NYSE Margin Debt Charged To New All-Time Highs In March

After spending the past year somewhat ranged bound, margin debt increased by just under $11.5 billion in March to a new all-time high of $476 billion, taking out the previous high set in February 2014. The increase in margin debt over the past two months is the largest two-month increase since February 2013. Net margin debt (Debit balances minus credit balances) also increased to a new all-time high in March. However, the one-quarter moving average of margin debt as a % of total market capitalization remains 18 basis points below all-time highs.