Difference Between Margin & Leverage Trading | Mirae Asset (2024)

Contrary to popular opinion, you don’t require huge investment capital to trade in the Indian stock market. Margin trading and leverage trading are two facilities that you can use to initiate positions in stocks and other securities, even if you don’t possess the necessary investment capital. Wish to know more about these two facilities and the difference between margin and leverage trading? Here’s an in-depth guide that can help you understand these two concepts.

What is a Margin?

Margin is defined as the amount of money that you borrow from your stockbroker to purchase an asset. Margin trading facility is usually provided by stockbrokers against shares that you hold in your demat account. You can quickly borrow money by pledging shares in your demat account and using them to trade in your preferred asset class.

However, the stockbroker usually levies interest in exchange for providing such a facility. The rate of interest on the margin trading facility varies from one broker to another and can range from 6.5% per annum to 18% per annum. The interest is levied up until you repay the entire borrowed amount. Additionally, you may also have to pay a nominal amount as pledging charges.

What is Leverage?

Leverage, on the other hand, is an option that allows you to enter into large positions by simply depositing a small percentage of the total trade value as a margin. Leverage is often expressed as a ratio (5:1 or 10:1) or as a multiple (5x or 10x).

In the case of a 5x or 5:1 leverage, your purchasing power would be five times that of the amount you deposit as a margin. For instance, you can enter into a position as large as ₹25,000 by depositing a margin of just ₹5,000.

The amount of leverage offered on trades varies depending on the stockbroker, the segment that you’re trading in, and a few other factors. The leverage trading facility is commonly offered on segments such as intraday equity, futures, and options.

What is the Difference Between Margin and Leverage Trading?

Now that you’re aware of these two concepts let’s take a look at the key points of difference between margin and leverage trading.

Particulars Margin Trading Leverage Trading
Definition Margin trading involves borrowing funds from the stockbroker for trading by pledging stocks present in your demat account. Leverage trading involves entering into large positions by paying just a small fraction of the total trade value.
Collateral To make use of this facility, you need to pledge stocks in your demat account as collateral. You don’t have to pledge any asset as collateral to avail leverage for your trades.
Maximum Amount The amount of margin that you can borrow from your stockbroker depends on the value of the stocks pledged as collateral. The amount of leverage that you can use for your trades depends on factors such as the stockbroker, the segment you’re trading in, and the stock exchange.
Costs There are several costs associated with margin trading. Interest on the amount borrowed, pledge creation charges, and pledge removal charges are a few key costs that you need to account for. There are no costs associated with leverage trading.
Level of Risk The risk associated with margin trading is low. If the market moves against your expectation, your loss is limited to the interest that you pay towards the borrowed amount. Leverage trading can be very risky. If the market moves against your position, your losses may be amplified significantly.
Availability The margin trading facility is only available for one segment - equity delivery. Also, not all stocks are available for margin trading. Leverage is available for intraday equity, futures, and options segments.

With this, you must now be aware of the differences between margin trading and leverage trading. Both these facilities are must-have tools in the arsenal of an investor. Judicious use of margin and leverage allows you to multiply your investment potential and returns. If you want to practice leverage trading, then look no further as m.Stock offers Margin Trading Facility at one of the lowest interest rates in India, starting from 6.99% p.a. When you avail MTF, you enjoy up to 80% funding in 700+ mtf stock list and unlimited holding period. So. open your m.Stock demat account now!

Difference Between Margin & Leverage Trading | Mirae Asset (2024)

FAQs

Difference Between Margin & Leverage Trading | Mirae Asset? ›

Level of Risk

What is the difference between margin and leverage in trading? ›

Using leverage of 30:1, for every US$100 you have in your account, you can place a trade worth up to US$3,000 and so on. In other words, margin is the amount of money needed to open a position, while leverage means that you can enter into positions larger than your account balance.

