The recent market rally that lasted till earlier this week has the margin funding book of brokers nearly soaring 90 per cent Rs 54,537 crore as of January 16, a lifetime high for the segment, show the data from the exchanges and a research report. The margin funding, wherein an investor pays 25-35 per cent of the stock value he or she buys and the rest is paid by brokers for a monthly interest of 12-15 per cent, stood at Rs 29,000 crore for the whole of January 2023 but jumped to Rs 54,537 crore as of January 16, 2024. The market rally also had the cash segment of the market jumping to a record 25 per cent in December 2023, according to an analysis by Icra Ratings. With the recovery in secondary market returns from Q2FY24, the margin trade funding (MTF) book of brokers in general and especially those led by banks, has been achieving new highs. The aggregate industry-wide MTF exposure soared 98 per cent from March 2023 when it was Rs 26,000 crore to Rs 51,000 crore in December 2023,