Why Different Stocks Have Different Lot Sizes in F&O | Angel One (2024)

Why Different Stocks Have Different Lot Sizes in F&O | Angel One (1)

Do you know the basic difference between futures and forwards? Futures represent an improvement over forwards in two ways. Firstly, futures are traded on a recognized stock exchange and hence are extremely liquid. More importantly, future are standardized while forwards are not standardized, which is why they are often referred to as over the counter (OTC) products. When we refer to futures as standardized what does it mean? One of the implications is that there is standardization of trading lots, strike prices, expiry. The market lot in India is also referred to as lot size and the lot size of the stock or the Nifty differs based on the current market price. The whole idea of lot sizes is about standardization. When a stock has a lot of size of 1000 shares, then trades can only be put in the system in multiples of 1000 shares. You cannot buy 500 shares nor can you buy 1500 shares in this case. You can either buy 1000 shares (1 lot), 2000 shares (2 lots) and so on. That is the concept of a market lot in Futures and options.

Remember, the concept of lot size is only applicable to stocks and indices that are included in F&O; not for others. Look at the live illustration below, which is a price snapshot of RIL August 2018 futures. The lot size of RIL has been circled. Since the Reliance Futures are current quoting at Rs.1123.60, the value of 1 lot of RIL will be Rs.11,23,600/-.

Why Different Stocks Have Different Lot Sizes in F&O | Angel One (2)

Effectively, when you buy and sell RIL futures or RIL options, your minimum order size has to be worth Rs.11,23,600/-. You really do not need to panic as this is the notional value of the contract and you will only be required to pay a margin of around 15% to 20% to initiate a buy or sell trade in the RIL stock futures.

How lot-sizes decided in the first place?

When futures were first introduced into India, the lot value was fixed at approximately Rs.2 lakhs. The idea back then was to keep the minimum investment at a slightly higher level so that retail investors are deterred from participating too aggressively in the F&O market. SEBI was always worried that too much retail participation in the F&O market would lead to unnecessary speculation and losses for small investors. While SEBI had initially fixed Rs.2 lakh as the indicative lot size, it was hiked to Rs.5 lakhs in the year 2015 with a view to discouraging retail investors from speculating in F&O. In fact, new additions to the F&O list are being included with a minimum lot value of Rs.7.50 lakh and there is a proposal to change the lot value to Rs.10 lakh so that only informed investors and traders actually trade in the F&O market. Most traders look at F&O not in terms of lot sizes but in terms of the margin requirement. When the Nifty lot value was at Rs.2 lakh, the initial margin required for 1 lot of Nifty was just about Rs.25,000 and that made it accessible to small traders. In most cases, they did not understand the actual implications of F&O and ended up with huge losses.

Are the lot values standardized at all times?

UnderlyingLot SizeCMP (11-May-2018)Lot Value
Nifty7511,095Rs.8.32 lakh
Bank Nifty4027,056Rs.10.82 lakh
ACC4001,297Rs.5.19 lakh
Britannia Industries2006,440Rs.12.88 lakh
Reliance Industries10001,124Rs.11.24 lakh
Tata Steel1061518Rs.5.50 lakh
Tata Motors1500258Rs.3.87 lakh

Source: NSE

Obviously lot values cannot be standardized because stock prices keep moving dynamically. In the above case, you find that lot value of Britannia at Rs.12.88 lakhs and RIL at Rs.11.24 lakhs. However, the lot value of ACC is just Rs.5.19 lakhs while the lot value of Tata Motors is a mere Rs.3.87 lakh. This is driven by price movement. For example, in the last 1 year RIL and Britannia have been strong outperformers while ACC and Tata Motors have been the rank underperformers. As a result, while all these stocks started out around the same lot value, over time they diverged due to the price movement in opposite directions.

Finally, how and when are lot sizes modified?

