Do futures mature or expire?
All futures contracts have a specified date on which they expire. Prior to the expiration date, traders have a number of options to either close out or extend their open positions without holding the trade to expiration, but some traders will choose to hold the contract and go to settlement.
In India, stock and index futures and options typically expire on the last Thursday of the contract month. If this Thursday is a holiday, the expiry will be moved to the previous trading day.
Every futures contract has an expiration date. CME Group's Micro E-mini futures contracts expire on a quarterly basis, settling to the official opening level of their respective index on the third Friday of March, June, September and December.
Primary Characteristics of Perpetual Futures
This means you can hold a position for as long as you need without worrying about the contract expiring. This is the main distinction between perpetual and traditional futures, allowing traders to speculate on the future price of an asset indefinitely.
Cash Settlement
Many financial futures contracts, such as the popular E-mini contracts, are cash settled upon expiration. This means on the last day of trading, the value of the contract is marked to market and the trader's account is debited or credited depending on whether there is a profit or loss.
The contract maturity and last trading day of futures and standart options contracts is the last business day of each contract month. Expiry and last trading day are the expiration date for flexible options contracts and flexible future contract.
Futures contracts don't suffer from time decay, so you don't have to stress about your positions losing value just because time's ticking. If you're a short-term trader, it's all about exploiting short-term price moves, so time decay may not matter much.
Perpetual futures, also known as perpetual swaps or “perpetuals,” are a type of derivative contract that allows traders to speculate on the future price of an asset without an expiration date. Unlike traditional futures contracts, which have a set expiry date, perpetual futures can be held indefinitely.
While perpetual futures are similar to standard futures contracts, they have one key difference: perpetual futures contracts have no expiration date.
If the market doesn't move in the direction you anticipated, the option may expire worthless, resulting in a total loss of the premium paid.
What is 60 40 rule futures?
In the United States, futures contracts are subject to the 60/40 rule. This advantageous tax treatment also applies to day trades and is broken down into two parts: 60% profits – taxed as long-term capital gains. 40% profits – taxed as short-term capital gains.
Yes, it is possible to lose more money than you initially invested in futures trading. This is because futures contracts are leveraged, which means you can control a large position with a relatively small amount of investment upfront.

Are Futures a Good Way to Save for Retirement? Futures trading is a high-risk investment and can result in significant losses. It might be wiser to choose a self-directed IRA with safer investment options.
At what time does F&O expire? The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has fixed the expiry date for Futures and Options (F&O) contracts on the last Thursday of each month. No matter when the contract is bought, it will expire on that month's last Thursday.
Trading E-Mini Futures for a Living Is Possible
Being a professional futures trader can be a very rewarding experience, both personally and financially. To learn more about the many opportunities that trading futures offers, schedule your free one-on-one consultation with a member of the StoneX team today.
Perpetual futures are cash-settled, and differ from regular futures in that they lack a pre-specified delivery date, and can thus be held indefinitely without the need to roll over contracts as they approach expiration.
Futures contract expiration is the countdown clock of this part of the trading world. It marks the last day that you can trade a futures contract before it expires. After this day, the contract is settled either in cash or through the physical delivery of the underlying asset, depending on the terms of the agreement.
A maturity date is the date on which the principal amount of a note, draft, acceptance bond, or other debt instrument becomes due. It also refers to the termination or due date on which an installment loan must be paid back in full.
Tradable around the clock. Futures are tradable 23 hours a day, so you can go short or long when events impact prices.
Future contracts have numerous advantages and disadvantages. The most prevalent benefits include simple pricing, high liquidity, and risk hedging. The primary disadvantages are having no influence over future events, price swings, and the possibility of asset price declines as the expiration date approaches.
Why buy futures instead of stocks?
If you really want to trade where the action is, then look no further than futures trading in a global marketplace. Unlike stocks and ETFs, with limited trading hours and often limited trading volume, the primary futures markets are often highly liquid and tradable nearly 24 hours.
But with futures, you can—and many traders do trade during overnight sessions.
All futures contracts have a specified date on which they expire. Prior to the expiration date, traders have a number of options to either close out or extend their open positions without holding the trade to expiration, but some traders will choose to hold the contract and go to settlement.
Futures offer high leverage*y, and 24/5 trading but come with higher risks and complexity. Stocks provide ownership, dividends, and long-term growth but have lower leverage* and limited trading hours.
For example, options, futures, and futures options only exist through their expiration date, after which these contracts are invalid. The term “expiration date” refers to the calendar date and time in which a trading instrument stops trading (i.e. “expires”), and all contracts are exercised or become worthless.