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Intraday Margin Trading

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More and more young investors are entering into intraday trading with the hopes that they can turn a quick profit. A 2024 report by SEBI stated that the number of intraday traders went from 1.5 million in FY19 to 6.9 million in FY23.

With the popularity of intraday trading gaining immense momentum, traders are constantly trying to figure out ways through which they can maximize their profits. This is where the concept of intraday margin trading comes into play. With the help of intraday margin trading, traders can boost their buying power, and add more stocks to their portfolio without the need for extra funds. 

Here is everything you would need to know about intraday margin trading.

What is Intraday Margin Trading?

Intraday trading is also known as day trading and before we dive deeper into what intraday margin trading is, we need to understand the basics of intraday trading. Intraday trading involves the buying and selling of shares on the same day. What this means is that traders close all positions before the market closes, usually at 3:30 pm. The biggest benefit of intraday trading is that one can capitalise on quick price movements in the market and not have to hold onto stocks overnight.

Having understood the basics of intraday trading, let us now have a look at intraday margin trading. With the help of intraday margin trading, traders can borrow money from their stock broker company to buy more shares, which they might not be able to afford with their cash alone. The intraday margin acts as leverage and boosts the trader’s buying power. As a result, the chances to generate potentially higher profits increase. However, with this method, the risk of incurring greater losses also increases. Think of intraday margin trading as a high-reward, high-risk strategy that traders use to make the most of market fluctuations.

Working of Intraday Margin Trading

With the help of intraday margin trading, traders can take bigger positions in the market than what their cash alone will allow them. As a part of this strategy, traders do not have to pay the full amount upfront. However, they do need to put down a portion of the amount into their margin trading account as collateral. The rest of the amount is covered by their stockbroking company. The company will charge the trader interest on these borrowed funds and traders need to keep in mind that since this surrounds intraday trading, they need to close all their positions before the market closes.

To ensure that they make the best of price swings in the market, traders can trade a larger number of shares with the help of intraday margin. There is one thing in particular that traders need to remember though; leverage works both ways. Leverage can without a doubt amplify profits but it is equally capable of magnifying losses. Add to this the interest costs and margin requirements, and any potential losses will appear worse for wear. Traders need to remember that intraday trading is inherently risky and adding margin to it can worsen it.

To help you understand intraday margin trading better, here is an example:`

Suppose a trader has ₹10,000 in cash and wants to buy a stock that is trading at ₹200 per share. This means that the trader can afford to buy 50 shares. Now, the trader’s stockbroker is willing to give them a 3x margin which essentially means that the trader would be able to buy 150 shares amounting to ₹30,000.

During the intraday trading margin, if the price of the stock jumps 5%, the trader’s profit will stand at ₹1,500 which is more than the ₹500 the trader would have made with their money alone. Even with the interest that needs to be paid to the stockbroker, the trader would still be able to make profits. However, if the stocks take a 5% downward dip,  traders will end up losing ₹1,500 instead—plus the interest on the loan.

This is why it is important to consider both the profit and loss aspects when traders plan to trade with the help of intraday margin trading. 

What Are Day Trading Margin Calls?

When traders are using intraday margin to trade, your stockbroker needs you to maintain a minimum balance in your account. This is known as the maintenance margin. In case the account balance falls below this level due reasons like market fluctutions, a margin call will be made by your broker for you. Think of the margin call as a warning for traders to remind them to add funds or close some positions to cover the risk that has risen from this dip. 

If traders fail to act on a margin call, your broker holds the right to sell off their positions to restore the trader’s account balance to reach the required level. This is why traders need to constantly keep an eye out on their margin balance.

Pros and Cons of Intraday Margin

Intraday margin trading has both pros and cons for the trader. Here is a deeper dive into both these aspects.

Advantages

  • Traders can use both cash and shares as collateral from their Demat account. 

  • With the help of the margin provided, traders can take larger positions in the market, which could potentially lead to the production of greater returns, something that they may not be able to achieve with their funds alone.

  • Particular stockbrokers also let traders indulge in short-selling using margin which lets traders profit from falling stock prices.

  • For traders who are running low on cash, margin trading can help make the best of the market opportunities that could possible have been missed.

Disadvanatges

  • Traders need to understand that when using intraday margin, they are combining the risks of both day trading and margin trading in a single trade. This can be risky. 

  • Among the charges that are a part of margin trading, the interest charged, the brokerage fees and a minimum balance maintainance could eat into any potential profits.

  • Risk management is of utmost importance in margin trading, otherwise using too much margin can lead to massive losses.

  • The drop in the account balance of a trader below the minimum margin could trigger a margin call from the stockbroker or possible liquidation of a trader’s positions.

SEBI's Margin Trading Guidelines

Traders need to remember to maintain a minimum balance in their account, called the margin requirement, when they decide to trade on margin. This acts like a safety net that can help cover potential losses. When it comes to intraday margin trading In India, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has set some important rules. 

  1. A day trader must deposit at least 20% of the transaction value with their broker.

  2. There is a 25% decrease in the margin provided by brokers every three quarters, which could lead to traders putting in more of their own money.

  3. An initial margin of 50% and a maintenance margin of 40% needs to be maintained by the trader if they want to continue trading.

  4. All these margin requirements are to be met by the trader before they place an intraday order.

  5. Brokers are allowed to offer a maximum leverage of 5x on the trader’s investment. 

Conclusion

There is no doubt that margin trading provides intraday traders with the power to take larger market positions and potentially generate higher profits. However, it is important to remember that while intraday margin trading can boost the potential gains, it will also end up boosting any potential losses. This is why it is important to make informed decisions, using tools like stop-loss orders and making timely exits.

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Disclaimer: Investments in the securities market are subject to market risk, read all related documents carefully before investing.

This content is for educational purposes only. Securities quoted are exemplary and not recommendatory.

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