The lot sizes are essentially pegged to the indicative lot values but these lot values keep changing along with the stock price over time. For example, a stock with a lot size of 1000 shares with a price of Rs.710 will have a lot value of Rs.7.10 lakh. However, if the price of the stock goes up to Rs.950 over the next 1 year then the lot value automatically changes to Rs.9.50 lakhs. In such cases, SEBI will look to modify the lot size at an appropriate time. Once the lot sizes are modified, there will be a greater parity in the lot values.

Just as lot sizes are reduced when prices go up, the lot sizes are also increased when prices correct sharply. For example, in the case of Tata Motors, there is a genuine case to take the lot size up from 1500 to 3000 in the light of the sharp price correction. SEBI routinely revises the lot sizes on the upside and on the downside. Since lot values keep changing in tandem with stock price movements, it becomes essential to shift lot sizes accordingly.

Why Different Stocks Have Different Lot Sizes in F&O | Angel One (2024)

FAQs

Why Different Stocks Have Different Lot Sizes in F&O | Angel One? ›

The whole idea of lot sizes is about standardization. When a stock has a lot of size of 1000 shares, then trades can only be put in the system in multiples of 1000 shares. You cannot buy 500 shares nor can you buy 1500 shares in this case. You can either buy 1000 shares (1 lot), 2000 shares (2 lots) and so on.

How is lot size determined in F&O? ›

SEBI is responsible for deciding the lot size for F&O traders. It uses lot size to control the price quote in the market. The lot size refers to the size of transactions you make in the financial market. Since lot size is defined, traders always know the price they are paying for each unit.

Why are lot sizes different? ›

Such lot size revisions are done on a regular basis based on the stock price movements. The crux of the matter is that since indicative lot values are fixed the individual lot sizes have to be fixed based on the market price of the stock or the index. That is why lot sizes differ!

What is the lot size of all F&O stocks? ›

F&O Lot Size
NameSymbolLot Size (Apr-23)
Ambuja Cements Ltd B SAMBUJACEM1800
Apollo Hospitals Ltd B SAPOLLOHOSP125
Apollo Tyres Ltd B SAPOLLOTYRE3500
Ashok Leyland Ltd B SASHOKLEY5000
71 more rows

Why are some stocks available in lot size? ›

Markets lots different for different stocks. One of the unique features of exchange-traded futures in India is that they are standardized. One of the methods of standardizing futures and options contracts is through the prescription of minimum share lot size.

What is minimum lot size in F&O? ›

A lot size is the minimum standardized quantity of stock/derivatives per contract (Futures & Options). The number of entities is determined by the lot size.
...
NSE F&O Lot Size.
SymbolLot Size
APOLLOHOSP500
APOLLOTYRE3500
ASHOKLEY5000
ASIANPAINT200
151 more rows

What is lot size rule? ›

Lot sizing is to unify the calculated net requirements by a certain unit considering cost reduction and work efficiency. There are two main types of lot sizing: a method to unify in terms of the period and another method to unify in terms of the quantity.

Who decides the lot size? ›

In the derivatives market, the lot size of futures and options contracts is determined by the stock exchange from time to time. The lot size of various F&O contracts for a given underlying is always the same.

What is the best lot size to use? ›

Micro lots are recommended for beginners as you can minimize your risk while trading. In addition to the micro-lot, there are also mini-lots, which are 10,000 units of the currency that replenishes your account. This is essentially 10 times larger than the Micro Lot.

Can I buy less than 1 lot in option trading? ›

You can either buy 1000 shares (1 lot), 2000 shares (2 lots) and so on. That is the concept of a market lot in Futures and options.

What is the lot size of US options? ›

In terms of options, a lot represents the number of contracts contained in one derivative security. One equity option contract represents 100 underlying shares of a company's stock. In other words, the lot for one options contract is 100 shares.

What is the lot size of NSE F&O 2023? ›

As part of its periodic review, NSE will be revising the lot size of Futures and Options contracts on 33 stocks with effect from April 28, 2023. SEBI mandates that the contract value of all F&O contracts remain between 5 to 10 Lakhs.

