Participation by foreign investors in the equity futures segment surpassed that of proprietary traders for the first time, reaching an all-time high of 30.8 per cent. Retail participation also edged higher to 17.6 per cent in April from 15.3 per cent in the previous month.
“In the equity options segment (premium turnover), participation patterns also pointed to a moderation in proprietary share amid the implementation of the STT hike,” the report said.
Effective April 1, STT on futures was increased to 0.05 per cent of traded value from 0.02 per cent earlier. In options, the tax on premium turnover was raised to 0.15 per cent from 0.1 per cent, while the levy on exercised options was increased to 0.15 per cent of intrinsic value from 0.125 per cent.