Futures and options activity combined amounted to well over INR 530,443.7 crores this week (10 to 14 August), split between INR 357,078.6 crores in futures turnover across 640 live contracts (208 stocks and 6 indices) and INR 173,365.1 crores in options premium turnover across 659 contracts. NIFTY's near month futures contract closed the week down 0.83%, and BANKNIFTY's near month futures down 0.56%, both indices drifting lower while positioning underneath leaned more bearish still. Insights based on data on bhavcopydata.com below.
Futures, stock positioning leans further into Short Buildup
Among stock futures contracts trading at least INR 1 crore for the week, positioning leaned bearish, more so than last week's already tilted reading. 306 in Short Buildup, 186 in Long Buildup, 63 in Short Covering, and 59 in Long Unwinding.
The largest Short Buildup prints, price down alongside rising open interest, were BSE Ltd (BSE), down 0.78% for the week on INR 5,116.2 crores of turnover with open interest up 2.51%, and Bharat Forge Ltd (BHARATFORG), down a sharp 9.43% on INR 4,529.3 crores, open interest up 11.62%. HDFC Bank Ltd (HDFCBANK) also stood out, down 0.94% with open interest up a modest 0.72% on INR 4,387.3 crores of turnover.
On the Long Buildup side, Solar Industries India Ltd (SOLARINDS) carried the most turnover. Up 7.21% on INR 3,355.8 crores, open interest up 1.30%. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), up 2.30% with open interest up a heavier 15.09%, and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LICI), up 4.02% with open interest up 2.45%, both showed real conviction behind the move.
The week's biggest Short Covering names also carried some of its largest single stock turnover overall. Bharti Airtel Ltd (BHARTIARTL), up 1.82% on INR 5,739.2 crores as open interest fell 3.73%, was the single most traded stock future of the week. One97 Communications Ltd (PAYTM), up 11.39% on INR 4,940.9 crores as open interest fell 13.46%, and Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd (MCX), up 10.59% on INR 5,015.1 crores as open interest fell 14.04%, both show the classic shape of existing shorts closing into a sharp rally rather than fresh buying.
State Bank of India (SBIN) was the largest Long Unwinding print, down 3.02% on INR 5,599.9 crores of turnover as open interest fell only 0.20%, close to flat positioning against a real price decline. ICICI Bank Ltd (ICICIBANK), down 0.79% as open interest fell 7.46%, and Reliance Industries Ltd (RELIANCE), down 2.00% as open interest fell 3.09%, both point to existing longs being closed out rather than new shorts opening.
At the index level, NIFTY's near month futures contract sat in Short Buildup too, open interest up 5.67% on a 0.83% price decline for the week. BANKNIFTY leaned the same way, open interest up 0.81% as price fell 0.56%. NIFTY's near month contract remained the single most traded of the week by a wide margin, at INR 21,795.5 crores, with BANKNIFTY's near month second at INR 11,140.3 crores.
Options, both index PCRs ease lower alongside the same bearish tilt
NIFTY's contract nearest to expiry as of Friday, the 18 August expiry, saw its PCR by OI ease from 0.99 on 7 August to 0.88 by 14 August, dipping as low as 0.75 mid week on 12 August before recovering some ground into the close. That means slightly more call open interest built up relative to puts over the week, even as the index itself drifted lower, a mild divergence from the bearish tilt building in the futures market above. BANKNIFTY's near month expiry moved the same way, PCR falling from 0.89 on 7 August to 0.78 by 14 August.
By premium turnover, NIFTY's contracts dominated activity, led by the 18 August expiry (INR 62,274.7 crores) and the 11 August expiry that expired mid week (INR 49,356.1 crores). Among stock options, One97 Communications Ltd (PAYTM) (INR 1,559.0 crores) and Solar Industries India Ltd (SOLARINDS) (INR 1,165.5 crores) were the most active.
Among stock options trading at least INR 1 crore of premium turnover on 14 August, Container Corporation of India Ltd (CONCOR) carried the most bullish tilt at a PCR of 0.32, followed by Premier Energies Ltd (PREMIERENE) at 0.33. The most bearish tilt belonged to Bharat Forge Ltd (BHARATFORG), at a PCR of 2.11, the same name that carried the week's largest Short Buildup print in futures above. Both markets pointed the same way for that stock this week.
Track the full daily breakdown on the Futures and Options pages.
All figures are from NSE end of day futures and options data for 10 to 14 August 2026, as published on bhavcopydata.com. Follow the author at @psanivarapu for more.