How much margin required for F&O stocks? ›

From September 2020, SEBI has changed the margin requirement for trading in the cash market. For intraday trading also traders now have to deposit 20 percent of the transaction volume with the broker to avail margin facility. You can pledge existing securities in your DEMAT account as collateral.

Is it good to buy a lot of different stocks? ›

Diversifying your portfolio in the stock market is a good idea for investors because it decreases risk by ensuring that no single company has too much influence over the value of your holdings. Owning more stocks confers greater stock portfolio diversification, but owning too many stocks is impractical.

What is the lot size of Tata Steel? ›

Snapshot Call Option of Tata Steel Ltd.
Expiry date25/05/202329/06/2023
Lot Size55005500
Max Traded Strike Price/ Contracts110.00 / 8819115.00 / 257
Previous Day Max Traded Strike Price/ Contracts115.00 / 4281110.00 / 80
Total Call Contracts/ Previous36473 / 17525795 / 218
4 more rows

What is the lot size of Reliance options? ›

Snapshot Call Option of Reliance Industries Ltd.
Expiry date25/05/202329/06/2023
Lot Size250250
Max Traded Strike Price/ Contracts2500.00 / 230952500.00 / 625
Previous Day Max Traded Strike Price/ Contracts2500.00 / 302042500.00 / 981
Total Call Contracts/ Previous92758 / 1275351348 / 2202
4 more rows

How do I choose a F&O stock? ›

This little calculation is based on the Market Wide Position Limit (MWPL) and the aggregate open interest (OI). A stock enters the F&O ban list when its aggregate open interest of a stock exceeds 95% of the MWPL. A stock will remain in the F&O ban list, until the aggregate OI does not fall below 80% of MWPL.

How many lots of Nifty can I buy in one order? ›

Bulletin
Sr. No.INDEX SYMBOLNEW QTY FREEZE LIMIT
1BANKNIFTY900
2NIFTY1800
3FINNIFTY1800
4MIDCPNIFTY5500
Oct 31, 2022

What is the lot size of TCS? ›

TCS Share Lot Size
Stock NameSymbolOption Lot Size
Tata Consultancy Serv LtdTCS175

Does lot size affect profit? ›

The larger the lot size, the more significant the potential profit or loss. However, higher lot sizes also require more margin and higher leverage, which increases the risk. Therefore, it is crucial to choose the lot size that suits your trading style, risk tolerance, and account size.

What are the benefits of lot size? ›

Lot size directly affects inventory and scheduling. Other effects are less obvious but equally important. Small lots reduce variability in the system and smooth production. They enhance quality, simplify scheduling, reduce inventory, enable kanban and encourage continuous improvement.

What are the advantages of small lot sizes? ›

Small Lot Sizes

Small lots reduce excess inventory and warehouse storage costs and all but eliminate waste. They simplify scheduling and can enhance quality. Regardless of whether the product in question is MTO (Made To Order) or MTS (Make To Stock), small lots can be an essential part of lean manufacturing strategy.

What is the minimum lot size for Nifty? ›

The market lot size for Nifty Bank futures and options has been reduced to 15 from 25, effective from the beginning of July 2023 contracts.

How many lots can I trade with $100? ›

Fortunately, any viable trading plan can be traded with a $100 account since most brokers will let you trade in micro units or 0.01 lots.

Does lot size depend on balance? ›

A lot size can be calculated by considering risk percentage, stop loss, and account balance. Determining the risk limit: Traders specify the risk in the dollar amount on each trade as an important step in determining the forex position. Usually, the risk factor is 1% of the account balance.

What is the best lot size for $5 000? ›

Lot size = ($50 / (50 * $0.10)) = 10

Therefore, the appropriate lot size for a 5000 forex account if the trader is willing to risk 1% per trade would be 10 micro lots. It is important to note that the lot size calculation should be done for each trade.

