Exclusive: Retail FX broker shares up 19% in 1H-2021
FNG Exclusive Analysis… Following a fantastic 2020 which saw shares of publicly traded Retail FX brokers soar to new all-time highs, trading up by an average of 216%, 2021 has continued in the upward direction. However the increases have not been as large, nor have they been entirely across-the-board as they were last year.
In the first six months of 2021, shares of the publicly traded Retail FX and CFD broker group were up on average by 19% (or measuring by the median, by 8%). Leading the pack was Swissquote, trading up by 63% as the Switzerland based broker overtook both CMC Markets and Plus500 to become the second most valuable Retail FX shop (market cap currently USD $2.4 billion). Swissquote results continued to impress, with the company releasing early its expected record revenue and profit levels for the first half of 2021.
Other brokers having good 2021s so far, at least as far as their shareholders are concerned, are NAGA Group and CMC Markets. After seeing its shares rise sixfold in 2020 NAGA.com’s operator enjoyed a 45% further jump in share price in 2021 year-to-date, although NAGA shares have cooled off somewhat from all-time highs set in February. CMC is up 18% in 2021, after rising by 167% in 2020.
On the other hand, shares of IG, Plus500 and XTB each cooled off somewhat in 2021 after a hot 2020. However the declines were all mild, in the 2-8% range for each.
Share Price as of… | Mkt Cap | |||
31-Dec-20 | 30-Jun-21 | % change | (USD $M) | |
NAGA Group | 4.04 | 5.84 | 45% | 291 |
XTB | 17.9 | 17.4 | -3% | 524 |
CMC Markets | 391 | 460 | 18% | 1,914 |
Swissquote | 85.9 | 139.8 | 63% | 2,436 |
Plus500 | 1450 | 1335 | -8% | 1,956 |
IG | 862 | 847 | -2% | 5,097 |
Average return | 19% | |||
Median return | 8% |
Note that share prices are stated in the currency listed. Market Cap stats converted to USD.