Commotion in the world’s financial markets in the past six months has helped trading outfit IG Group post an 8.8pc in revenues, although higher spending has dragged on the firm's profits.
FTSE 250 member IG Group said its clients had been piling into trades during wild swings in asset prices during August and September, as financial markets struggled to put a price on the prospects for the Chinese economy. Worries about China have helped produce fresh volatility in the early weeks of 2016, creating a "strong start" for IG Group.
IG has also expanded beyond its spread-betting and contracts for difference products, which allow traders to place leveraged bets on both rising and falling markets, and into more traditional stockbroking and savings services. However, as the stock markets plunged in the second half of 2015, the firm signed up 7,000 new share accounts - fewer than expected.
“Volatility being heightened but not extreme is perfect for us,” said Peter Hetherington, who took over as chief executive at the start of the year. “As our cost escalation is coming to an end, the strategy is more about broadening the product range and building a broader business.”
The firm now generates almost half of its revenues outside of the UK and has recently opened offices in Switzerland and Dubai. While its client numbers are up 11pc with double-digit growth everywhere beyond the UK, the firm is generating 2pc less revenue per customer.
IG Group also had to pay out more in betting duties in the UK, thanks to periods when its spread-betting customers were making net losses. “When you get a period where the markets are in decline for a particular number of days it can be really tough. Customers might move into binary products, which also have a higher betting duty,” said Kieran McKinney, head of investor relations.
Overall, the group’s half-year profits fell 2.8pc to £98.6m, as spending on the new platforms ate into its revenue growth.
Mr Hetherington, who joined the firm as a graduate trainee in 1994, has replaced Tim Howkins as chief executive. IG is also looking at self-invested personal pension (SIPP) and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which passively track markets.
“The new CEO has not made any major changes to IG’s expansion strategy. However, there is recognition of a constant need to improve, whether these are existing strengths or weaknesses,” said analysts at Barclays.
“Assuming improvements in areas such as digital marketing and client conversion can be sustained to drive our revenue forecasts, IG’s shareholders may finally reap the rewards of recent investments as cost increases become more modest.”
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