I am a bit new to all this market stuff. Could someone explain to me margin calls and who puts them out and where you can look on the internet to see what they are? For example - what happened to the silver margin calls that went up last May? Did they come back down? I know it is all about having to fork out more money but that is my limit to understanding it!
http://www.theessentialsoftrading.com/Blog/index.php/2008/01/08/being-clear-on-margin/ That should help. Basically they raise the amount of cash you have to put up upfront to secure contracts - this shakes lose weaker hands that can't stump up the money on short notice and/or reduces the number of contracts bigger players would undertake since the 100 they could get is now 90 due to the higher margin rate.
yeh - one of these fine days the COMex will be about as potent in affecting prices as the bobbies (with both hands tied behind their backs) are at controlling the worst scum in the UK at present