Futures & FOPs Margin Requirements

Futures and FOPs Margin Overview

US Futures and FOPs Margin Requirements


For residents of the United States trading futures and FOPs:

You are subjected to margin requirements.

The complete margin requirement details are listed in the sections below.




Futures Margin


Futures margin requirements are expressed in the currency of the traded product and can change frequently. A price scanning range is defined for each product by the respective clearing house.

Note that for commodities including futures and futures options, margin is the amount of cash a client must put up as collateral to support a futures contract. For securities, margin is the amount of cash a client borrows.

Margin requirements for futures are set by each exchange.


Margin Requirements

Information not available yet

Futures - Intraday Margin Requirements


Intraday Futures Margin and Futures Options Hours

The following table lists intraday margin requirements and hours for futures and futures options. Each day at 'Intraday End Time' the futures contract will revert back to the full overnight margin requirement until the 'Intraday Start Time' the next day. Margin requirements will always be applied at 100% for spread transactions. If an account holds futures, futures options for US products, or future and index options for European products on the same underlying, intraday margin does not apply.


Exchange Symbol Description Intraday Start Time4 Intraday End Time4
CBOT ZB 30-year T-BONDS 7:20 15:00
CBOT ZN 10-YR TREAS. 7:20 15:00
CBOT ZF 5-YR TREAS. 7:20 15:00
CBOT ZT 2-YR TREAS. 7:20 15:00
CBOT Z3N 3-YR TREAS. 8:30 15:00
CBOT ZQ 30 Day Federal Funds 7:20 15:00
CBOT TN 10-YR T-NOTES 7:20 15:00
CBOT UB Ultra T-BONDS 7:20 15:00
CBOT YM MINI DJIA 8:30 15:00
CBOT MYM Micro E-mini DJIA 8:30 15:00
GLOBEX MNQ Micro E-mini NASDAQ-100 8:30 15:00
GLOBEX MES Micro E-mini S&P 500 8:30 15:00
GLOBEX M2K Micro E-mini Russell 2000 8:30 15:00
GLOBEX GE EURODOLLARS 7:20 15:00
GLOBEX ES MINI-S&P 500 8:30 15:00
GLOBEX NKD NIKKEI 225 8:00 15:00
GLOBEX NQ NASDAQ E-MINI 8:30 15:00
GLOBEX SP S&P 500 8:30 15:00
NYMEX CL Crude oil 9:00 15:45
NYMEX GC Gold 8:20 15:45
NYMEX HG Copper 8:10 15:45
NYMEX HH Nautral Gas Last Day Financial Future 9:00 15:45
NYMEX HO Heating Oil 9:00 15:45
NYMEX MGC E-Micro Gold 8:30 15:45
NYMEX NG Natural gas 9:00 15:45
NYMEX QC Copper 8:10 15:45
NYMEX QG Natural gas E-Mini 9:00 15:45
NYMEX QH Heating Oil E-Mini 9:00 15:45
NYMEX QI Silver Mini 8:25 15:45
NYMEX QM Crude oil E-Mini 9:00 15:45
NYMEX QO Gold 8:20 15:45
NYMEX QU Unleaded Gasoline E-Mini 9:00 15:45
NYMEX RB RBOB Gasoline 9:00 15:45
NYMEX SI Silver 8:25 15:45
NYMEX SIL Silver 8:25 15:45
NYBOT TF RUSSELL 2000 9:30 16:00
Exchange Symbol Description Intraday Start Time4 Intraday End Time4
CDE BAX Bankers Acceptance 6:00 15:45
CDE CGB 10-year Canadian Government Bond 6:00 15:45
CDE CGF 5-year Canadian Government Bond 6:00 15:45
CDE SCF S&P/TSX Composite 9:30 15:45
CDE SXF S&P 60 9:30 15:45
CDE SXM Mini S&P 60 9:30 15:45
Exchange Symbol Description Intraday Start Time4 Intraday End Time4
IDEM FTMIB S&P MIB30 Index 9:00 17:35
IDEM MINI Mini S&P MIB30 Index 9:00 17:35
DTB FDAX DAX Index 7:50 21:45
DTB FDXM DAX Index Mini 7:50 21:45
DTB FESX DJ EURO STOXX 7:50 21:45
DTB FGBL Euro BUND 7:50 21:45
DTB FGBM Euro BOBL 7:50 21:45
DTB FGBS Euro SCHATZ 7:50 21:45
DTB FGBX Euro BUXL 7:50 18:45
DTB FOAT Euro-OAT French Government Bond Index 7:50 18:45
SOFFEX FSMI Swiss Market Index 8:00 17:15
ICEEU I EURIBOR THREE MONTH EURO 7:00 16:15
ICEEU L THREE MONTH SHORT STERLING 7:30 16:15
ICEEU R Long Gilt 8:00 16:15
ICEEU Z FTSE 100 (NEW STYLE) 7:00 20:45
IPE WTI Light WTI Crude 1:00 20:45
MEFFRV IBX IBEX-35 9:00 17:15
MEFFRV MIX IBEX-MINI 9:00 17:15
FTA FTI AEX INDEX FUT 8:00 18:15
FTA MFA AEX INDEX FUT 8:00 18:00
MONEP FCE CAC 40 8:00 18:00
MONEP MFC CAC 40 8:00 18:00
Exchange Symbol Description Intraday Start Time5 Intraday End Time5
SNFE AM SPI 200 Mini 9:50 16:15
SNFE AP SPI 200 9:50 16:15
Exchange Symbol Description Intraday Start Time4 Intraday End Time4
HKFE A505 ISHARES FTSE A50 CHINA INDEX 9:00 15:45
HKFE HHI5 HSCEI INDEX 8:45 16:00
HKFE HSI5 HANG SENG INDEX 8:45 16:00
HKFE MCH5 HSCEI INDEX 8:45 16:00
HKFE MHI5 HANG SENG INDEX 8:45 16:00
Exchange Symbol Description Intraday Start Time4 Intraday End Time4
OSE.JPN NK225 NIKKEI 225 08:45 14:55
OSE.JPN NK225M NIKKEI 225 MINI 08:45 14:55
OSE.JPN TOPIX TOPIX 08:45 15:00
OSE.JPN TOPIXM TOPIX Mini 08:45 15:00
Exchange Symbol Description Intraday Start Time4 Intraday End Time4
NSE NIFTY S&P CNX NIFTY 9:15 15:15
Exchange Symbol Description Intraday Start Time4 Intraday End Time4
SGX NK NIKKEI 225 7:45 14:10
SGX NS NIKKEI 225 mini 7:45 13:45
SGX TW MSCI Taiwan 8:45 13:30
Exchange Symbol Description Intraday Start Time4 Intraday End Time4
KSE 01 KOSPI 9:00 15:20
KSE 05 KOSPI mini 9:00 15:20

