When Is Sensex Expiry Day?
Sensex weekly options expire every Thursday on BSE. Monthly Sensex contracts expire on the last Thursday of the month. If Thursday is a trading holiday, expiry moves to the previous trading day. This schedule has applied since September 2025.
Weekly expiry: every Thursday.
Monthly expiry: the last Thursday of the month.
Holiday rule: if Thursday is a holiday, expiry moves to the previous trading day, usually Wednesday.
Trading hours: 9:15 AM to 3:30 PM IST.
Upcoming Sensex Expiry Dates
Sensex Monthly Expiry Calendar 2026
Exchanges can change dates through a circular, so always confirm the current contract on BSE before you trade.
Sensex vs Nifty and Other Index Expiry Days
Only two indices have weekly options: Nifty 50 on NSE and Sensex on BSE. Every other index option has a monthly expiry only.
SEBI allows each exchange one weekly benchmark index option, and each exchange uses one expiry day for its equity derivatives. NSE chose Tuesday and BSE chose Thursday.
If you also trade Nifty options, see our guide to Nifty expiry day. For Bank Nifty’s monthly schedule, read Bank Nifty expiry day.
What Happens on Sensex Expiry Day?
Sensex expiry day is the last trading day of a Sensex options or futures contract. On that day, open positions are settled under BSE’s rules.
With so little time left, four things move option prices faster than usual:
Time decay: An option loses time value quickly near expiry. If the Sensex stays flat, a bought option can lose value even when your view is right.
Delta: Options close to the money react strongly to small Sensex moves.
Gamma: Delta itself changes fast, especially for at-the-money options, so your position can swing quickly.
Implied volatility: A change in IV can raise or lower premiums even when the Sensex barely moves.
For a deeper look at these, read our guide on how to use option Greeks in trading (keep existing link). You can compare strikes, OI and premiums for the current expiry on the Sensex option chain.
Want to see this happen before you trade it? In the AlgoTest Option Simulator, you can replay a past Sensex expiry, place your trade and watch time decay and gamma move your P&L minute by minute.
Sensex Expiry Day Trading Strategies
There is no single best expiry strategy. The right one depends on your market view and how much risk you can take.
Before any expiry trade, fix your entry, strike, stop loss, target, position size and exit time in advance. Check how much one lot is worth in our Sensex lot size guide.
Want a ready-made options strategy you can backtest before going live? Explore RA Algos.
How to Backtest a Sensex Expiry Strategy
A strategy can work on one expiry and fail on the next. Backtesting runs the same rules across many past expiry days, so you can see how the strategy really behaves.
For example, you can test a Sensex option buying strategy with a fixed entry time, strike, stop loss and target. Then compare entering at 9:30 AM, 10:00 AM or 11:00 AM, and review:
The win rate shows how often the strategy made money.
Average P&L and profit factor show how big the wins were compared with the losses.
Maximum drawdown shows the worst losing run you would have faced.
The best and worst expiry sessions show the range of outcomes.
With AlgoTest backtesting, you can run these tests on years of Sensex data, then forward test the rules with paper trading before going live.
Learn more:how to backtest option trading strategies
Sensex Expiry Day Checklist
Confirm the exact expiry date on BSE, especially in holiday weeks.
Set your maximum loss before you enter.
Do not buy an option only because its premium looks cheap.
Size your position to your risk limit, not to the premium.
Remember that selling options can cause large losses in a sharp move.
Set a limit on the number of trades so a fast market does not push you into overtrading.
Follow your exit rules, even when the market moves fast.
Related:BSE Sensex Option Chain Explained: How to Read, Analyse & Trade Using Live Data
Where Can You Check the Latest Sensex Expiry Dates?
For the latest Sensex expiry dates and rules, use primary sources:
BSE, for current Sensex contracts and expiry dates.
SEBI, for the regulatory framework governing equity derivative expiry days.
Check the BSE Sensex derivatives contracts before trading and refer to SEBI's Final Settlement Day, Expiry Day for Equity Derivatives Contracts for the current expiry framework.
Know the Date, Then Test the Trade
Knowing that Sensex expires on Thursday is only the first step. Decide what you expect on expiry day, set your entry, exit and position risk, then test those rules across calm, trending and holiday-week expiries, and in live markets, before you trust them.
AlgoTest helps you move from an idea to a strategy you can inspect and test before deciding whether to deploy.
Join us as we simplify algo trading in India.
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FAQs
Is today Sensex expiry?
Sensex weekly options expire every Thursday. If today is a Thursday and BSE is open, it is Sensex expiry day. If Thursday is a holiday, expiry is on the trading day before it.
Why is Nifty expiry on Tuesday?
Under SEBI’s 2025 rules, each exchange picks one expiry day for its equity derivatives. NSE chose Tuesday for Nifty, and BSE chose Thursday for Sensex. This took effect in September 2025.
Which indexes have weekly expiry?
Only Nifty 50 on NSE and Sensex on BSE have weekly options. Bank Nifty, FinNifty, Midcap Nifty and Bankex have monthly expiries only.
Which option expires on Tuesday?
Nifty 50 weekly options expire every Tuesday. NSE’s monthly contracts, including Bank Nifty, FinNifty and Midcap Nifty, expire on the last Tuesday of the month.
Has the Nifty 50 expiry day changed?
Yes. Nifty 50 expiry moved from Thursday to Tuesday in September 2025.
What time does Sensex expire?
Sensex derivatives trade during BSE’s regular session, from 9:15 AM to 3:30 PM IST, and settle as per BSE’s contract rules.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment or trading advice.