Margin Requirements by Product

Slay Markets margin requirements are the amount of cleared cash you must have in your account to open and hold one futures contract. Intraday (day trading) margins apply while you trade within an active session and close before the session ends; for example, the intraday margin is $500 for E-mini S&P 500 (ES), $50 for Micro E-mini S&P 500 (MES), $1,000 for E-mini Nasdaq-100 (NQ), $100 for Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 (MNQ), $1,000 for Crude Oil (CL), $1,000 for Gold (GC), and $20,000 for Bitcoin (BTC). Overnight (initial) margins are higher than intraday margins and are required to hold a position past the daily close. Every per-product intraday margin rate is listed by category below.

Important: Slay Markets intraday and overnight margin requirements are set by NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC and the relevant exchanges, not by Slay Markets or the trader, and cannot be changed by you. Exchanges and NinjaTrader Clearing may raise margin requirements with little or no advance notice during volatile markets, including while a position is open. Margin rates are current and update in real time at the NinjaTrader Clearing margin schedule (ninjatrader.com/pricing/margins-position-management); always verify the current rate before placing a trade.

At Slay Markets, intraday (day trading) margins apply during active trading sessions when you plan to close your position before the session ends. Overnight (initial) margins are the full exchange-set rates required to hold a position past the daily close and are higher than the intraday rates listed in this article. If you hold a position past the daily session close without the full overnight margin in your account, NinjaTrader Clearing may auto-liquidate the position. Current overnight (initial) and maintenance margin rates for every Slay Markets product are published in the NinjaTrader Clearing margin schedule at ninjatrader.com/pricing/margins-position-management.

Slay Markets intraday margin rates for equity index futures are: E-mini S&P 500 (ES) $500, Micro E-mini S&P 500 (MES) $50, E-mini Nasdaq-100 (NQ) $1,000, Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 (MNQ) $100, E-mini Dow Jones (YM) $500, Micro E-mini Dow Jones (MYM) $50, E-mini Russell 2000 (RTY) $500, and Micro E-mini Russell 2000 (M2K) $50. Each micro contract is one-tenth the size of its full-size E-mini counterpart.

Slay Markets intraday margin rates for energy futures are: Crude Oil (CL) $1,000, Micro Crude Oil (MCL) $100, Natural Gas (NG) $1,000, RBOB Gasoline (RB) $1,000, and NY Harbor ULSD / Heating Oil (HO) $2,000. Energy futures are physically settled.

Slay Markets intraday margin rates for metals futures are: Gold (GC, 100 troy oz) $1,000, Micro Gold (MGC, 10 troy oz) $200, and Silver (SI, 5,000 troy oz) $1,000. Metals futures are physically settled.

Slay Markets intraday margin rates for interest rate futures are: 30-Year US Treasury Bond (ZB) $1,000, 10-Year US Treasury Note (ZN) $500, 5-Year US Treasury Note (ZF) $500, and 2-Year US Treasury Note (ZT) $500.

Slay Markets intraday margin rates for agricultural futures are: Corn (ZC) $1,000, Soybeans (ZS) $1,000, and Wheat (ZW) $1,000. Agricultural futures are physically settled.

Slay Markets intraday margin rates for cryptocurrency futures are: Bitcoin (BTC) $20,000, Micro Bitcoin (MBT) $500, and Micro Ether (MET) $50. Bitcoin and Ether futures are cash-settled CME products.

Q: What is the intraday margin for a specific product (such as ES, NQ, or CL) at Slay Markets?

A: Slay Markets intraday margin rates are: ES $500, MES $50, NQ $1,000, MNQ $100, YM $500, MYM $50, RTY $500, M2K $50, CL $1,000, MCL $100, NG $1,000, RB $1,000, HO $2,000, GC $1,000, MGC $200, SI $1,000, ZB $1,000, ZN $500, ZF $500, ZT $500, ZC $1,000, ZS $1,000, ZW $1,000, BTC $20,000, MBT $500, and MET $50. Margin rates are current and update in real time at ninjatrader.com/pricing/margins-position-management.

Q: What is the overnight margin for Slay Markets products?

A: Overnight (initial) margins at Slay Markets are the full exchange-set rates required to hold a position past the daily session close, and they are higher than the intraday rates listed in this article. Because overnight rates vary by product and change periodically, the current overnight (initial) and maintenance margin figures for each Slay Markets product are published in the NinjaTrader Clearing margin schedule at ninjatrader.com/pricing/margins-position-management. If you hold a position past the daily close without the full overnight margin in your account, NinjaTrader Clearing may auto-liquidate the position.

Q: Who sets Slay Markets margin requirements, and can margin rates change while I have an open position?

A: Slay Markets margin requirements are set by NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC and the relevant exchanges, not by Slay Markets or the trader, and cannot be changed by you. Exchanges can raise margin requirements during volatile conditions with little or no advance notice. If rates increase while you have a position open, you may be required to hold additional margin immediately, and new positions require the higher amount right away.

Q: How current are the Slay Markets margin rates in this article?

A: The intraday margin rates listed in this article are sourced from the NinjaTrader Clearing margin schedule (ninjatrader.com/pricing/margins-position-management), where margin rates are current and update in real time. Margin requirements change, so always verify the current rate at that schedule before placing a trade. NinjaTrader Clearing and the relevant exchanges may adjust margins without advance notice during volatile market conditions.

Slay Markets intraday margin requirements are set by NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC and the relevant exchanges. Common intraday rates: ES $500, MES $50, NQ $1,000, MNQ $100, CL $1,000, GC $1,000, and BTC $20,000. Overnight (initial) margins are higher than intraday margins and are required to hold a position past the daily close. Always verify the current rate at ninjatrader.com/pricing/margins-position-management before placing a trade.