Two Markets, Two Prices, One Reckoning: CME’s Margin Shock and the Coming Precious Metals Divide
On a quiet Friday night, when liquidity is thin and most participants are flat-footed, CME Clearing dropped a bombshell. Advisory 25-393 . Margins were raised across nearly every precious metals contract—effective immediately. Silver : +$3,000 to $25,000 per contract Gold : +$2,000 to $22,000 per contract Platinum : +23% Palladium : +20% This was not an isolated move. It was the second margin hike in just 17 days . For anyone who has studied the history of precious metals markets, the playbook is unmistakable. And it is not comforting. The Old Playbook: Margin Hikes as Market Weapons Margin hikes are often framed as “risk management.” In reality, they are one of the most powerful tools exchanges possess to force liquidation . We’ve seen this movie before. 1980 : COMEX implemented Silver Rule 7 , changing margin requirements overnight. The Hunt Brothers—who were heavily long—were bankrupted. Silver collapsed. 2011 : Five margin hikes in nine days triggered a 30% cras...