Market Structure Glossary

Accumulation is Wyckoff phase where smart money builds positions. Base before markup on stocks.

After-hours is trading outside regular NSE cash session. US ADRs vs limited Indian context — do not confuse sessions.

Bear market is prolonged decline and risk-off. Defensive sizing on Indian equities.

Bid-ask spread is the gap between buy and sell quotes. Cost of immediacy on NSE stocks and options.

BSE is India’s older exchange. Alternative listing venue to NSE.

Bull market is sustained rising prices and optimism. Regime tag for long-biased NSE books.

Buying power is capital available for new trades. Margin-aware sizing on NSE F&O.

Capitulation is panic selling climax. Potential reversal context after steep Nifty drops.

Circuit breakers halt trading at limit moves. Gap and plan risk on NSE stocks.

Consolidation is sideways price action. Range setups before Nifty expansion.

Correction is counter-trend dip in larger trend. Buy-the-dip context on Nifty.

Dark pool is private venue for large block trades. US concept — limited direct NSE retail access.

Demat holds shares electronically in India. Prerequisite for NSE cash trading.

Distribution is topping range before markdown. Supply absorption after extended rally.

F&O ban restricts new lot additions when stock derivatives open interest exceeds exchange limits. Learn NSE ban rules, impact on strategies, and journal tagging.

FII and DII flow data shows foreign and domestic institutional buying in Indian equities. Learn how to use flow context with Nifty F&O — not as a standalone signal.

A gap is an open away from prior close. Overnight risk on stocks vs gap opens on Nifty — journal gap type.

IPO is first public listing on NSE/BSE. Volatility and listing-day playbook separate tag.

Liquidity is how easily you can trade size without moving price. Session and symbol choice on Indian markets.

Lot size is minimum F&O contract quantity on NSE. Drives rupee risk per point.

Lower circuit caps daily fall. Exit difficulty during panic sells.

Market breadth measures how many stocks participate in move. Nifty rally health check.

Market cycle is recurring bull/bear/sideways phases. Macro journal context for India.

Market makers provide liquidity with bid/ask quotes. Spread context on NSE options.

Market profile maps time at price. POC and value area on Nifty session.

Nifty 50 is flagship Indian index. Benchmark for beta and index trading journals.

NSE is India’s largest exchange. Session, products, and journaling context for most readers.

Opening range is high-low of first N minutes. Breakout anchor on Nifty cash session.

Order book shows bid/ask depth at price levels. Liquidity read before market orders.

Order flow analysis reads tape and book dynamics. Short-term edge on liquid NSE products.

Premarket is activity before 9:15 NSE open. Global cues for gap planning.

Rally is sharp upward move. Momentum and short-covering on NSE.

SEBI regulates Indian securities markets. Rules affect leverage, disclosures, and compliance.

Sensex tracks 30 BSE stocks. Benchmark alongside Nifty for macro notes.

Short interest is shares sold short outstanding. Context for squeeze setups on names with data.

Short position profits from price decline. Cash short vs F&O on NSE.

Short squeeze is rapid rise forcing short covers. Volatile moves on high short-interest names.

Smart money refers to informed institutional flow. Context not excuse for retail entries.

Float is shares available to trade. Low float means squeeze and gap risk on NSE small caps.

Stock split increases share count, lowers price per share. Adjust charts and cost basis.

Upper circuit caps daily rise on NSE stocks. Liquidity vanishes at limit.

India VIX measures expected Nifty volatility. Use it for size, option premium context, and session risk tags in your journal.