All margin and credit rates on this page are for example purposes only.

Inter Spread Calculations

Inter Spreads are calculated as a percentage of credit off the top of the full outright margin of the products that make up the legs of the spread.

Example

Corn vs. Soybeans (2:1) - 55% Inter Rate

Outright Rates
Corn $1750
Soybeans $2500

$1750*2 + $2500 = $6000 outright margin before Inter spread credit is applied.

With Inter spread credit applied to each leg of the spread there is a savings of $3300 total (3500* 0.55 + 2500*0.55 = $3300). 

When you subtract the total savings from the outright margin amount you get $2700, which is your final margin charge on this spread.

Intra Spread Calculations when there is a rate of $0

Intra spreads that display a rate of $0 is not necessarily the case. The way that SPAN calculates the spread margins on a portfolio is as follows:(Outright rate of leg 1 - Outright rate of leg 2) + Intra Spread Charge. The rates displayed on the Intra Spread pages are all of these rates with the exception where the formula would create a negative number. These rates are displayed as zeros. The rate for these spreads is: Outright rate of leg 1 - Outright rate of leg 2.

Example

Product X Month 2 - $500
Product X Month 3 - $500
Product X Month 4 - $750

Intra Spread Charge Month 2 vs. 3 - $200
Intra Spread Charge Month 2 vs. 4 - $50
Intra Spread Charge Month 3 vs. 4 - $0

Portfolio

+1 Month 2 and -1 Month 3 has a margin of $200 : ($500 -$500)+$200
+1 Month 2 and -1 Month 4 has a margin of $300 : ($750 -$500)+$50
+1 Month 3 and -1 Month 4 has a margin of $250 : ($750 -$500)+$0

All margin and credit rates on this page are for example purposes only.


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CME Group
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CME Group

As the world’s leading derivatives marketplace, CME Group is where the world comes to manage risk. Comprised of four exchanges - CME, CBOT, NYMEX and COMEX - we offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes, helping businesses everywhere mitigate the myriad of risks they face in today's uncertain global economy.

All examples in this report are hypothetical interpretations of situations and are used for explanation purposes only. The views in this report reflect solely those of the author and not necessarily those of CME Group or its affiliated institutions. This report and the information herein should not be considered investment advice or the results of actual market experience.

CME Group is the world’s leading derivatives marketplace. The company is comprised of four Designated Contract Markets (DCMs). 
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