Can someone explain ES intraday margin to me?

Discussion in 'Trading' started by howruhowruong, Aug 16, 2024.

  1. Can someone help me with this?

    So like i just did a trade with ES (not MES) on TradeStation:
    I bought it with only one contract using a $3000 acc and the cost is $1510 something at 5566.5 and sold it at 5567

    and i only make like $21

    Am i getting the intraday rate? Like i can enter the trade below the overnight initial margin but the gain i am gaining is still the overnight rate?

    I was expecting it to be 10x
     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2024
  2. Robert Morse

    Robert Morse Sponsor

    You are looking at this like an equity. If you go to the CME website, you see maintenance margin on ES of $13,800 today. The initial margin is always 1.1X the maintenance or $15,180/future. https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/equities/sp/e-mini-sandp500.margins.html This is what the CME requires to cover risk. Your broker, for day trading, can provide a fraction of the initial margin if they want to, but by the end of the session, 5pm et, you need to have equity to cover the maintenance per future.

     
  3. MarkBrown

    MarkBrown

    amp (highly recommended) around 500 intraday margin
     
    beginner66 likes this.
  4. SunTrader

    SunTrader

    ES is $50 per full point regardless of what session (or margin used) .......... so

    5567.00 - 5566.50 = 0.50

    0.50 x $50 = $25
     
  5. so the gain is not 10x?

    it only means i can open the trade with 1/10 less money?
     
  6. so the gain/loss is always the same, the intraday margin only lowers the amount of money required to enter the trade am i right?
     
    HawaiianIceberg and MarkBrown like this.
  7. Robert Morse

    Robert Morse Sponsor

    $1510 is 10% or 10x if that was the margin on the trade. As I told you, full is $15,180. 10% is $1518.

     
  8. now im asking that the intraday rate is only lowering the requirement to enter the trade but the actual profit and loss stay the same for both intraday/overnight rate per minimum tick am i right?
     
    MarkBrown likes this.
  9. MarkBrown

    MarkBrown

    right for 5k you can trade a 10 lot es with amp. ts probably 15k?

    ts for overnight going to be much more i bet.

    note: with amp if you liquidate at session close and reopen the trade the margin is goes back to normal. not including holding over weekend.
     
    beginner66 likes this.
  10. Robert Morse

    Robert Morse Sponsor

    Your P/L has nothing to do with your margin required to enter the trade. Maybe you should check this out before trading. https://www.cmegroup.com/education.html

     
    #10     Aug 16, 2024