Israel business news site Calcalist is reporting that Retail FX and CFDs broker AvaTrade has issued a request to Israel’s ISA securities authority to approve a change-in-ownership in the company, which will see one of AvaTrade’s two founders and controlling shareholders exit, and a new investor group enter.

AvaTrade ownership

AvaTrade was founded in 2006 (originally known as AvaFX) by Emanuel Kronitz and Negev Nosatski, who each own a 35% interest in the company. The proposed transaction will see Israeli businessman Zvika Barinboim (and other investors in his group) acquire a controlling 50% stake in AvaTrade, by buying Kronitz’s interest in the company, plus the shares of other minority shareholders including longtime AvaTrade CEO Shuki Abramovich (5%). Shuki Abramovich joined the company in 2009, after leading an investment in AvaTrade by his former employer, Clal Insurance. (Clal was later bought out by Kronitz and Nosatski).

Negev Nosatski will remain (and possibly slightly increase his holdings) in AvaTrade as part of the transaction.

Zvika Barinboim

Zvika Barinboim (pictured above), who has holdings in a variety of technology and real estate ventures, had tried to get into the “FX” business in 2021, with an attempt to acquire B2B provider Finalto and CFDs broker Markets.com from gaming tech company Playtech. However that transaction was rejected by Playtech shareholders, and Finalto and Markets.com were later sold by Playtech to Hong Kong based investment outfit Gopher Investments.

We’d note that at around the same time in 2021, AvaTrade was reportedly looking at an IPO in London, at a valuation in the $1 billion range, however that transaction never got off the ground.

According to Calcalist, the proposed transaction with the Barinboim group values AvaTrade in the $400-500 million range. In addition to buying out Emanuel Kronitz and some other minority shareholders, the Zvika Barinboim group will reportedly inject new capital into the company as part of the deal.

FX and CFDs M&A transactions

The sale of AvaTrade marks the third major sale of a Retail FX and CFDs broker this year. In March 2025, control of Copenhagen based Saxo Bank was bought by the Safra Group at a $1.74 billion valuation, and OANDA was acquired by prop trading firm FTMO back in February for an undisclosed sum (but likely in the mid to low 9-figure range). Last month Israel based eToro went public on NASDAQ at a valuation of more than $4 billion.

About AvaTrade

AvaTrade has been managed mainly from Israel since its inception, with offices in Israel’s high-tech center of Herzliya. The company is formally domiciled in Ireland and licensed by the Central Bank of Ireland, with subsidiaries licensed in Israel (operating the “ATrade” brand), Australia, South Africa, Cyprus, Japan, and the UAE. AvaTrade reportedly has 20 branches and employs 450 people around the globe. Estimates are that AvaTrade does about $60 billion in monthly trading volumes, with annual EBITDA in the $90 million range.