Can you lose a lot with options? ›

When you sell an option, the most you can profit is the price of the premium collected, but often there is unlimited downside potential. When you purchase an option, your upside can be unlimited and the most you can lose is the cost of the options premium.

Can I trade options with $5000? ›

It is highly advisable that at a minimum, one should be putting in $5,000-10,000 for starting options trading in order to make any profits. One can use conservative strategies to ensure that they at least make back their initial investment. Options trading is considered to be all about customization.

Why do you need 25k to trade options? ›

One of the most common requirements for trading the stock market as a day trader is the $25,000 rule. You need a minimum of $25,000 equity to day trade a margin account because the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) mandates it. The regulatory body calls it the 'Pattern Day Trading Rule'.

How many lots can I trade with $10000? ›

Therefore, with a $10,000 account and a 3% maximum risk per trade, you should leverage only up to 30 mini lots even though you may have the ability to trade more.

What is the lot size for 10000 account? ›

100,000 Units = 1.00 Lot. 10,000 Units = 0.10 Lot.

What are the different types of lot size? ›

Lots are subdivided into four sizes – standard, mini, micro and nano – to give traders more control over the amount of exposure they have.

What is the lot size of Adani Enterprises F&O? ›

What is the lot size and investment required for the Adani Enterprises FPO? The Adani Enterprise FPO lot size is 4 shares. A retail-individual investor can apply for up to 15 lots (60 shares or ₹196,560).

How many lots can we buy in options? ›

At an individual level, according to the NCFM (NSE certification on Financial markets) material, a client can't hold more than 5% of the total OI of that particular contract. So if the total OI is 1,00,00,000 contracts you cannot hold more than 5,00,000 con…

What is the lot size of Reliance futures? ›

The Nifty Future, for example, has a lot size of 50, meaning each Nifty Futures contract represents 50 Nifty underlying. Similarly, each Equity Future has a lot of size. Reliance Futures, for example, has a lot size of 250: so each Reliance Futures is equivalent to 250 Reliance shares.

What is 50 50 rule in F&O? ›

The 50% cash has to be maintained by the broker and not the client. Therefore, the clients need not worry about maintaining minimum 50% cash of the total margin required for the positions.

What is new F&O margin rules? ›

The existing rules allow investors to cover their margins entirely with their securities. But as per the new rules, they will need to keep 50% of the value in cash in their account as margins to trade in these segments.

How do you calculate profit from F&O? ›

In simpler terms, under F&O trading, the turnover of futures will be the absolute profit, which is the sum of positive and negative differences. The turnover of options can be calculated by adding the premium obtained on selling the options to the absolute profit.

How much money do I need to invest to make $3000 a month? ›

According to FIRE, your portfolio should cover 25 times your annual expenses. Then, if you withdraw 4% of your portfolio every year, your portfolio will continue to grow and won't be compromised. We can apply this formula to the goal of making $3,000 a month like this: $3,000 x 12 months x 25 years = $900,000.

Is owning 100 stocks too many? ›

It would not be unreasonable for you to have a portfolio with 90% or even 100% stocks. You have the time to take advantage of the stock market's long-term growth, and the time to let your portfolio recover from any market losses. As you age, many advisors recommend shifting that balance.

Is it better to buy a lot of cheap stocks? ›

Buying cheap stocks is a poor strategy that can rob investors of returns and violate important diversification rules. Identifying cheap stocks in the market seems like an obvious move to execute the buy low, sell high strategy, but it can lead investors down unexpectedly treacherous paths.

Why is Tata Steel more expensive? ›

A primary reason for higher costs in Tata Steel are the European, UK and the Middle Eastern markets it operates in. These markets have a higher costs of production compared to the Indian market. Therefore, the company's consolidated business reports a higher cost per tonne compared to JSW Steel.

How many stocks are there in F&O? ›

Futures contracts are available on 188 securities stipulated by the Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI). These securities are traded in the Capital Market segment of the Exchange.

