The act of artificially inflating or deflating the price of a security. In most cases, manipulation is illegal. It is much easier to manipulate the share price of smaller companies, such as penny stocks, because they are not as closely watched by analysts as the medium- and large-sized firms. Also known as "price manipulation". Taobiz explains Manipulation One way people can deflate the price of a security is by placing hundreds of small orders at a significantly lower price than the one at which it has been trading. This gives investors the impression that there is something wrong with the company, so they sell, pushing the prices even lower. Another example of manipulation would be to place simultaneous buy and sell orders through different brokers that cancel each other out but give the perception, because of the higher volume, that there is increased interest in the security.
A corporate action in which an outside manager or management team purchases an ownership stake in the first company and replaces the existing management team. This type of action can occur due to a company appearing undervalued or having a poor management team. Taobiz explains Management Buy-In - MBI There are a wide range of management teams, such as hedge funds and other companies, that look for undervalued companies to purchase. If they find a company that fits with their investment criteria, they will often purchase the company and make it private to unlock the value. More often than not, they replace the management team with their own, which they feel will do a better job at running the company.
The minimum amount of equity that must be maintained in a margin account. In the context of the NYSE and NASD, after an investor has bought securities on margin, the minimum required level of margin is 25% of the total market value of the securities in the margin account. Keep in mind that this level is a minimum, and many brokerages have higher maintenance requirements of 30-40%. Also referred to as "minimum maintenance" or "maintenance requirement". Taobiz explains Maintenance Margin As governed by the Federal Reserve's Regulation T, when a trader buys on margin, key levels must be maintained throughout the life of the trade. First off, a broker cannot extend any credit to accounts with less than $2,000 in cash (or securities). Second, the initial margin of 50% is required for a trade to be entered. Finally, the maintenance margin says that an equity level of at least 25% must be maintained. The investor will be hit with a margin call if the value of securities falls below the maintenance margin.
A principle of investing in which an investor only purchases securities when the market price is significantly below its intrinsic value. In other words, when market price is significantly below your estimation of the intrinsic value, the difference is the margin of safety. This difference allows an investment to be made with minimal downside risk. The term was popularized by Benjamin Graham (known as "the father of value investing") and his followers, most notably Warren Buffett. Margin of safety doesn't guarantee a successful investment, but it does provide room for error in an analyst's judgment. Determining a company's "true" worth (its intrinsic value) is highly subjective. Each investor has a different way of calculating intrinsic value which may or may not be correct. Plus, it's notoriously difficult to predict a company's earnings. Margin of safety provides a cushion against errors in calculation. Taobiz explains Margin Of Safety Margin of safety is a concept used in many areas of life, not just finance. For example, consider engineers building a bridge that must support 100 tons of traffic. Would the bridge be built to handle exactly 100 tons? Probably not. It would be much more prudent to build the bridge to handle, say, 130 tons, to ensure that the bridge will not collapse under a heavy load. The same can be done with securities. If you feel that a stock is worth $10, buying it at $7.50 will give you a margin of safety in case your analysis turns out to be incorrect and the stock is really only worth $9. There is no universal standard to determine how wide the "margin" in margin of safety should be. Each investor must come up with his or her own methodology.
1. The dollar amount in an existing margin account that is currently available for purchasing securities. For new accounts, this represents the percentage value of the current balance that is available for future margin purchases. 2. The dollar amount available for withdrawal from an account with existing marginable positions being used as collateral. Taobiz explains Margin Loan Availability The margin loan availability will change daily as the value of margin debt (which includes purchased securities) changes, but it may not reflect pending trades that are in between the trade date and the settlement date. If the margin loan availability amount in an investor's account becomes negative, the investor may be due for a margin call or formal request to sell some of the marginable securities.
1. The dollar value of securities purchased on margin within an account. Margin debt carries an interest rate, and the amount of margin debt will change daily as the value of the underlying securities changes. 2. The aggregate value of all margin debt in a nation or across an exchange. Taobiz explains Margin Debt 1. When setting up a margin account with a stock brokerage, the typical maximum for margin debt is 50% of the value of the account. In order to prevent a margin call (a request to raise collateral in the account), the margin debt must remain below a specified percentage level of the total account balance, known as the minimum margin requirement. Not all securities are available to be purchased with margin debt, especially those with low share prices or extreme volatility. Different brokers have different requirements in this area, as each may have its own list of marginable securities. 2. Margin debt levels, and their rate of change, are sometimes used as an indicator of investor sentiment because margin debt rises when investors feel good about the prospects in the stock markets. In the past, margin debt levels have peaked at the same time market indexes reached relative peaks. When markets decline in a hurry, a large number of margin calls will usually come due, which can add to already heightened selling pressure.
A broker's demand on an investor using margin to deposit additional money or securities so that the margin account is brought up to the minimum maintenance margin. Margin calls occur when a you account value depresses to a value calculated by the broker's particular formula. This is sometimes called a "fed call" or "maintenance call". Taobiz explains Margin Call You would receive a margin call from a broker if one or more of the securities you had bought (with borrowed money) decreased in value past a certain point. You would be forced either to deposit more money in the account or to sell off some of your assets.
A brokerage account in which the broker lends the customer cash to purchase securities. The loan in the account is collateralized by the securities and cash. If the value of the stock drops sufficiently, the account holder will be required to deposit more cash or sell a portion of the stock. Taobiz explains Margin Account In a margin account, you are investing with your broker's money. By using leverage in such a way, you magnify both gains and losses.