How is futures trading different from margin trading?
While buy/sell transactions in margin segment have to be squared off on the same day, buy/sell position in the futures segment can be continued till the expiry of the respective contract and squared off any time during the contract life. Margin positions can even be converted to delivery if you have the requisite trading limits in case of buy positions and required number of shares in your DP in case of sell position. There is no such facility available in case of futures position, since all futures transactions are cash settled as per the current regulations. If you wish to convert your future positions into delivery position, you will have to first square off your transaction in future market and then take cash position in cash market. Another important difference is the availability of even index contracts in futures trading. You can even buy/sell NIFTY in case of futures in NSE, whereas in case of margin, you can take positions only in stocks.
