10 June 2022 3:38

Futures expiration date vs settlement date terminology confusion

What is the settlement date for futures?

The settlement date is the date when a trade is final, and the buyer must make payment to the seller while the seller delivers the assets to the buyer. The settlement date for stocks and bonds is usually two business days after the execution date (T+2).

What is the last trading day and settlement day of futures contract?

The last trading day is the final day that a futures contract can be traded or closed out. 1 Any contracts outstanding at the end of the last day trading day must be settled by delivery of the underlying physical asset, exchange of financial instruments, or by agreeing to a monetary settlement.

Can futures be settled before expiry?

All futures contracts have a specified date on which they expire. Prior to the expiration date, traders have a number of options to either close out or extend their open positions without holding the trade to expiration, but some traders will choose to hold the contract and go to settlement.

What does it mean for futures to expire?

Futures contracts are divided into several (usually four or more) expiration date throughout the year. Each of the futures contracts is active (can be traded) for an amount of time. The contract then expires and cannot be traded anymore. The date upon which a futures contract expires is known as its “expiration date.”

Is settlement date the same as closing date?

“Settlement date” and “closing date” are synonymous terms referring to the date when a property’s seller and buyer meet to finalize the deal. At this time, the deed to the property is transferred from the seller to the buyer and all pertinent paperwork is completed.

What is the difference between settlement date and maturity date?

The settlement date is the date a buyer purchases a coupon, such as a bond. The maturity date is the date when a coupon expires. For example, suppose a 30-year bond is issued on January 1, 2008, and is purchased by a buyer six months later.

Can we sell futures on expiry day?

It is not necessary to hold on to a futures contract till its expiry date. In practice, most traders exit their contracts before their expiry dates. Any gains or losses you’ve made are settled by adjusting them against the margins you have deposited till the date you decide to exit your contract.

Why are futures settled daily?

Risk Management in the Global Economy

And the same amount of money is deducted from the account of the person who has made a loss from selling this futures contract. The mechanism of daily settlement – start each day with a new price – provides investors with flexibility to adjust their investment strategies in time.

How futures contracts are settled?

Futures contracts have expiration dates as opposed to stocks that trade in perpetuity. They are rolled over to a different month to avoid the costs and obligations associated with settlement of the contracts. Futures contracts are most often settled by physical settlement or cash settlement.

What happens if I don’t square off futures on expiry?

If you don’t square off your positions in the identified stocks before the close of trading hours on the expiry day, you will either have to take delivery (for long futures, long calls, short puts) or give delivery of the underlying stock (short futures, long puts, short calls) for the contract.

How are futures liquidated?

Futures Liquidation – Liquidation is any transaction that offsets or closes out a long or short futures position, it can also be known as an offset. Often times, liquidation is the act of selling off your futures position in exchange for cash.

What happens on F&O expiry day?

In case Thursday happens to be a holiday, then the last Wednesday of the month is the expiry day. The last day of trading concept is exclusive to F&O contracts and is not used in equity trading. It is the last day that F&O traders can try and make profits from the contracts they hold.

What happens if I don’t exit option on expiry?

You will lose the entire amount paid as premium.