STT Hike Widens Derivatives Breakeven to ~25 Points, HFT Strategies Hit Hard
STT Rise in Budget 2026 The Budget raised STT on equity derivatives, especially futures, sharply, increasing round-trip trading costs. This affects traders relying on thin margins
Breakeven Costs Jump Now, a Nifty future round trip can cost 20–25 index points in STT and charges compared to much lower earlier
HFT & Algo Strategies Threatened High-frequency, algorithmic and intraday systems now need larger market movements to break even, reducing profitability
Derivatives Volumes May Fall Experts say higher costs could shrink F&O trading volume by 20–30%, hurting liquidity and activity
Brokers & Institutional Impact Broker revenues and proprietary trading desks that depend on high turnover in derivatives may face pressure