Leverage & Margin

Leverage trading, or trading on margin, means a trader is not required to put up the full value of the position. But there are some important distinctions between trading stocks on margin and trading CFDs on margin.

When stocks trade on margin, the leverage ratios are in the range of 2:1 or 4:1 – meaning a trader would only have to deposit $10,000 to the trader’s account in order to trade stocks worth $20,000 or $40,000 respectively. However, this kind of leverage requires the stock trader to be approved for “credit” for the amount invested that is in excess of what is deposited. Moreover, if the value of the stocks falls to a certain level, a stock trader trading on margin may have to pay additional funds than originally deposited to cover the losses.

CFD trading offers more leverage than stocks or futures - up to 200 times the value of the deposited funds in the trading account. Therefore, at 200:1 leverage, a trader need only put up $50 to trade $10,000 worth of an index or commodity. However, unlike trading in stocks, CFD traders do not need credit approval to trade on margin. If the value of the CFD positions falls to a certain level, ICM will close out all positions so a trader will never owe more money than what the trader initially deposited.

Keep in mind that increased leverage increases both a trader's opportunity and risk. For example, at 200:1 leverage, a change of 1% in the underlying value of the trade will result in a gain or loss of 200% on the underlying deposit.