Margin Trading

Increase your trading opportunities with your investment portfolio

Let your assets work harder for you. With a high loan-to-value ('LTV'), you can trade more. Choose from a wide range of collaterals to secure your lending.

It's a smarter way to access extra funds – activate margin trading in just 10 minutes.

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Comparatively lower lending rates

Margin lending rates as low as 2.35% pa or 3.05% pa [@investment-margin-trading] (1-month HIBOR+0% or 0.7% pa) when you trade as an HSBC Top Trader Club member. Standard rates start at 3.55% pa (1-month HIBOR+1.2% pa). T&Cs apply (PDF).

Try margin trading for free

Zero interest on your first HKD10,000 of margin trading, no hidden costs.

Wide range of collaterals at a high advance ratio

Pledge stocks and ETFs from HK and US markets for up to 70% LTV. Bonds offer up to 95% LTV; unit trusts up to 90% LTV; and structured products up to 70% LTV. Learn more.

Manage it all on an easy-to-use dashboard

See key information updated daily – margin status, collateral value, outstanding loan, and LTV – at a glance in one place.

How it works

Compare investment returns with and without margin trading

With margin trading

Principal: HKD10 million
Margin: 40%
Margin loan: HKD15 million
Purchasing power: HKD25 million

Total holdings: HKD25 million

Market changes: +15% a year

Capital gains: HKD3.75 million
Margin interest*: HKD460,500
Net return after interest cost: +34.43%

Without margin trading

Principal: HKD10 million
Margin: Not applicable
Margin loan: Not applicable
Purchasing power: HKD10 million

Total holdings: HKD10 million

Market changes: +15% a year

Capital gains: HKD1.5 million
Margin interest*: Not applicable
Net return after interest cost: +15%

* The assumed interest cost is 3.00% pa.

There are 4 margin status scenarios:

Over-collateralised
Shortfall
Margin call
Forced liquidation

Which scenario you fall under will depend on your Net Margin Ratio (NMR).

NMR from 80% to below 100%

You’re in shortfall. You don’t need to act immediately. But you can’t draw further loans until your NMR is over 100% again.

NMR from 60% to below 80%

You’re in margin call. You need to act within 5 working days to bring it back to 100% to correct your margin call.

NMR below 60%

If your NMR falls below 60% or you don’t correct the margin call in time, we can make a forced liquidation of your assets without notice.

Satisfying a shortfall or margin call

You have a few options in correcting a shortfall or margin call.

Provide additional funds to reduce the outstanding loan
Provide eligible assets to increase your effective credit limit
Provide instructions for a full or partial sale of eligible assets

Please monitor your margin status closely to make sure that your portfolio has sufficient collateral. You should also check that your outstanding loan doesn’t exceed your effective credit limit as it might lead to unwanted margin calls or forced liquidation.

Step 1

Find 'Wealth Portfolio Lending' in the HSBC HK App or HSBC Easy Invest App.

Step 2

If you're new to Wealth Portfolio Lending, you can activate margin trading while you're applying for Wealth Portfolio Lending.

If you're already a Wealth Portfolio Lending customer, you can activate margin trading on our Wealth Portfolio Lending service page.

See more Wealth Portfolio Landing FAQs

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Other ways to trade

HSBC Premier Elite and HSBC Premier Customers: (852) 2996 6822
HSBC One customers: (852) 2996 6833
Stock Order Placement Hotline hours: 8:00am to 4:10pm, Mondays to Fridays

If you need to deposit physical certificates of your Hong Kong stocks, please visit one of the designated branches in-person.

HSBC Global Private Banking: (852) 2233 3033
HSBC Premier Elite: (852) 2233 3033
HSBC Premier: (852) 2233 3322
HSBC One & HSBC Personal Integrated Banking: (852) 2233 3000

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Stock Margin Trading Service (SMTS) – with account suffix -388

New applications discontinued

Note: New applications have been discontinued but you can still see our Securities Margin Trading Key Facts Statement (PDF)

Starting from 29 September 2025, we'll no longer provide new account opening services for the Securities Margin Trading Service (SMTS).

Below is the Securities Margin Trading Service (SMTS) information for existing SMTS customers:

Interest rate: P minus 0.25% pa[@investment-margin-trading-interest]
For HSBC Global Private Banking, HSBC Premier Elite, HSBC Premier, HSBC One and other Personal Integrated Account customers
Safe custody fee: HKD25 a month[@investment-margin-trading-safe-custody]

Securities Margin Trading Service

Eligible stocks[@investment-margin-trading-eligible-stocks]: Selected Hong Kong listed stocks and Tracker Fund of Hong Kong
Stock margin ratio[@investment-margin-trading-eligible-stocks]: 30 to 60% of the eligible stock value
Portfolio margin ratio – Total loan amount / total: eligible stock lending value[@investment-margin-trading-loan-amount] (You can borrow up to a portfolio margin ratio of 100%)
Maintenance buffer: portfolio margin ratio of 100% to less than 120%

Margin call / Force-sale (Actions corresponding to portfolio margin ratio)

105% to less than 120%: margin call alert through SMS to remind you to cover the excess.
If your portfolio margin ratio has been maintained between the range of 105% to less than 120% for over 90 calendar days, your stock holdings will be force-sold without prior notice.
120% or above: Stocks will be force-sold when your portfolio margin ratio reaches 120% or above. Force-sale alert through SMS to inform you about the force-sale status of the stock.

View example (PDF) for an illustration.

The loan interest calculator estimation is for reference only.

dpws-tools-calculator-creator

Please note the applicable loan calculator assumptions.

The loan interest calculator estimation shown above is for reference only and does not represent the actual interest. The actual repayment liability depends on the actual terms of each borrowing arrangement.
HK dollar loan interest is calculated on the basis of actual number of days elapsed and 365-days in a year or 366-days in a leap year.
US dollar loan interest is calculated on the basis of actual number of days elapsed and 360-days per year.
The actual loan interest amount charged may differ, please refer to the relevant statement of the settlement account.
The loan effective interest rate (p.a.) for individual customers may vary and subject to the applicable terms of the facility including any promotional offer. Please refer to the relevant product information.
Loan calculator assumptions:
a.Loan interest is calculated by assuming the loan amount remains unchanged.
b.Loan interest is calculated by assuming interest charged is fully repaid each month.
c.Monthly interest is calculated by assuming 30 days in a month.
d.Annual interest is calculated by assuming 365 days in a year.