F&O
In the week to 26 Oct 2026, foreign investors held 13% of their index-futures positions long, against 25% in the week to 24 Oct 2025; clients, mostly individuals, held 80% long. Every long has a short on the other side, so one group's lean is another's opposite lean. Tests on these same NSE files found no reliable signal for future returns: read this as who holds what, not where the market goes.
Written for traders and anyone asking which way foreign investors and retail traders lean in F&O. Data to 26 Oct 2026.
Below its usual range of 39% to 69%. The low is 6%, in September 2025. Down from 25% a year ago.
What it is. Of foreign investors' open index futures, the share that are long (bets on a rise).
How to read it. Shows how foreign investors are positioned in futures. Tests found no reliable signal in it for later returns.
Each group's long share of its index-futures positions now and a year earlier, and where today's reading sits in the group's own weekly history since 2012, with net stock-futures positions.
Week to 26 Oct 2026. Long share = longs ÷ (longs + shorts) in index-futures open interest, in contracts. Net stock futures = long minus short contracts; lot-size changes shift contract counts.
| Participant | Long share of index futures | Week to 24 Oct 2025 | Higher than this share of weeks since 2012 | Net stock futures, contracts | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clients (retail and others) | 80% | 65% | 99% | 30.9 lakh | |
| Foreign investors (FIIs) | 13% | 25% | 6% | 8.8 lakh | |
| Proprietary traders | 62% | 43% | 94% | 3.7 lakh | |
| Domestic institutions (DIIs) | 84% | 66% | 85% | −43.4 lakh |
NSE publishes open positions in futures and options by participant: clients (mostly individuals), foreign investors, domestic institutions and proprietary traders. Positioning describes the market; it does not forecast it. Tests on these same NSE files found no reliable signal for future returns, so read these charts as context.
Longs ÷ (longs + shorts) in index futures open interest, weekly from 2012.
How to read it. Above 50, the group is net long; below 50, net short. Every long has a short on the other side, so one group's lean is another's opposite lean.
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Net calls minus net puts held, from 2019. Lot-size changes shift contract counts.
How to read it. Positive leans bullish, negative leans bearish. Compare the two groups' direction more than the size, which moves with lot sizes.
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How much foreign investors keep open in futures, by value, as NSE reports it.
Value of FII futures open interest, weekly from December 2014.
How to read it. The value of foreign investors' open futures positions, as NSE reports it. It shows how much they use futures, not which way they lean.
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Every chart has a table view, a CSV download and a link to its published JSON. Bundles are listed in data status.