Kite Positions tab explained
The Positions tab on Kite is the canonical surface for tracking all open intraday positions, open futures and options positions, and any unsettled exotic position types. It is distinct from the Holdings tab , which tracks delivered shares in your demat account. This article is the full reference.
What appears on Positions
- Intraday (MIS) positions still open during the trading day.
- Bracket Order (BO) positions with their associated stop-loss and target legs.
- Cover Order (CO) positions with their mandatory stop-loss leg.
- F&O positions (futures and options, NRML or MIS).
- Currency derivative positions (CDS segment).
- Commodity positions (MCX segment).
- Same-day closed positions showing the realised P&L for the day.
- Negative quantities for short positions in segments that support shorting.
What does not appear
- Delivered equity holdings (those are on Holdings ).
- Pending orders (those are on the Orders tab).
- Mutual fund subscriptions (those are on Coin ).
- Bond holdings (those are on Holdings).
Two views: Day / Net
The Positions tab supports two views:
| View | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Day | Positions opened today, including same-day closed for realised intraday P&L |
| Net | Cumulative open positions, including overnight F&O carry, T1 equity, etc. |
The default view is Day; switch via the toggle at the top.
Columns and what they mean
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Instrument | Scrip name, contract identifier, exchange tag |
| Product | MIS / CNC / NRML / BO / CO |
| Qty | Open quantity; negative for short positions |
| Avg price | Weighted-average open price |
| LTP | Live last traded price |
| P&L | Mark-to-market P&L from open price to LTP |
| Net chg | Percentage move from avg price |
| Day chg | Move from previous close, where applicable |
For F&O contracts, “previous close” is the settlement price from the prior day.
Realised vs unrealised
| Position state | Where shown |
|---|---|
| Open intraday (today) | Day view, with running mark-to-market P&L |
| Closed intraday (today, before 15:30) | Day view, with realised P&L locked in |
| Open F&O (overnight carry) | Net view, with running P&L from the carry |
| Closed F&O (any day) | Day view of the close day, then moves to Console P&L report the next day |
Intraday vs F&O distinctions
Intraday (MIS) equity / commodity / currency
Must be squared off by the close of the segment session. If not closed by the user, Zerodha auto-squares off (typically a few minutes before close). The auto-square-off process is automated; charges and slippage are the user’s risk. See Auto square-off on Zerodha .
NRML F&O
Can be held overnight, up to expiry. The position appears on Positions until closed or expired.
BO / CO
Bracket and Cover orders are special intraday product types with built-in stop-loss / target legs. The parent order appears on Positions; the dependent stop-loss and target appear as pending Orders. Square-off is automatic if any leg triggers.
Margin and P&L impact
The Positions tab shows mark-to-market (MTM) P&L. The margin held against the position is shown separately in Funds . If MTM moves adversely beyond the margin available, Zerodha’s risk system may square off the position to prevent debit balance. See Margin shortfall and auto-square-off .
Conversion: MIS to CNC
You can convert an open MIS equity position to a CNC delivery before the auto-square-off window. The conversion:
- Validates that you have sufficient funds for the full delivery value (not just margin).
- Moves the position from Positions (MIS) to Holdings (CNC) via T1.
- Updates margin used.
For the procedure: How to convert MIS to CNC on Kite .
Short positions
Equity short positions (without holding the underlying) are restricted to MIS intraday in NSE; you cannot carry a naked equity short overnight. F&O contracts can be sold short overnight (NRML).
A short equity intraday position shows as negative quantity on Positions. See Sold stocks shown as negative positions .
F&O positions
For F&O:
- Long position: Positive quantity, positive P&L on price up.
- Short position: Negative quantity, positive P&L on price down.
- Option Buyer: Positive quantity (paid premium); P&L is positive when LTP > avg price.
- Option Seller: Negative quantity (received premium); P&L is positive when LTP < avg price.
F&O LTP change on positions before market opens addresses a common question: why does P&L on an F&O contract change overnight even when the underlying hasn’t moved? (Answer: the contract’s settlement reset, time decay, and implied volatility shifts).
Same-day closed positions in Day view
When you close a position the same day, it remains in the Day view of Positions with Qty=0 and the realised P&L. This is the source-of-truth for intraday realised P&L during the trading day. The next trading day, the closed position moves out of the Positions tab and into Console.
Quirks and edge cases
- Positions tab showing profit when buy avg > LTP : For a short position, the displayed P&L can be positive even when LTP > avg price seems counterintuitive. This is the correct behaviour for shorts (you profit when LTP falls below the buy-back-needed price).
- Delivery shares under positions same day : T1 holdings can briefly appear under Positions until settlement completes.
- Sold holdings bought back same day : BTST behaviour can produce confusing P&L attribution.
- Intraday P&L on Kite web : How the day’s intraday P&L (across closed positions) is summed.
- Sticky order window on Kite : A keep-open option for the order ticket during active trading.
See also
- Kite Holdings tab explained
- Mutual fund holdings on Kite
- How to fix Positions tab showing profit when buy avg greater than LTP
- Sold stocks shown as negative positions
- Delivery shares under positions same day
- Sold holdings bought back same day
- Intraday P&L on Kite web
- F&O LTP change on positions before market opens
- Sticky order window on Kite
- Day’s P&L on holdings calculation
- Realised vs unrealised profit calculation
- Margin required on order window
- SPAN and exposure margin on Kite
- Margin available / used / cash on Kite funds
- How to quick exit holdings / positions
- How to group / filter positions on Kite
- How to toggle net change percentage / absolute
- How to convert MIS to CNC on Kite
- CNC product type
- MIS product type
- NRML product type
- Bracket order (Zerodha)
- Cover order (Zerodha)
- Futures and options
- Auto square-off on Zerodha
- Margin shortfall and auto-square-off
- Kite (Zerodha)
- Kite web
- Kite mobile app
- Zerodha
- Zerodha Console
External references
- Zerodha Kite Support, Positions
- Zerodha Margin policies
- NSE F&O segment
- SEBI, intraday risk and leverage circulars
References
- Zerodha Support, Positions tab on Kite, support.zerodha.com.
- Zerodha Support, Intraday positions and auto square-off, support.zerodha.com.
- SEBI, Intraday leverage and peak margin circular, sebi.gov.in.
- NSE India, F&O segment specifications, nseindia.com.