4 straight green days, and on Monday the options board physically moved its floor up under this market. Traders added 1.21 crore fresh puts at 24,400, the single biggest build anywhere on the chain, and 76 lakh more at 24,300, while the calls sitting at 24,300 evacuated. Both strikes now hold about 1.38 crore contracts each, closing in on the 24,000 anchor at 1.62 crore. Today those walls get tested, because it is Nifty weekly expiry. The settle is the story.

The tape they defend: Nifty closed 24,430.35 (+0.66%), a 4th straight green day, with a high of 24,458.65, never touching 24,500. Sensex 78,285.07 (+521). India VIX 11.82. And underneath, the thinnest engine list of the move: just 24 of 50 Nifty stocks advanced. HDFC Bank +3.59% on its business update did the heavy lifting nearly alone while Kotak fell 3.89% and IT faded a 3rd straight ...