More Option
Leverage Built for Performance
Find out how leverage is applied in practice, including Dynamic Leverage and periods of
Higher Margin Requirements (HMR), below.
Dynamic Leverage
At IC, leverage is applied through a tiered margin system that automatically adjusts based on your position size. This means your trade is split across tiers, with each portion margined at the rate of the tier it falls into. As your exposure increases, margin requirements scale accordingly, resulting in progressively lower leverage on larger positions. The entire position is not assigned a single leverage rate. Instead, each part is calculated separately.
Designed to deliver competitive trading conditions across all account sizes and asset classes, the tiered margin system works seamlessly in the background, empowering traders to focus on strategy and adapt to market dynamics.
Example
- Instrument: USDCHF
- Position size: 70 lots
- Contract size: 1 lot = 100,000 USD
- Total position size: 70 x 100,000 = 7,000,000 USD
Normal market conditions
- Tier 1: 0–25 lots → 1:5000
- Tier 2: 25–50 lots → 1:3000
- Tier 3: 50+ lots -> 1:1000
How the margin is calculated
- Tier 1 Calculation (0 – 25 lots)
25 × 100,000 = 2,500,000 USD
Margin required = 2,500,000 ÷ 5000 = 500 USD - Tier 2 Calculation (25.00 – 50 lots)
25.00 × 100,000 = 2,500,000 USD
Margin required = 2,500,000 ÷ 3000 = 833.33 USD - Tier 3 Calculation (50.00+ lots)
20 × 100,000 = 2,000,000 USD USD
Margin required = 2,000,000 ÷ 1000 = 2,000.00 USD
Total margin required
- 500 USD + 833.33 USD + 2,000 USD = 3,333.33 USD
Leverage may change and impact your margin requirements. Please ensure sufficient funds are maintained.
Higher Margin Requirement (HMR)
Some trading periods are subject to Higher Margin Requirements (HMR), during which available leverage is temporarily capped to help manage risk during elevated market volatility. This may apply around end-of-day roll, major news events, and weekends.
HMR does not change how margin is calculated. The same incremental tiered margin logic continues to apply, meaning each leverage tier is applied only to the portion of your position that falls within that tier's lot range, not to the full position.
-
End of day : Daily 30 minutes before market close and 15 minutes after the market opens.
-
Weekend : Every Friday, 1 hour before market close until Monday, 30 minutes after the market opens on Monday.
-
Major News : 15 minutes before and 90 seconds after a high-impact news release.
Example
- Instrument: USDCHF
- Position size: 70 lots
- Contract size: 1 lot = 100,000 USD
- Total position size: 70 x 100,000 = 7,000,000 USD
Tiers During HMR
- Tier 1: 0–25 lots → 1:500
- Tier 2: 25–50 lots → 1:200
- Tier 3: 50+ lots → 1:200
How Margin is calculated during HMR periods
- Tier 1 Calculation (0 – 25 lots)
25 × 100,000 = 2,500,000 USD
Margin required = 2,500,000 ÷ 500 = 5,000.00 USD - Tier 2 Calculation (25.00 – 50 lots)
25.00 × 100,000 = 2,500,000 USD
Margin required = 2,500,000 ÷ 200 = 12,500 USD - Tier 3 Calculation (50.00+ lots)
20 × 100,000 = 2,000,000 USD
Margin required = 2,000,000 ÷ 200 = 10,000.00 USD
Total margin required during HMR
- 5,000 USD + 12,500 USD + 10,000.00 USD = 27,500.00 USD
These rates apply to new positions only. Existing open positions retain the leverage at which they were opened. When the HMR period ends, your margin is automatically recalculated based on the prevailing mark-to-market value at that time, which may result in higher or lower margin compared to when the positions were originally opened.
