margin call

noun

plural margin calls

: a demand made to an investor by a broker or brokerage firm for more funds or securities to be added to a margin account when the equity in the account falls below a certain threshold

In other words, a margin call is a demand that you increase the equity in your margin account to sufficient levels through one or more transactions.

—Kevin L. Matthews II

… the nation's largest discount-brokerage house, said Thursday it expects to take a $22 million charge against fourth-quarter earnings because of the failure of several customers to satisfy recent margin calls.

—Paul Farhi

Examples of margin call in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That set off both margin calls and compulsory sales at the fund. — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026

When these holdings fell sharply, margin calls forced the fund into distressed selling. — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

In July, Situational Awareness faced margin calls after AI bets soured, leading the hedge fund to strike a deal with Ken Griffin’s Citadel to offload a big chunk of its public equity book. — Katherine Doherty, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026

Wall Street banks that had lent Situational Awareness gobs of money to magnify its bets issued the fund margin calls—non-negotiable demands to stump up more cash. — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for margin call

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