Alpari's leverage and margin rates
Market
Leverage Available*
Margin*
Forex
1:3000
0.03%
Metals
1:3000
0.03%
Indices
1:1000
0.10%
Commodities
1:500
0.20%
Cryptocurrency
1:1000
0.10%
Stock CFDs
1:10
10%
Margin Calculator
We are always adding new instruments to our calculator. If you do not find what you are looking for, please check our full margin requirements.
How it works
Select your account type and currency.
Choose your instrument
Set your position size
What is leverage in trading?
Using leverage in trading means you can trade a larger amount for a smaller deposit than would normally be required to own the asset outright.
Put simply, leverage is a way to boost your trading power.
You do this by borrowing capital from Alpari, offering you the opportunity to open larger positions.
Leverage is expressed as a ratio, such as 1:100. This means Alpari offers you 100 times your capital amount to trade.
We offer you leverage based on your experience, account type and the market you are trading.
What is margin?
In trading, margin is the amount of funds required in your account to cover potential losses on your trades. It acts as a deposit or 'down payment' to maintain open positions
In a nutshell, margin refers to the level of funds you need to keep in your account to cover any possible losses on your trades.
You need to maintain your margin level to keep your positions open. Your margin level is calculated as a percentage, representing the ratio of equity in your account to the used margin. It’s an indicator for determining how much of your funds are tied up in current trades versus how much remains available for new opportunities.
If your margin level drops too low, you may trigger a margin call.
With a margin call, you may be required to deposit additional funds or sell off some assets to meet the minimum margin requirement. This protects you and us from potential losses.
Dynamic margin requirements
Alpari has Dynamic Margin Requirement (DMR), meaning the amount of margin may change based on specific market conditions.
Alpari applies DMR to affected instruments for 12 minutes before and 2 minutes after some significant economic news releases.
DMR is also applied 2 hours ahead of market closures for weekends and public holidays.
The leverage available during these times decreases from a maximum of 1:3000 to 1:200. This means that margin requirements will be higher for these periods.
How to calculate requirements
To calculate your margin requirements, you'll need to refer to the leverage and margin rate card for your trading account type and asset. You'll also need to consider the aggregate notional value of your positions and the base currency of your account.
Below are a couple of examples of calculating leverage and margin requirements for an account in USD.
EXAMPLE 1: 1 lot
Buy 1 lots GBPUSD at 1.4584.
To calculate the notional value, we multiply the number of lots by the contract size and price.
Notional value = 1 x 100,000 x 1.4584 = 145,840 USD
From the rate card: For FX Majors with a notional value between 50,001 - 200,000 USD, the leverage is 1:1000 and margin is 0.1%. Therefore, we can calculate:
Leverage = 145,840 USD x 1,000 = 145,840,000 USD
Margin required = 145,840 USD x 0.1% = 145.84 USD
EXAMPLE 2: 5 lots
Buy 5 lots EURUSD 1.3175.
Notional value = 5 x 100,000 x 1.3175 = 658,750 USD
The aggregate notional value is the sum of all positions, so we have:
145,840 USD (position 1) + 658,750 USD (position 2) = 804,590 USD
For FX Majors with a notional value between 50,001 - 200,000 USD, the leverage is 1:1000 and margin is 0.1%. For 200,001 - 2,00,000 USD, the leverage is 1:500 and margin is 0.2%.
So, for the first 200,000 USD, we have a leverage of 2,000,000 USD and a required margin of 200.00 USD, and the for the remaining 604,590 USD (804,590 USD - 200,000 USD), we calculate as follows:
Leverage = 604,590 USD x 500 = 302,295,000 USD
Therefore, our total leverage for both positions = 145,840,000 USD + 302,295,000 USD = 448,135,000 USD
Margin required = (200,000 USD x 0.1%) + (604,590 x 0.2%) = 200.00 USD + 1,209.80 USD = 1,409.80 USD
Frequently asked questions
Margin is the money borrowed from a broker to invest. It’s the gap between the investment’s total value and the loan amount.
When trading, this is the amount of money you need to keep in your account to cover any losses you might make.
Make sure you maintain this amount at all times, or your current positions will be closed and you won't be able to open any new ones.
Leverage is a way to boost your buying power by trading with capital you borrow from your broker.
At Alpari, we offer you leverage based on your trading experience, account type and instrument.
Using leverage means you can trade a larger amount of an asset for a smaller deposit. Leverage is expressed as a ratio such as 1:100, which means we’ll offer you 100 times your capital amount to trade.
While leverage may increase your profits, it can also increase losses. Make sure you have effective risk management in place.
We don't have one specific margin level. It depends on a number of factors including your account type and the specific instrument you're trading.
More detailed information about our margin levels is available within our contract specifications.
Maximum leverage is the largest trading position allowed in a leveraged account, set by a broker’s margin requirements and regulations.
At Alpari, leverage limits depend on your account type and the instrument you're trading.
More importantly, the amount of leverage we offer is based on your personal knowledge and market experience so limits will vary.