米国の株式市場では、時おり極端な変動や価格の崩壊が発生することがあります。 この現象は長引くこともあれば、短時間で終わることもあります。ストップ注文は価格の下落や市場の変動を助長する役割を果たし、トリガー価格から大幅に離れた価格で約定する可能性があります。 

IBKRでは規制のため、口座内の有価証券資産をコモディティ資産と分別することを義務とされています。  コモディティ資産には、先物ポジションのオプションの市場価値や、コモディティの先物や先物ポジションのオプトアウトのために証拠金として必要となる現金が含まれることがあります。  コモディティのポジションの必要証拠金は定期的に計算し直され、証拠金額が下がる場合には、コモディティの必要証拠金として余る分が口座のコモディティ側から有価証券側に移動します。 また、コモディティの必要証拠金額が上がる場合、IBKRでは有価証券側で利用可能な現金をコモディティ側に移します。 SIPC保険は口座内のコモディティ側ではなく、有価証券側の資産を対象としているため、定期的な移動は現金残高に対する保護が最大となるように行われます。 なお、これらの仕分けはお互いに相殺されるため、口座内の現金残高の合計には影響しません（アクティビティーステートメントの現金残高項目内の、「合計」コラムをご覧下さい）。

Background

Clients who simultaneously hold both long and short positions of a given futures contract having different delivery months are often provided a spread margin rate that is less than the margin requirement for each position if considered separately. However, as the settlement prices of each contract may deviate significantly as the front month contract approaches its close out date, IBKR will reduce the benefit of the spread margin rate to reflect the risk of this price deviation.

Spread Margin Adjustment

This reduction is accomplished by effectively decoupling or breaking the spread in phases on each of the 3 business days preceding the close out date of the front contract month, as follows:

• On the 3rd business day prior to close out, the initial and maintenance margin requirements will be equal to 10% of their respective requirements on each contract month as if there was no spread, plus 90% of the spread requirement;
• On the 2nd business day prior to close out, the initial and maintenance margin requirements will be equal to 20% of their respective requirements on each contract month as if there was no spread, plus 80% of the spread requirement;
• On the business day prior to close out, the initial and maintenance margin requirements will be equal to 30% of their respective requirements on each contract month as if there was no spread, plus 70% of the spread requirement.

Working Example

Assume a hypothetical futures contract XYZ with the margin requirements as outlined in the table below:

Further assume a position consisting of 1 short front month contract and 1 long back month contract with the front month contract close out date = T.  using this hypothetical example, the initial margin requirement over the 3 business day period preceding close out date is outlined in the table below:

The CFTC, the primary regulator of U.S. commodity futures markets and Futures Commission Merchants (FCMs), operates a comprehensive system of collecting information on market participants as part of its market surveillance and large trader reporting program.

IBKR, as a registered FCM providing clients with access to those markets, is obligated to report to the CFTC information on clients who hold a position in a quantity that exceeds defined thresholds (i.e., a "reportable position").  In order to report this information, IBKR requires clients trading U.S. futures or futures options to complete an online CFTC Ownership and Control Reporting form at the point the client requests futures trading permissions.

Once a client holds a "reportable position", the CFTC may then contact that client directly and require them to file  more detailed information via CFTC Form 40. The information required of this report includes the following:

• Trader's name and address
• Principal business
• Form of ownership (e.g., individual, joint, partnership, corporation, trust, etc.)
• Whether the reporting trader is registered under the Commodity Exchange Act
• Whether the reporting trader controls trading for others
• Whether any other person controls the trading of the reportable trader
• Name and location of all firms through which the reportable trader carries accounts
• Name and location of other persons providing a trading guarantee or having a financial interest in account of 10% or greater
• Name of accounts not in the reporting trader's name in which the trader provides a guarantee or has a financial interest of 10% or more.

Clients who fail to complete this Form in a timely manner may be subject to trading restrictions and/or fines imposed by CFTC upon their account at the FCM.  It is therefore imperative that clients immediately respond to these CFTC requests.

To complete the CFTC Form 40, clients must first register for a CFTC Portal Account, an online process which is subject to a review period of 2 business days from the point of initial registration to acknowledgement of approval by the CFTC.  For information regarding this registration process and completing the Form 40, see KB3149.