All modules

0.1 US Markets for Indian Traders: Start Here

Who the course is for, what it covers, and why the lessons run in the order they do.

  • 0.1
  • 10:10
Next lectureYouTube

About this lecture

Already familiar with Indian markets? Start here to understand the MochaLearn course on US markets and real-world assets.

In this opening lecture, Pratham explains who the course is for, what you'll learn, and why the lessons follow a specific order: understand the market, understand the asset, then understand the instrument and the risks of a position.

The course roadmap:

  1. US market structure and the macroeconomic forces that move it
  2. Gold, silver, oil, government debt and other real-world assets
  3. Trading instruments and their mechanics
  4. Taxes and regulations
  5. Risk management and position sizing
  6. An end-to-end testnet trade

We also cover how the course works, where you can stop based on your learning goals, and the basics you should already know: futures, option chains, margin and expiry.

Educational content only. Not investment advice.

Key takeaways

  1. The course runs market, then asset, then instrument, then the risks of a position, in that order, because each layer only makes sense on top of the last.
  2. Six modules follow this one: US market structure, real-world assets, trading instruments, taxes and regulations, risk management and position sizing, and one testnet trade from start to finish.
  3. You can stop at the module that matches what you came for.
  4. It assumes you already know futures, option chains, margin and expiry from the Indian market.

Quiz

Five questions. They check the things this lecture asked you to know and nothing more. If you get one wrong, its explanation tells you what to read again.

Setup: MOCHA50 is a stock index. Its futures and options are settled in cash. One contract = 50 × the index value.

  1. You sell 1 MOCHA50 futures contract at 24,000. On expiry it settles at 24,120. What happens?
  2. You buy 1 MOCHA50 futures contract at 24,000. The contract is worth 24,000 × 50 = ₹12,00,000. Assume the margin is 10%, so ₹1,20,000. The next day the index falls 2%. What happens to your account?
  3. You buy a MOCHA50 call. Strike 24,200, premium ₹80, 20 days to expiry. The index stays at 24,000 for 10 days. Volatility does not change. What has most likely happened to the premium?
  4. You hold the same call: strike 24,200, premium ₹80. At expiry MOCHA50 settles at 24,250. What is your net result?
  5. MOCHA50 is at 24,000. The one-month future trades at 24,090. What happens to the 90-point gap by the close on expiry day?