Margin Debt Up in May
From Times Staff Reports
Margin debt outstanding from New York Stock Exchange member brokerages edged up 4.3% in May, as a rebound in share prices encouraged some speculators to boost their bets with borrowed money.
Total margin debt was $174.2 billion at the end of May, up from $166.9 billion at the end of April, the NYSE said Tuesday. The total had risen 1% in April, after plummeting for six consecutive months.
The May total still is down 37% from the record high reached at technology stocks’ peak in March 2000.
