Heightened Volatility in Precious Metals Prompts CME's New Rule: Margins Tied to Percentage of Notional Value

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In response to surging prices and increased trading turbulence in precious metals, CME Group Inc has announced a change to the methodology for setting margins on gold, silver, platinum, and palladium futures contracts. The new approach will base margin requirements on a percentage of the contracts' notional value, moving away from the previous system of fixed dollar amounts. This shift, set to take effect after the close of trading on Tuesday, was described by the exchange as a "routine assessment of market volatility designed to ensure adequate collateral coverage."

Precious metals markets have experienced an extraordinary rally in recent quarters, with the strong upward momentum and price swings continuing into the new year. During this recent surge, both gold and silver hit record highs in Monday's trading session, with silver having climbed approximately one-fifth so far in 2026.

According to Christopher Wong, a strategist at OCBC Bank, the adjustment to margin rules "could temporarily weigh on precious metals in the near term." Wong added, "Intuitively, a percentage-based approach can better reflect the required margin levels, which implies less frequent adjustments." However, he also noted that CME Group Inc could still increase the percentage "if volatility exceeds historical levels or in unforeseen circumstances."

As the precious metals rally accelerated, speculative trading activity heated up, and volatility spiked last year, CME Group Inc adjusted margin requirements for its precious metals contracts on multiple occasions. Clearinghouses like CME Group Inc require brokers to post cash—known as margin—daily to cover potential losses on their clients' positions. On its official website, CME Group Inc states that margin "helps ensure that clearing members can meet their obligations to their customers and to CME Clearing."

The current metals rally is being driven by a confluence of factors, including concerns over a weakening US dollar, the prospect of further interest rate cuts in the United States, and the Federal Reserve's independence. Concurrently, market speculation that silver could face US import tariffs has also bolstered its appeal.

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