The margin requirement on the S&P 500 futures contract is 8%, and the stock index is currently 1,400. Each contract has a multiplier of $250.
a. How much margin must be put up for each contract sold? Margin $
b. If the futures price falls by 1% to 1,386, what will happen to the margin account of an investor who holds one contract? (Input the amount as a positive value.) Margin account by $ .
c-1. What will be the investor's percentage return based on the amount put up as margin? (Negative value should be indicated by a minus sign. Round your answer to 2 decimal places.) Percentage return %
c-2. What would be the current cash balance in the margin account? Cash balance $