In: Finance
A trader opened an account to short-sell 1,000 shares of a tech stock at $120 per share. The initial margin requirement was 50%. (The margin account pays no interest.) A year later, the price of the stock has risen from $120 to $131.20, and the stock has paid a dividend of $20.00 per share. What is the remaining margin in the account?
The initial margin = 1,000×120×50%
= $60,000
As a result of increase in the stock price,trader losses = ($131.20-$120) × 1,000
= $11.2 × 1,000
= $11,200
Therefore margin decreases by $11,200.Moreover trader must pay the dividend of $20 per share to the lender of the shares,so that the margin in the account decreses by an additional $20,000.
Remaining margin = $60,000 - $11,200 - $20,000
= $28,800
Therefore the remaining margin in the account is $28,800