What is the relationship between Margin and Leverage?
You use margin to create leverage.
Leverage is the increased “trading power” that is available when using a margin account.
Leverage allows you to trade positions LARGER than the amount of money in your trading account.
Leverage is expressed as a ratio.
Leverage is the ratio between the amount of money you really have and the amount of money you can trade.
It is usually expressed with an “X:1” format.
For example, if you wanted to trade 1 standard lot of USD/JPY without margin, you would need $100,000 in your account.
But with a Margin Requirement of just 1%, you would only have to deposit $1,000 in your account.
The leverage provided for this trade would be 100:1.
Here are examples of Leverage Ratios depending on the Margin Requirement:
Currency Pair | Margin Requirement | Leverage Ratio |
EUR/USD | 2% | 50:1 |
GBP/USD | 5% | 20:1 |
USD/JPY | 4% | 25:1 |
EUR/AUD | 3% | 33:1 |
Here’s how to calculate Leverage:
Leverage = 1 / Margin Requirement
For example, if the Margin Requirement is 2%, here’s how to calculate leverage:
50 = 1 / .02
The leverage is 50, which is expressed as a ratio, 50:1
Here’s how to calculate the Margin Requirement based on the Leverage Ratio:
Margin Requirement = 1 / Leverage Ratio
For example, if the Leverage Ratio is 100:1, here’s how to calculate the Margin Requirement.
0.01 = 1 / 100
The Margin Requirement is 0.01 or 1%.
As you can see, leverage has an inverse relationship to margin.
“Leverage” and “margin” refer to the same concept, just from a slightly different angle.When a trader opens a position, they are required to put up a fraction of that position’s value “in good faith”. In this case, the trader is said to be “leveraged”.
The “fraction” part which is expressed in percentage terms is known as the “Margin Requirement”. For example, 2%.
The actual amount that is required to be put up is known as the “Required Margin”.
For example, 2% of a $100,000 position size would be $2,000.
The $2,000 is the Required Margin to open this specific position.
Since you are able to trade a $100,000 position size with just $2,000, your leverage ratio is 50:1.
Leverage = 1 /Margin Requirement 50 = 1 / 0.02

Forex Margin vs. Securities Margin
Forex margin and securities margin are two very different things. Understanding the difference is important.
In the securities world, margin is the money you borrow as a partial down payment, usually up to 50% of the purchase price, to buy and own a stock, bond, or ETF.
This practice is often referred to as “buying on margin”.
So if you’re trading stocks on margin, you’re borrowing money from your stock broker to purchase stock. Basically, a loan from the brokerage firm.
In the forex market, margin is the amount of money that you must deposit and keep on hand with your trading platform when you open a position.
It is NOT a down payment and you do NOT own the underlying currency pair.
Margin can be looked at as a good faith deposit or collateral that’s used to ensure each party (buyer and seller) can meet their obligations of the agreement.
Unlike margin in stock trading, margin in forex trading is not borrowed money.
When trading forex, nothing is actually being bought or sold, only the agreement (or contract) to buy or sell are exchanged, so borrowing is not needed.
The term “margin” is used across multiple financial markets. However, there is a difference between how margin is used when trading securities versus when trading forex. Understanding this difference is essential prior to trading forex.
17 replies on “The Relationship Between Margin and Leverage”
can i grow cbd hemp in oregon
Is anyone able to recommend cheap Independent Boarding Schools B2B Email List? Thanks 😀
I oversee a vape shop web directory and we have had a listing from a vape shop in the United States that additionally offers for sale CBD goods. A Month afterwards, PayPal has contacted use to say that our account has been limited and have requested us to get rid of PayPal as a payment solution from our vape shop submission site. We do not offer for sale CBD products like CBD oil. We simply provide web marketing services to CBD firms. I have taken a look at Holland & Barrett– the UK’s Well known Health Merchant and if you take a close look, you will see that they offer a fairly considerable variety of CBD items, primarily CBD oil and they also happen to accept PayPal as a payment solution. It seems that PayPal is employing double standards to different firms. Because of this limitation, I can no longer accept PayPal on my CBD-related online site. This has restricted my payment possibilities and currently, I am seriously dependent on Cryptocurrency payments and direct bank transfers. I have gotten in touch with a lawyer from a Magic Circle law firm in London and they explained that what PayPal is undertaking is absolutely not legal and discriminatory as it ought to be applying an uniform standard to all companies. I am still to get in touch with an additional attorney from a US law practice in The city of london to see what PayPal’s legal position is in the USA. In the meantime, I would be highly appreciative if anyone here at targetdomain could provide me with different payment processors/merchants that work with CBD companies.
what/is cbd
Is anyone here in a position to recommend COLOURS? Cheers x
Good Afternoon everybody ! can anyone advise where I can purchase Nourishing Hemp Conditioner By Hempmeds?
Good Morning everybody , can anyone suggest where I can purchase Blue Moon Hemp CBD Disposable Vape Pen Kush E Blunt 560mg?
Does anybody know whether Awesome Vapor vape shop based in 6659 East Harry Street offers e-liquid made by Hot Boyz Vapor? I have tried sending them an email at at [email protected]
Let me know Vapor Cloud store in 807 Center Ave Suite B offers ejuice made by The Drip Company: Coffee Shop Edition? I have tried sending them an email at at [email protected]
I was wondering if anyone knows what happened to Dimepiece LA celebrity streetwear brand? I am unable to check out on Dimepiecela site. I’ve read in Women’s Health Mag that they were bought out by a UK hedge fund in excess of $50 million. I have just bought the Dimepiece Sport Heavyblend Crewneck Sweatshirt from Amazon and absolutely love it xox
Has anybody shopped at Euphoria Vapor of Fairview Park? 🙂
Has anyone ever vaped Vape Models E-Liquid Vaping ejuice?
Hi everyone , can anyone advise where I can buy Focus Spearmint CBD Vape Pen 250mg By Select?
Can anyone in a position to recommend cheap Bearing Manufacturers B2B Marketing List? Thanks very much 😀
Has anyone shopped at Twin Cities Vapors Vape Shop in 16521 S Frederick Ave?
Hi everybody , can anyone advise where I can purchase Menthol Strawberry Watermelon CBD Vape By Time Bomb Extracts?
Has anyone ever been to Empire Vape Shop Vapor Store located in 15906A Shady Grove Road?