Equity Margin
Calculator
See the margin you need for an equity trade — intraday or delivery — from the VaR + ELM percentage, and the leverage it gives you.
Your trade
Margin required
VaR + ELM varies per stock and is set by the exchange daily. Use your broker's figure for the exact margin; delivery (CNC) usually requires the full trade value.
How equity margin works
When you trade equities intraday (MIS), your broker blocks a margin rather than the full trade value — that's what gives you leverage. The minimum margin is set by SEBI as VaR + ELM:
- VaR (Value at Risk) — the expected worst-case one-day move for that stock.
- ELM (Extreme Loss Margin) — an extra buffer on top of VaR.
The two together form the margin percentage. It's higher for volatile stocks and lower for large, liquid ones. The formula is simply:
Intraday margin = Trade value × (VaR + ELM %) · Leverage = 100 ÷ (VaR + ELM %)
For delivery (CNC), you take delivery of the shares, so you generally need the full trade value upfront.
How to use this calculator
Enter your buy price and quantity, then the stock's VaR + ELM percentage (your broker shows this on the order window). Switch between Intraday and Delivery to compare the capital each needs. This is the same margin logic used inside TradePulse — here it runs entirely in your browser.
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