What is the difference between margin and e margin trading? ›

E-Margin trading, also known as Margin Trading, is a stock market feature in which investors are allowed to purchase more stocks with the same capital. As you can purchase more stocks with E-Margin, your returns (gain/loss) are also amplified.

Can you leverage trade without margin? ›

So, can you leverage trade without margin? Both margin and leverage work interchangeably, meaning that a margin account can help you generate leverage. However, if you trade without a margin, it means that you cannot access funds from your broker to use in opening positions.

What is the difference between trading on equity and leverage? ›

Trading on equity is also called financial leverage. Both these terms signify that a corporate body leverages its financial standing to procure debt and enhance the earnings of shareholders. In other words, a company utilises its equity strength to avail debts from creditors, and thus the name of the strategy.

What does leverage mean in trading? ›

Leverage is the use of borrowed money (called capital) to invest in a currency, stock, or security. The concept of leverage is very common in forex trading. By borrowing money from a broker, investors can trade larger positions in a currency.

What is margin in trading? ›

Margin is the money borrowed from a broker to purchase an investment and is the difference between the total value of an investment and the loan amount. Margin trading refers to the practice of using borrowed funds from a broker to trade a financial asset, which forms the collateral for the loan from the broker.

Should you use leverage in trading? ›

A trader should only use leverage when the advantage is clearly on their side. Once the amount of risk in terms of the number of pips is known, it is possible to determine the potential loss of capital. As a general rule, this loss should never be more than 3% of trading capital.

Do you have to pay back leverage? ›

Traders do not have to repay the leverage they use in the sense of returning the borrowed funds to the broker. The leverage provided by the broker is not a loan in the traditional sense, and traders are not required to make periodic payments to settle the leverage amount.

Do you pay interest on leverage? ›

Leverage costs

You'll also pay borrowing costs on positions that you keep open for more than a single day. This is called overnight financing. Overnight financing is essentially an interest payment to cover the cost of your leverage.

What happens if I trade without leverage? ›

Trading forex without leverage means you will only earn profits based on the actual movements of the currency pairs you trade. With leverage, you can amplify your profits by using borrowed funds. However, this also means you will earn lower profits when you trade without leverage.

Why you shouldn't trade on margin? ›

Investors can potentially lose money faster with margin loans than when investing with cash. This is why margin investing is usually best restricted to professionals such as managers of mutual funds and hedge funds.

Is leverage trading illegal? ›

Yes, US traders have access to leverage when trading certain financial instruments, such as futures contracts, options, and margin accounts offered by regulated brokers.

What is leverage in simple words? ›

to use something that you already have in order to achieve something new or better: We can gain a market advantage by leveraging our network of partners. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.

Can you lose more than you invest in leverage trading? ›

Trading with credit is a high-risk game and every trader that joins a leveraged broker should know how to protect their downside. Since it's possible to open trades that are larger than your first investment, you run the risk of losing all your money if you are not careful.

What is the best leverage for trading? ›

Usually in Forex Market 1:100 leverage level is the most optimal leverage for trading. For example, if $1000 is invested and the leverage is equal to 1:100, the total amount available for trading will equal to $100.000. More precisely saying, due to leverage traders are able to trade higher volumes.

How do you convert margin to leverage? ›

Converting between leverage ratios and margin factors. Margin example: If the leverage ratio is 10:1, the margin factor = 1/10 = 10%. This means you will require 10% of the total investment value to open your trade.

Do I have to pay back leverage? ›

Conclusion. In forex trading, traders do not have to "pay back" leverage in the traditional sense. Leverage allows traders to control larger positions but does not require them to repay borrowed funds. Instead, traders are responsible for managing the potential gains and losses associated with leveraged positions.

What is a 1 1000 leverage margin? ›

A leverage ratio of 1:1000 provides the highest level of amplification, allowing you to control positions that are 1000 times larger than your capital. This level of leverage carries significant risks and is generally not recommended for beginners.

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