Interactive Brokers UK Profit More Than Doubles to £34 Million as Client Count Hits 86,000 | LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis

Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited posted pre-tax profit of £34 million for the year ended 31 December 2025, more than double the £13.6 million it reported a year earlier, according to a filing lodged with Companies House. After-tax profit came in at £26 million, up from £10.5 million.

Revenue and Cost Breakdown

Turnover, which the company derives entirely from commissions on order execution and clearing, rose to £46.2 million from £36 million. Administrative expenses increased to £67 million from £59.4 million, while other operating income reached £10.8 million. The operating line showed a loss of £9.96 million, though that was narrower than the £16.2 million operating loss recorded in 2024.

The business relies on finance income to drive profitability. Finance income reached £147.6 million in 2025, broken down as follows: £51.5 million from bank deposits, £47.9 million from interest on client balances, and £48.2 million from intercompany balances. Of the interest on client balances, £34.2 million came from margin lending. Finance costs rose marginally to £103.6 million.

On a revenue-per-client basis, Interactive Brokers UK generated approximately £532 in turnover per carrying client at year-end, a figure that reflects the commission-only structure and the broker’s attraction of more active, higher-volume traders rather than casual retail investors.

Client Growth Steadies After Exceptional Prior Year

The company said it was the carrying broker for 86,798 clients at year-end, a 35% increase from 64,146 in 2024. That is a deceleration from the 142% jump recorded the year before, when client numbers more than doubled from a smaller base. Double-digit annual growth in a mature, competitive UK retail trading market nevertheless represents solid momentum.

These figures cover only the UK subsidiary of Nasdaq-listed Interactive Brokers Group. At group level, the parent closed Q4 2025 with revenue of $1.64 billion and earnings per share of $0.65, beating analyst expectations.

UK Competitive Context

Interactive Brokers UK sits in a market where the performance gap between operators is wide. CMC Markets closed its fiscal 2025 with net operating income of £340.1 million and a 33% jump in pre-tax profit to £84.5 million, a different scale, reflecting CMC’s larger client base and CFD-oriented model. IG Group, the FTSE 100 market leader, has been undergoing a strategic review that could reshape its corporate structure.

Interactive Brokers has been expanding in the UK with a multi-asset pitch aimed at self-directed investors, offering global equities, options, futures, FX, bonds and crypto on a single platform with competitive margin rates. The firm launched IBKR Lite, its zero-commission service, for Singapore clients in August 2025, signalling that international expansion remains a parallel priority alongside consolidating its UK position.

The strong profit result, commission turnover of roughly £532 per client before the finance income that drives the bottom line reflects the higher-activity profile of Interactive Brokers’ typical UK client compared to passive-investment platforms. With interest rates remaining elevated, the finance income that generated £147.6 million in 2025 continues to underpin profitability across the wider group.