How Margin Debt Works
Money that is borrowed to buy stocks is sometimes an indicator of future market performance. Here is how it works and why the matter is relevant now.
2 min
Margin debt is a sometimes-overlooked but key part of the stock market that is particularly pertinent right now.
It is the money that investors borrow from stockbrokers to buy securities when they can’t or don’t want to fund the entire purchase with cash. Say an investor wants to purchase 100 shares at $50 each for a total of $5,000 but has only $2,500 to invest. That individual could buy the rest of the shares on margin. The same process can be used to buy exchange-traded funds.
Investors frequently use margin to get more bang for their investing buck. “The pro of margin is that it increases your purchasing power,” says Jeff Deiss, director of wealth planning at ACM in Ridgewood, N.J.
The downside is that brokers typically charge interest on borrowed money. And if the individual starts losing money on the investment, the stockbroker might ask for additional cash as security or collateral. That decision and how much cash will be required will depend on a variety of factors, including the remaining value of the investment, how much money the investor owes the broker and the requirements of the broker.
“Buying on margin comes with a lot of risk, and if you are going to use margin, it is probably a good idea to have some cash on the side,” says Mr. Deiss. Investors who don’t have the required additional cash may be forced to close out their positions at a loss.
A large amount of buying on margin also can be detrimental to the stock market as a whole.
At the end of January, customer margin debt at U.S. brokers regulated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or Finra, jumped to $799 billion from $562 billion a year earlier, according to data provided by Finra.
Some analysts say that jump in margin debt came from individual investors, who turned to online trading amid pandemic-related lockdowns. A combination of new easy-to-use trading technology, ultralow borrowing costs and stimulus checks from the federal government helped fuel the phenomenon.
“For younger folks, it’s kind of the drug of choice,” Mr. Deiss says.
The problem is, when there is a lot of margin debt concentrated in a few stocks, those stocks tend to see wild price swings, says Fabiana Fedeli, global head of fundamental equities at Rotterdam-based asset-management company Robeco. Anecdotal evidence indicates that the recent increase in margin debt coincided with higher participation levels by individual investors, she says.
Indeed, certain stocks that became popular with individual investors also saw price volatility earlier this year. “The minute that the margin couldn’t be met, some of the positions had to be sold immediately,” Ms. Fedeli says. “It gives volatility to the market,” she says.
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CommSec research reveals this state is leading the country in economic growth, unemployment, construction and dwelling starts
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South Australia is currently the strongest state or territory economy in the country, with economic activity 9.1 percent above its decade-average in the December quarter, according to CommSec research. NSW was second with economic output running 8.6 percent above its long-run average, followed by Victoria with 8.5 percent, the ACT at 8.3 percent and Western Australia at 6 percent.
Economic activity in both Queensland and Tasmania was 4.5 percent above average while the Northern Territory underperformed its long-term average by 0.5 percent.
The CommSec research ranks states and territories on several key economic metrics and compares the latest quarterly data with each area’s decade average. South Australia ranks first on four of the eight key indicators. They are economic growth, unemployment, construction and dwelling starts.
Western Australia ranks first on population growth and business and equipment investment. Population growth has been a key element in Perth and regional Western Australia becomingthe country’s hottest property markets over the past 12 months. CoreLogic figures released this week show home values are up 21.1 percent in Perth and 13.3 percent in the state’s regions.
Despite high inflation, retail spending remained above the long-term average in all states and territories in the December quarter. The ACT led with retail expenditure 12.2 percent higher than its long-term average, followed by Western Australia with 11.3 percent, Victoria at 11.2percent and Queensland at 11.1 percent.
Queensland is in the top spot for new home loans. Propelling this is very strong internal migration and a doubling of the First Home Owners Grant to $30,000 from 20 November last year. New home loans issued to first home buyers in November surged to a 15-month high, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Queensland is currently the second strongest housing market, with home values up 16.1 percent in Brisbane and 11.2 percent in regional areas over the past year.
In all states and territories except the Northern Territory, housing finance commitments remained above decade averages in the December quarter. The value of home loans in Queensland was 21.1 percent higher than the state’s long-term average. The next strongest was Western Australia, up 17.5 percent, South Australia, up 14.2 percent, and the ACT, up 12 percent. The new CoreLogic data reveals 15 consecutive months of growth in the national median price, despite high interest rates.
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