At the benchmark Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), trading in securities was dominated by the stocks of the best performing companies. Thus, the transactions in the ‘A’ group scrips are allowed to be carried forward from one settlement to another settlement, subject to a maximum of 75 days from the date of the original transaction. The trading session for carrying forward the transactions from one settlement to another is conducted on Saturdays, i.e., at the end of every trading cycle in the physical segment.

Trading on the BSE Online Trading (BOLT) system is conducted on Monday to Friday between 10.00 AM and 3.30 PM, while the carry forward session for ‘A’ group securities is conducted on Saturdays between 10.00 AM and 12.30 PM. Traders all over the country are very busy during this time.

The BSE’s information systems department generates the following statements, which can be downloaded by the brokers on a daily basis:
• Transactions
• Details of margins payable in respect of the trades

Commodities trading platforms do not witness the feverish buying and selling that we see in the securities trading platforms of the BSE and the National Stock Exchange (NSE). Not only that, the commodities trade is limited to a few pockets in the metros and other prominent areas. However, the maximum number of trade in commodities is reported at the BSE.

The traders in the financial market need to move higher up the ladder and think seriously of investing in commodities. Consider the situation in the global financial market. The major players do have operations in all sectors. A loss in one area is offset by a gain elsewhere. Thus on any transaction day, they do make significant gains irrespective of the vagaries in the financial market. The commodities trading platform at the BSE is yet to witness such a development.