What is the lot size of SBI? ›

Invest brokerage-free Equity Delivery and Direct Mutual Funds (truly no brokerage). Pay flat Rs 20 per trade for Intra-day and F&O. Open Instant Account and start trading today. SBI Cards IPO lot size is 19 shares and prince band is Rs 750 to Rs 755.

How much is Nifty option lot size? ›

The permitted lot size for futures contracts & options contracts shall be the same for a given underlying or such lot size as may be stipulated by the Exchange from time to time.
...
Quantity freeze.
Index Level
FromToQuantity Freeze Limit
> 575086255500
> 8625115004200
> 11500172502800
5 more rows

What is the maximum lot size for options in NSE? ›

So, the quantity freeze limit is 1,200 contracts. The lot size of Bank Nifty is 25 and so one can buy/sell a maximum of 48 lots in Bank Nifty in a single order. Once the Bank Nifty crosses above 40,000 it will then fall into the next range of 40,001 to 55,000 for which the quantity freeze limit is 600 contracts.

How is lot size calculated? ›

Measure Lot Size

Measure rectangle and square lots and multiply the width boundary by the length. To find the area of a triangle, multiply the height of the triangle by its base and then divide the result by 2. Add up the area of each shape to arrive at the total size of the property lot.

How do you determine lot size? ›

Read the property line map, or 'plat'

When you buy a house, you typically receive a plat or property line map. If you don't, you can find it at the county clerk's office. The plat will give you the exact dimensions of your lot related to other lots on your block.

How is FX lot size calculated? ›

A standard lot in forex is equal to 100,000 currency units. It's the standard unit size for traders, whether they're independent or institutional. Example: If the EURUSD exchange rate was $1.3000, one standard lot of the base currency (EUR) would be 130,000 units.

How do you determine the lot size of a stock? ›

Calculating a lot size involves considering several variables, including risk percentage, stop loss and account balance. The lot size in the futures and options market is the value of the underlying asset expressed as the number of contracts in a transaction. Derivatives include ETFs, stocks, and market indices.

Is lot size the same as leverage? ›

Definition: A lot size is basically the amount of currency units you buy or sell in every transaction. On the other hand, a leverage is the amount you borrow from your broker to the amount you own. Representation: Forex lot size are mainly represented in currency units, for example 100,000 or 1000 units.

How many lots can I trade? ›

In forex, a person can trade a minimum of 1,000 of the base currency, in any increment of 1,000. For example, they could trade 1,451,000. That is 14 standard lots, five mini lots, and one micro lot. In a stock trade, a person can trade in odd lots of less than 100 shares.

How many pips is a lot? ›

A standard lot refers to 100,000 units of base currency and equates to $10 per pip movement. A mini lot is 10,000 units of base currency and equates to $1 per pip movement. A micro lot is 1,000 units of base currency and equates to $0.10 per pip movement.

What lot size is good? ›

The best lot size for forex is based on equity size. Usually, recommended lot size in forex equals 1% account risk. However, professional traders use position size formulas such as Kelly criteria, The Fama and French Three-Factor Model, etc., to define the number of lots for each trading position.

What are the different lot sizes? ›

A standard lot represents 100,000 units of any currency, whereas a mini-lot represents 10,000 and a micro-lot represents 1,000 units of any currency. A one-pip movement for a standard lot corresponds with a $10 change.

Can you change lot size during trade? ›

Once you have determined the lot size, you can change it in your trading platform. Most trading platforms allow traders to select the lot size before entering a trade. For example, if you are using the MetaTrader 4 platform, you can select the lot size from the order window.

How do you calculate pips and lot size? ›

To calculate pip value, divide one pip (usually 0.0001) by the current market value of the forex pair. Then, multiply that figure by your lot size, which is the number of base units that you are trading.

How do I choose F&O stocks for intraday? ›

Click on the sector which is above or below 2 – 2.5 %. When you click, you will get the list of stocks. From this stock list, you can select the stock (that is in F&O Script) which is above or below 2 %. This is one of the easiest methods to find the F&O Stock for intraday trading.

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