Introductory Context
"This topic provides a complete explanation of every field in the Positions tab on Zerodha Kite, with equivalent fields mapped to Upstox and Angel One where naming differs. The objective: after this topic, you can look at any Positions tab reading and accurately understand the full state of every open position without ambiguity. "
The Positions Tab Fields - Complete Reference
Instrument: the full option symbol including the underlying index or stock, the expiry date, the strike price, and the option type (CE/PE). Always verify this field first when reviewing positions -- it is the identity of the position. Any confusion about what you hold is resolved by reading this field completely, including the expiry date and the CE/PE designation.
Qty (Quantity): the number of units held. Positive quantity means a long position (you bought). Negative quantity means a short position (you sold/wrote). For a 2-lot Nifty long call: Qty shows +150 (positive = long, 150 = 2 lots x 75 units). For a 1-lot short put in an iron condor: Qty shows -75 (negative = short, 75 = 1 lot x 75 units).
Avg. Price (Average Price): the volume-weighted average price at which the position was entered. For a position built in multiple orders at different prices, this shows the blended entry price rather than any single fill price. This is the entry price anchor discussed in Topic 9.7 -- use it for accounting, not for exit decisions.
LTP (Last Traded Price): the most recent price at which this option contract traded on NSE. This is the current market value of the option per unit. LTP x Qty x direction (long or short) gives the current market value of the position. LTP changes continuously during market hours as orders execute at various prices.
P&L Calculation -- Unrealised and Day
Unrealised P&L (Overall P&L): (LTP - Avg. Price) x Qty for long positions. (Avg. Price - LTP) x Qty for short positions. This is the total gain or loss from entry to the current moment on the current position. Day P&L: the change in position value from the prior session's closing price to the current LTP. Day P&L reflects how the position has performed today only -- not since entry. For a position entered three days ago, Day P&L shows today's P&L while Overall P&L shows the cumulative three-day P&L. Always check Overall P&L for the position's total performance from entry.
Understanding Day P&L vs Overall P&L
The distinction between Day P&L and Overall P&L causes significant confusion for traders who carry positions across multiple sessions. A position entered Monday at Rs 90 shows the following by Wednesday: if the LTP on Wednesday is Rs 115, the Overall P&L is +Rs 25 per unit (Rs 25 x 75 = Rs 1,875 for one Nifty lot). If Tuesday's closing price was Rs 108, the Day P&L is +Rs 7 per unit (Rs 115 - Rs 108 = Rs 7). The Day P&L shows today's movement (Rs 7 gain from Tuesday close to Wednesday LTP). The Overall P&L shows the total position gain from entry (Rs 25 from Monday's Rs 90 entry to Wednesday's Rs 115 LTP).
For stop-loss management, the relevant reference is the Overall P&L (not the Day P&L), because the stop-loss is defined relative to the entry price. A 50 percent stop on an entry at Rs 90 triggers when LTP reaches Rs 45, regardless of whether the session is Tuesday or Friday. The Day P&L on that session may show a Rs 10 decline (from Rs 55 the prior day to Rs 45) while the Overall P&L shows a -Rs 45 loss from entry. The stop is at -Rs 45 from entry (Overall P&L of -Rs 3,375 for one Nifty lot).
Greeks Display in the Kite Positions Tab
Kite's Positions tab can display Greeks (delta, gamma, theta, vega) for each position when the 'Show Greeks' column is enabled (gear icon in the column header area). The Greeks shown are the position-level Greeks -- the individual option's Greeks multiplied by the quantity held. A long Nifty call with delta 0.45 and Qty 75 shows position delta of 0.45 x 75 = 33.75. This means the position's total value changes by approximately Rs 33.75 for each 1-point Nifty move. Summing the position-level deltas across all positions gives the portfolio delta -- though Sensibull's Greeks panel (Topic 10.7) provides a cleaner portfolio-level view.
The MTM (Mark-to-Market) Value Column
Some broker platforms display an MTM (Mark-to-Market) value or Current Value column alongside the P&L. The MTM value is LTP x Qty x Lot Size -- the current total market value of the position in rupees. For a 2-lot Nifty call at LTP Rs 115: MTM = Rs 115 x 150 units = Rs 17,250. This is the amount you would receive (before brokerage and charges) if you sold the position at the current LTP.
The MTM value is useful for: verifying that the position size is within the 2 percent maximum (if the current MTM value represents unrealised profit that has grown significantly beyond the original premium, the risk profile has changed), and for calculating the partial exit amount when taking the 50 to 80 percent profit trigger from Topic 8.10 (50 percent of the current MTM value is the gain to be secured by the partial exit).
Multiple Positions - Reading Aggregate Exposure
When multiple positions are open simultaneously, the Positions tab shows each position on a separate row. The aggregate P&L is the sum of all individual position P&Ls. The broker platform typically shows a total P&L at the bottom of the Positions tab. For portfolio heat management (Topic 8.15), the relevant figure is the sum of all individual positions' maximum possible losses -- which requires referencing the original entry prices and defined stops, not just the current MTM values.
One important nuance for multi-leg strategies (iron condors, spreads): broker platforms typically display each leg of a spread as a separate position row rather than as a combined position. The overall P&L of the spread is the sum of the individual legs' P&Ls. A bull call spread showing the long leg at -Rs 1,200 (declining) and the short leg at +Rs 800 (rising because you sold it and it declined) has a net spread P&L of -Rs 1,200 + Rs 800 = -Rs 400 -- the spread position is losing Rs 400. Reading each leg in isolation (and panicking about the long leg's -Rs 1,200) without considering the short leg's +Rs 800 offset would produce an incorrect assessment.
The Positions tab is the objective record of what the market thinks your holdings are worth right now. It is not the record of what you paid. It is not the record of what you expect to receive. It is the current LTP applied to the current quantity -- the fair market value of your exposure at this exact moment.
LTP Is Not Always the Fair Value for Thinly Traded Options
For thinly traded options (far OTM strikes, less popular stock options), the LTP may not reflect the true fair value because the last trade may have occurred minutes or hours ago when the underlying was at a very different level. A Nifty far-OTM call at LTP Rs 8, where the last trade was 30 minutes ago and Nifty has since rallied 150 points, may actually be worth Rs 15 at the current level -- but the Positions tab shows Rs 8 (the last traded price). In these situations, the IV-derived theoretical value from Sensibull or the current bid-ask midpoint provides a more accurate fair value than the LTP.
Set Up Position Alerts for Stop and Target Levels
In Zerodha Kite (and other platforms), set price alerts for each option contract in the active positions at both the stop level and the target level. When the alert fires, immediately check the Positions tab to assess the current state. This alert-based monitoring system replaces continuous screen watching -- you can set the alerts and go about pre-planned non-trading activities during the session, confident that the stop or target approach will be notified. Kite allows setting alerts from the option contract's Watchlist row by clicking the 'Set Alert' option.