Itâs like a Balance Sheet, i.e. Total Assets â Total Liabilities = Equity (here called âTotal Account Valueâ) TOTAL ASSETS in the account are: Cash (currently $1,068.35, an increase of + $904.12 from prior periodâs $164.23) + Proceeds received when you entered short positions (currently $44,573.76, a decrease of - $879.12 from prior periodâs $45,452.88 ) + Stock you hold long (currently $44,835.90, an increase of +$565.89 from prior periodâs $44,270.01) TOTAL LIABILITIES in the account are: Your obligation to close out your shorts at some point (currently $45,936.00, an increase of +$1,362.24 from prior periodâs $44,573.76) Currently Total Assets âTotal Liabilities = $44,542.01, a decrease of -$771.35 from prior periodâs $45,313.36
thanks but why would that short proceeds change everyday ? woulnt it be constant after i initiated my short? i initiated my short position 2 weeks ago but that value changes everyday as well as my cash value.
I don't know for sure, so hopefully someone who does will respond, too! ... but if it is changing every day then perhaps âShort Balanceâ is not âProceeds received when you entered short positionsâ (as I had suggested previously) but rather a number that is marked-to-market daily? In fact, it looks like prior periodâs âShort Stock Valueâ (i.e. $45,936.00 - $1,362.24 = $44,573.76), which will change every day. So, each day âShort Balanceâ is the just prior dayâs âShort Stock Valueâ? On days when âShort Balanceâ falls compared with the prior period, you need less of your account against your shorts, and so your cash (i.e. your account equity not tied up in longs or against shorts) will increase (assuming of course that your longs have not dropped in value as well!).