SEBI lowers margin requirements for futures contracts
In a move aimed at reducing risks from defaults in the derivative segment, market regulator SEBI today introduced cross margin facility for institutional traders, under which margin requirement for a futures contract will be reduced if the buyer h...
"Cross margin facility will be available initially for institutional trades", SEBI said in a circular.
Cross margining refers to a position where the margin requirements in the derivatives market are set-off against the stocks held in the spot market.
The cross margin facility, it added, will also be available to positions in cash market having corresponding off-setting positions in the stock futures market.
The initiative is aimed at improving the efficiency of the use of the margin capital by market participants, it said.
As an initial step towards cross margining across cash and derivatives markets, it said, "Margins shall be levied on cash market positions which have off-setting stock futures positions in the derivatives market."
SEBI further said that Extreme Loss Margin and Market to Market Margin will continue to be levied on the entire cash market position.
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