FAQs for Margin Collection and Reporting
In case of Capital Market segment, Members should have a prudent system of risk management to protect themselves from client default. Margins are an important element of such a system. The risk management system should be well documented and be made accessible to the clients and the Exchange / NSCCL. However, the quantum of margins and the form and mode of collection of margins is left to the discretion of Members.
In the F&O segment, it is mandatory for Members to collect initial margins from respective clients / constituents on an upfront basis. Similarly in the Currency Derivatives segment also, it is mandatory for members to collect initial margins and extreme loss margins from their client / constituents on an upfront basis.
Members may collect margins from its respective client, in any of the following forms, after taking into account their risk management policy and liquidity aspects.
- Free and unencumbered Balances (funds and securities) available with the member of respective client in different segments of the Exchange *.
- Bank guarantee received towards margin, issued by any approved bank and discharged in favor of the Member.
- Fixed deposit receipts (FDRs) received towards margin issued by any approved bank and lien marked in favor of the Member.
- Securities in dematerialized form actively traded on the National Exchanges, not declared as illiquid securities by any of such Exchanges. (List of illiquid securities are declared on a regular basis by the Exchanges) with appropriate hair cut.
- Units of liquid mutual funds in dematerialized form, whose NAVs are available and which could be liquidated readily with appropriate hair cut.
- Government securities and Treasury bills in electronic form with appropriate hair cut.
- Free and unencumbered Balances (funds and securities) available with the member of respective client in different segments of any Stock Exchange, with specific authorization from the client, subject to certification by independent Chartered Accountant.
- Securities given as margin which are sold in the cash market and the securities are in the pool account of the Trading Member but are not given as early pay in towards an obligation to deliver shares in the Capital Market Segment, benefit of margin be given to the client till T+1 day from the sale of securities without any hair cut.
- In case of clearing member, the amount of deposit of Trading Member with NSCCL on which NSCCL gives benefit to the clearing member.
- Any other such collaterals, as may be specified by NSCCL from time to time
*Free and Unencumbered funds / securities in the account of the client for which the client has given POA in favor of the member client allowing the member to transfer the same for the purpose of margin, may also be considered provided:-
- Trading Member or its associate company is a Depository Participant and POA for considering securities towards margins is in favor of Trading Member,
- Funds available in the bank account of client and actually moved to client bank account maintained by the member byT+1 day, using POA issued by the client in favor of the member.
Liquid securities, in dematerialized form, actively traded on the National Exchanges, which are specifically not declared as illiquid securities by any Exchanges and are received from the respective client, may be considered by the member while reporting margins to the Exchange.
For the purpose of client Margin collection and reporting, the member shall compute the value of such securities as per the closing rate on T-1 day as reduced by the appropriate haircut at a rate not less than the VAR margin rate of the security on that day i.e. T-1 day.
Dematerialized units of liquid mutual funds whose NAVs are available and which could be liquidated readily may be considered while reporting margins collected from constituents. Such units should be available with the member or should be lien marked in favour of the member. The value of listed liquid mutual funds should be computed based on the NAV on T-1 day, reduced by a haircut equivalent to the VaR. In case of others (mutual funds not listed) the haircut should be equivalent to 10% of the NAV.
- G-Sec/T-Bills available in electronic form or lien marked in favour of the trading member / clearing member may also be considered while reporting margin collection to the Exchange.
- The valuation of G-Sec/T-Bill shall be based on closing price of G-Sec/T-Bills on NDS on T-1 day reduced by a haircut of 10%.
- Cheques received / recorded in the books of Trading Member on or before T day and deposited by member by T+1 day (excluding bank holiday, if any) and cleared subsequently, can be considered.
- In case a cheque is received from a client and the same is recorded in the books on or before T day and deposited by T+1 day, Member shall report the margin collected from such client after considering the effect of such cheque, if the same is cleared within T+5 days.
- Only cheques which are cleared should be considered and cheques dishonored or not cleared up to T+5 working days should not be reported as margin collected.
- If subsequent to the margin reporting by the Member, the cheque deposited by the Member is dishonored or not cleared within T+5 working days, then revised margin file shall be uploaded after factoring into the effect of such dishonored or non-cleared cheques ,with incremental batch number within the above mentioned five days.
9. What precautions are to be kept in mind in case of securities expected to be received in pay-out?
Only free and unencumbered balances of securities available with the Member for respective client in different segments of the Exchange shall be considered for margin collection and reporting. Accordingly, only securities received in pay out shall be considered only after it is actually received from the clearing corporation. However pay- in received from clients for such securities may be considered while calculating the ledger balance for the purpose of reporting of margins till T+1.
Margin collected/available in approved form from entities related to the client as mentioned below and certified by an independent Chartered Accountant with specific authorization/consent:
- In case of individuals having relationship as spouse, dependent children and parents with clients
- In case of HUF, any of the Co-parceners
- In case of a Trust, any of the trustees or beneficiaries
- In case of Partnership firm, the partners, their spouse, dependent children and parents
- In case of Corporates, the promoters having controlling shareholdings, their spouse, dependent children and parents
In case a Member fails to collect requisite margin from the respective client on an upfront basis and reports to the Exchange that margin collected from client is less than the actual amount of margins required to be collected (as per the MG12 / MG13), it is termed as short reporting of margin collection and shall attract applicable penalty.
Where the Margin has not been collected by the Member in any of the modes prescribed above, however the same has been reported by the member as margins collected, it would be construed as false reporting to the Exchange/NSCCL.
Where ever the penalty levied by the Clearing Corporation on the member for short reporting of client margin is attributable to failure on the part of the client to pay margins as required, member may pass on the actual penalty to the client, provided he has evidences to demonstrate that the client has not made payment of the margins as required. Wherever penalty for short reporting of margin is being passed on to the client relevant supporting documents for the same should be provided to the client.
Members should send margin related information to their clients on a daily basis, which shall, inter-alia, include:
- Client code and name, Trade day (T)
- Total margin deposit placed by the client upto day T-1 (with break-up in terms of cash, FDRs, BGs and securities)
- Margin utilized up to the end of day T-1
- Margin deposit placed by the client on day T (with break-up in terms of cash,FDRs, BGs and securities)
- Margin adjustments for day T
- Margin status (balance with the member / due from the client) at the end of day T
Additionally, every member shall maintain proper records of collateral received from clients as under:
- Receipt of collateral from client and acknowledgement issued to client on receipt of collateral
- Record of return of collateral to client
- Credit of corporate action benefits to clients
Members should have adequate systems and procedures in place to ensure that client collateral is not used for any purposes other than meeting the respective client’s margin requirements / pay-ins. Members should also maintain records to ensure proper audit trail of use of client collateral.
The indicative format of Daily Margin Statement to be issued to client is as per Annexure B of the Exchange Circular number NSE/INSP/19583 dated December 14, 2011
Updated on: 02/01/2023
