Source: Interactive Brokers Warns Gold Margin Hike Imminent, CME Next? | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge

The first shot was just fired in today's battle with daily record gold prices. IB always tends to be a few minutes ahead of the CME. And following last week's 22% margin hike in gold, we are confident the CME will do everything in its power to pull a "silver" on gold. Are we about to experience a barrage of margin hikes in gold? Stay tuned and find out.

Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers bulletin board To HKFE,HKMEX,NYMEX,NYSELIFFE traders: Fri Aug 19 13:29:35 2011 EST As a result of the volatile trading environment at the present time, please be advised that Exchange margins and House margins are likely to increase over the next couple of days. For exchange- specific increases, please visit the respective websites. IB will also be increasing the gold derivatives margin. Please monitor any affected holdings closely and manage your risk accordingly.

Mike

Performance Bonds | Margins Requirements for CME Group Products

Hopefully we don't see an adjustment to CL. When they adjusted Silver, they adjusted CL, although with crude prices at their current level, I don't see why they would.

Anyway, can someone please explain to me what the "volitility scan rate" is for the instrument and what it means (in practical terms, what, if any effect they have on trading).

Yup.

News Headlines

Quoting 

The CME Group on Wednesday raised maintenance margins for trading COMEX 100-ounce gold futures by 27 percent, effective after the close of business on Aug 25. The exchange operator raised maintenance margins on gold futures for speculators to $7,000 per contract from $5,500. On Aug 10, the CME raised gold futures trading margins by 22 percent to $5,500 per contract.

Mike

And it looks like they will increase them AGAIN, in a few more days.

Source: Caution: Another Gold Margin Hike Imminent | ZeroHedge

Quoting 

To HKMEX,NYMEX,NYSELIFFE traders: Thu Aug 25 13:54:57 2011 EST As a result of the continued volatile trading environment, please be advised that exchange margins and/or house margins are likely to increase overnight and over the next couple of days, particularly in the metals. For exchange specific increases, please visit the respective websites. IB will also be increasing the gold derivatives margin. Please monitor any affected holdings closely and manage your risk accordingly.

Mike

I am not surprised the daily range and volatility has increased quite a bit in the last 3 weeks