Maintenance Margin Minimums

Futures:
50 USD /contract


Short Options:
50 USD/contract for 100 delta units
25 USD/contract for 0 delta units

Minimums for deltas between 100 and 0 will be interpolated based on the above schedule. Eurex contracts always assume a delta of 100.

Initial Margin Minimums

125% of Maintenance Margin


Notes

  • 4. The times listed in 'Intraday Start Time' and 'Intraday End Time' columns are shown in local exchange time.


Risk Margin Overview


What is risk based margining?

A risk based margin system evaluates your portfolio to set your margin requirements. The risk valuations of your positions are created using simulated market movements that anticipate possible outcomes. As a result, a more accurate margin model is created, allowing the investor to increase their leverage.


How are correlated risks offset?

Within a group of positions with the same underlying, 100% of the gain at any one valuation point is allowed to offset another positions loss at the same valuation point.

Example: An account holds a long stock position in stock ABC and a long put option contract in ABC. If a theoretical worst case scenario causes the underlying asset to drop 15%, then the loss that on the long stock position would be offset by the gain on the long put position.


What are my eligibility requirements?

Eligibility requirements vary according to the investor’s personal information, region, and exchange.


What positions are eligible?

All positions in margin equity securities (including foreign equity securities and options on foreign equity securities, listed options on an equity security or index of equity securities, security futures products, unlisted derivatives on an equity security or index of equity securities, warrants on an equity security or index of equity securities, broad-based index futures, and options on broad-based index futures.




Additional US Margin Requirements

For Residents of the United States:

Use the following links to view other margin requirements:

Stocks

Options

SSF - Single Stock Futures

Fixed Income

Mutual Funds

US Metals


You can change your location setting by clicking here


Further Reading


See the following special articles and links, which describe important information on futures/options risk management and financial controls:

To learn more about trading on margin, go to our Education Center:

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Disclosures
  1. Cash accounts and IRA accounts (both cash and margin type) are not afforded intraday margin rates.
  2. Long positions only.
  3. Margin requirements for HHI.HK futures positions larger than 1,000 contracts on HKFE are double the normal HHI.HK margin requirements.

  • If you are not an India resident, you need to have Non Resident Indian ("NRI") status in order to trade India derivatives.
  • Interactive Brokers Australia currently offers margin lending to all clients EXCEPT Self- managed Superannuation Fund account holders ("SMSF"). Click here for more information. For clients of Interactive Brokers Australia who are classified as retail, margin loans will be capped at AUD $50,000 (subject to change in IBKR Australia’s sole discretion). Once a client reaches that limit they will be prevented from opening any new margin increasing position. However, how much a client can borrow depends on a number of factors, including: the value of the money or assets contributed by the client as security; which financial products the client chooses to invest in, as we lend different amounts for different products under our risk-based model; and the maintenance margin requirement for the client’s portfolio. Once a client reaches their borrowing limit they will be prevented from opening any new margin increasing position. Closing or margin-reducing trades will be allowed. Refer to this link for information regarding margin accounts offered by IBKR Australia.







Interactive Brokers Canada Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and Member - Canadian Investor Protection Fund. Know Your Advisor: View the CIRO AdvisorReport. Trading of securities and derivatives may involve a high degree of risk and investors should be prepared for the risk of losing their entire investment and losing further amounts. Using borrowed money to finance the purchase of securities involves greater risk than using cash resources only. If you borrow money to purchase securities, your responsibility to repay the loan and pay interest as required by its terms remains the same even if the value of the securities purchased declines. Interactive Brokers Canada Inc. is an order execution-only dealer and does not provide investment advice or recommendations regarding the purchase or sale of any securities or derivatives. Our registered office is located at 1800 McGill College Avenue, Suite 2106, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 3J6, Canada.


Know Your Advisor: View the CIRO AdvisorReport