Proceeds from short sell

C

cr3pt

Thank you in advance. Question regarding proceeds from short sell. Are you able to use the proceeds from short sell to go long other stocks. I found the same question being asked here, but wanted to confirm here whether this is true - at least through Interactive Broker:

https://money.stackexchange.com/que...-to-use-for-going-long-on-other-s/85884#85884

I was not able to find anything from a quick search. Thanks again for your help. In short, can the proceeds from short sell be used to go long another stock? Assuming initial margin requirements are met, including proceeds which are usually 150 percent whereby 100 percent are the proceeds from short sell. Can you use the proceed to go long another stock, combine with any other holdings to meet the maintenance margin requirement?

A hypothetical example would be an account say 10,000.00 cash which goes short a stock for proceeds of 20,000.00. Again, just as an example as this would likely result in a margin call. Dividend payment, interest and other expenses aside. Can the proceed combine with original deposit be used, 30,000.00 in all, to go long another stock. Thank you in advance.
 
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You can do it via options to leverage up so to speak. If you had stock ABC and you sold say a covered call, a few months out, for $1-$2, you can take that money and buy something else. In your scenario, you sell puts in stock ABC, going out a few months to not get exercised and a chance to exit if need be. The margin requirement with premium won't be 100% so you can invest that premium in something else. You can always sell future time to buy something today. Downside is no monster home runs if a stock explodes if every stock had a covered call. I have a few profitable sold Apple put spreads funding my AAOI slightly profitable call spread. Use of margin on paper if they head south but not from a cash used for interest standpoint.
 
cr3pt said:
I appreciate that Superstar2317. I have had some but limited experiences with options. Thank you.
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I agree with Superstar, if I have a strong opinion on the direction of the underlying, I would rather bet on the direction with options. I often purchased puts or sold calls but not selling short the underlying.
 
ironchef said:
Even in a margins account, a PM?
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Does not matter. There are three Account types. Type 1: cash, type 2:margin, type 3:short account. They don’t mix the balances. Type 2 is all Long stock, Long and short options. You can offset Long stock with short options but not short stock.
 
Robert Morse said:
Does not matter. There are three Account types. Type 1: cash, type 2:margin, type 3:short account. They don’t mix the balances. Type 2 is all Long stock, Long and short options. You can offset Long stock with short options but not short stock.
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Thanks. So, when Ackman shorted HLF, he received $1B but he cannot use it, not even putting it in a saving account?
 
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