The initial Federal Reserve Bank margin requirement is set at 60% and Bubba purchases 100 shares of XYZ at $100 per share. He deposits $6,000 of the $10,000 purchase price in his account. If XYZ increases in value to $150 per share, how much excess equity would Bubba have in his account?
Explanation
Answer: C - $2,000. Bubba started with $6,000 of equity and a debit balance of $4,000. The market value of his XYZ stock increased by $5,000 ($15,000 - $10,000). Therefore, his equity increased to $11,000. Since Bubba only needs 60% equity, his Reg T requirement is $9,000 ($15,000 x 60%). His equity exceeds the requirement by $2,000.