How do I track a futures margin account balance across multiple days?

Question

AcadiFi · Accepted Answer

Let's track trader Nnamdi Okonkwo opening a long position in natural gas futures. Contract size 10,000 MMBtu; initial margin $4,000; maintenance $3,000; entry price $3.20. **Day 0**: Deposit $4,000. Enter long one contract at $3.20. **Day 1**: Settle $3.25. Gain = (3.25 − 3.20) × 10,000 = $500. New balance $4,500. No action. **Day 2**: Settle $3.09. Loss from $3.25 = −$1,600. Balance $2,900. Below maintenance ($3,000). Broker calls for $1,100 to restore to $4,000. Nnamdi wires the cash. Balance after deposit = $4,000. **Day 3**: Settle $3.13. Gain = (3.13 − 3.09) × 10,000 = $400. Balance $4,400. **Day 4**: Settle $3.18. Gain = $500. Balance $4,900. **Day 5**: Close at $3.21. Gain = $300. Final balance $5,200. Withdraw $4,000 initial margin + $200 cumulative profit... wait, cumulative P&L = ($3.21 − $3.20) × 10,000 = $100 plus the $1,100 call already paid means total out-of-pocket was $5,100 for $100 realized gain. ```mermaid flowchart LR A[Day 0:
$4000] --> B[Day 1:
$4500] B --> C[Day 2:
$2900] C --> D[Call:
$4000] D --> E[Day 5:
$5200] ``` Always reconcile: final balance minus cumulative deposits should equal realized P&L. This is the single most helpful sanity check on exam-style margin tracking questions.

How do I track a futures margin account balance across multiple days?

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