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Informist, Monday, Jun. 22, 2026

MUMBAI – Trading activity was highly skewed across the National Stock Exchange's equity cash and derivatives segments in May, with a small share of large investors accounting for the bulk of turnover, the exchange said in its latest monthly analytical market pulse publication.

In equity options, the trading activity was "heavily concentrated in May" with large-value investors with a trading premium value of more than INR 100 million making up for 69% of the monthly premium turnover while representing only 0.3%, or around 10,000, of active investors, the NSE said. Of these large-value investors, proprietary traders dominated trading activity with 70.9% share of the premium turnover, while foreign investors had a 9.5% share and individual investors had a 11.7% share.

"The next cohort, comprising investors with premium turnover between Rs 1-10 crore (INR 10 million-INR 100 million), contributed an additional 18% of premium turnover despite accounting for just 5.4% of active investors," it said. Small-value investors who traded less than INR 100,000 in premium turnover contributed just 0.1% to the total premium turnover.

The NSE said the influence of foreign investors increased in equity futures trading in May, even as total monthly turnover "remained concentrated among a relatively small group of investors." The top turnover "cohort" contributed 93.3% of monthly futures turnover, it said.

In this large-value investor group in equity futures, foreign investors "emerged" as the largest contributor, making up for 33.5% of its turnover, while proprietary traders made up for 29.9%. "This marks a shift from March 2026, when proprietary traders held the largest share at 34.7%, compared with 30.9% for foreign investors," the exchange said in its monthly publication.

In the equity cash market too, large-value investors dominated, with the top 2.6% of active investors accounting for 92.3% of the turnover, as per the exchange. At the other end, nearly two-thirds of active cash market investors with trade value less than INR 100,000 contributed only 0.3% of the cash market turnover, the NSE said.  End

Reported by Rajesh Gajra

Edited by Avishek Dutta

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