Products
Leverage Tiers
| Max Leverage | HMR | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instrument | 0-25 Lots | 25-50 Lots | 50-100 Lots | 100+ Lots | 0-25 Lots | 25-50 Lots | 50-100 Lots | 100+ Lots |
| FX Major/Minor | 1:5000 | 1:3000 | 1:1000 | 1:500 | 1:500 | 1:200 | 1:200 | 1:200 |
| FX Exotics | 1:3000 | 1:2000 | 1:1000 | 1:500 | 1:500 | 1:200 | 1:200 | 1:200 |
-
HMR Period : End of day, Major news announcements, Weekends
| Max Leverage | HMR | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instrument | 0-25 Lots | 25-50 Lots | 50-100 Lots | 100+ Lots | 0-25 Lots | 25-50 Lots | 50-100 Lots | 100+ Lots |
| Gold (XAU) | 1:2000 | 1:1000 | 1:500 | 1:100 | 1:500 | 1:200 | 1:100 | 1:50 |
| Silver (XAG) | 1:1000 | 1:500 | 1:200 | 1:100 | 1:200 | 1:100 | 1:50 | 1:20 |
| Palladium (XPD) | 1:1000 | 1:500 | 1:200 | 1:100 | 1:200 | 1:100 | 1:50 | 1:20 |
| Platinum (XPT) | 1:1000 | 1:500 | 1:200 | 1:100 | 1:200 | 1:100 | 1:50 | 1:20 |
-
HMR Period : End of day, Major news announcements, Weekends
| Max Leverage | HMR | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instrument | 0-25 Lots | 25-50 Lots | 50-100 Lots | 100+ Lots | 0-25 Lots | 25-50 Lots | 50-100 Lots | 100+ Lots |
| Major Indices | 1:2000 | 1:1000 | 1:500 | 1:100 | 1:500 | 1:200 | 1:100 | 1:50 |
| Regional & Minor Indices | 1:1000 | 1:500 | 1:200 | 1:100 | 1:200 | 1:100 | 1:50 | 1:20 |
-
HMR Period : End of day, Major news announcements, Weekends
| Max Leverage | HMR | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instrument | 0-25 Lots | 25-50 Lots | 50-100 Lots | 100+ Lots | 0-25 Lots | 25-50 Lots | 50-100 Lots | 100+ Lots |
| XBRUSD, XTIUSD | 1:1000 | 1:500 | 1:200 | 1:100 | 1:200 | 1:100 | 1:50 | 1:20 |
| XNGUSD | 1:500 | 1:200 | 1:100 | 1:50 | 1:100 | 1:50 | 1:20 | 1:10 |
-
HMR Period : End of day, Major news announcements, Weekends, EIA/API inventory reports, geopolitical supply events
| Max Leverage | HMR | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instrument | 0-25 Lots | 25-50 Lots | 50-100 Lots | 100+ Lots | 0-25 Lots | 25-50 Lots | 50-100 Lots | 100+ Lots |
| Energy Futures (WTI, BRENT) | 1:1000 | 1:500 | 1:200 | 1:100 | 1:200 | 1:100 | 1:50 | 1:20 |
-
HMR Period : End of day, Major news announcements, Weekends, EIA/API inventory reports, geopolitical supply events
| Metal futures (GC) | 1:2000 | 1:1000 | 1:500 | 1:100 | 1:500 | 1:200 | 1:100 | 1:50 |
-
HMR Period : End of day, Major news announcements, Weekends
| Agriculture Futures (Wheat, Corn, Soy, Cotton, Coffee, Cocoa, Sugar, OJ) | 1:500 | 1:200 | 1:100 | 1:50 | 1:100 | 1:50 | 1:20 | 1:10 |
-
HMR Period : End of day, Major news announcements, Weekends, USDA crop reports, weather escalation events, planting/harvest windows
| VIX | |
|---|---|
| Max Leverage | HMR |
| 1:100 | 1:20 |
| DXY | |
|---|---|
| Max Leverage | HMR |
| 1:500 | 1:100 |
-
HMR Period : End of day, Major news announcements, Weekends
Note: Fixed rates, no tier structure applies
| BTC | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Max Leverage | HMR |
| <= 49.99 Lots | 1:500 | 1:200 |
| >50 Lots | 1:300 | 1:200 |
| ETH | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Max Leverage | HMR |
| <= 999.99 Lots | 1:500 | 1:200 |
| >1000 Lots | 1:300 | 1:200 |
Note: For the remaining crypto CFDs, no tiered structure applies.
| Max Leverage | HMR | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instrument | 0-25 Lots | 25-50 Lots | 50-100 Lots | 100+ Lots | 0-25 Lots | 25-50 Lots | 50-100 Lots | 100+ Lots |
| Bond futures | 1:500 | 1:200 | 1:100 | 1:50 | 1:100 | 1:50 | 1:20 | 1:10 |
-
HMR Period : End of day, Major news announcements, Weekends, central bank decisions (Fed, ECB, BOE, BoJ), CPI/NFP releases, sovereign rating events
| US Stocks | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Max Leverage | HMR |
| 16:35-21:55 | Core session | 1:20 |
| 21:55-22:40 | Pre-close window | 1:10 |
| 22:40-22:55 | Final auction | 1:5 |
Important Notes
- These adjustments occur every trading day during the standard stock trading session.
- Margin requirements for existing positions will be recalculated when the HMR period is in effect.
- Once the HMR period ends, leverage automatically returns to standard levels.
| 24H US Stocks | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Max Leverage | HMR |
| 16:35-21:55 | Core session | 1:20 |
| 21:55-22:40 | Pre-close window | 1:10 |
| 22:40-16:35 | Pre/after market hours | 1:5 |
Important Notes
- These adjustments occur every trading day during the US stock trading standard and extended session.
- Margin requirements for existing positions will be recalculated when the HMR period is in effect.
- Once the HMR period ends, leverage automatically returns to standard levels.
| ASX, LSE, Euronext, Xetra, JPX Stocks, Bolsa, SIX Stocks | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Max Leverage | HMR |
| 20 mins after market open | Core session -post open | 1:20 |
| 1 hour before market close | Pre-close window | 1:10 |
| 15 mins before market close | Final auction | 1:5 |
Important Notes
- These adjustments occur every trading day during the standard stock trading sessions.
- Margin requirements for existing positions will be recalculated when the HMR period is in effect.
- Once the HMR period ends, leverage automatically returns to standard levels.
FAQs
However, for certain instruments such as stocks, margin requirements on existing positions may be recalculated during HMR periods, depending on market conditions.