalty of . 05% of the value of the stock on per day basis.

Which broker allow short selling? ›

Interactive Brokers is the best broker for short selling real stocks in India in 2024 - Extremely low fees. Wide range of products. Many great research tools. TradeZero - Commission-free stock and ETF trading above a certain volume.

What is the t1 rule in Zerodha? ›

With T+1 settlement, if you buy shares on Monday, they will be credited to your demat account on Tuesday, the next day itself. So on Day 2, also called T+1, the settlement is due to the exchange.

Can you trade futures with less than 25k? ›

A pattern day trader who executes four or more round turns in a single security within a week is required to maintain a minimum equity of $25,000 in their brokerage account. But a futures trader is not required to meet this minimum account size.

Can I sell futures without buying? ›

Since a futures contract is an obligation in the future, a trader can sell contracts without buying contracts first. Traders who sell more contracts than they buy have a short futures position, while traders who buy more contracts than they sell have a long futures position.

Can you hold a futures contract forever? ›

Futures contracts have a limited lifespan that will influence the outcome of your trades and exit strategy. The two most important expiration terms are expiration and rollover.

Does Zerodha charge for futures and options? ›

Zerodha F&O Charges

Zerodha Futures brokerage charge is flat Rs 20 per executed order or 0.03% (whichever is lower). Options charges are flat Rs 20 per executed order. You also have to pay taxes like STT, Transaction Fee, GST, SEBI charges, and Stamp Duty.

What is the margin for futures in Zerodha? ›

Pay 20% upfront margin of the transaction value to trade in cash market segment. Investors may please refer to the Exchange's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) issued vide notice no.

Can we trade F&O in Zerodha? ›

Resident individuals can activate equity, currency and commodity F&O online by following these steps: Login to console.zerodha.com. Click on Account. Click on Segment.

How do you short in F&O? ›

To understand it we have to look at what “ short selling” means. When a trader is expecting the stock prices to fall, he may sell the stock without owning that and buy at a lower price, for example, stock XYZ is trading at 100, a trader sells the stocks at Rs 100 and buys it back at Rs 90.

Which broker allows short selling in India? ›

Interactive Brokers is the best broker for short selling real stocks in India in 2024 - Extremely low fees. Wide range of products. Many great research tools. TradeZero - Commission-free stock and ETF trading above a certain volume.

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