
IG Group Holdings plc
London-listed online trading group founded in 1974 as the world's first spread-betting firm, owner of tastytrade, tastyfx, and Freetrade.
Company Type
public
Founded
1974
Headquarters
London, England, UK
Revenue
Approximately £1.08 billion (FY2025, year ended May 31, 2025)
Employees
Approximately 2,700
Primary Market
Global
IG Group Holdings plc Timeline
About IG Group Holdings plc
What kind of company is IG Group?
IG Group is a London-listed online trading and investments company offering spread betting, CFDs, forex, US derivatives, and investing to over 300,000 clients.
Is IG Group a public company?
Yes. It trades on the London Stock Exchange under ticker IGG and is a FTSE 250 constituent.
Who founded IG Group?
Stuart Wheeler founded the company in 1974 as IG Index, the world's first financial spread-betting firm.
Where is IG Group headquartered?
Cannon Bridge House, Dowgate Hill, in the City of London, with major offices including Chicago for the tasty business.
How much revenue does IG Group make?
Approximately £1.08 billion in FY2025 (year ended May 31, 2025), the first year it crossed the £1 billion mark.
What brands does IG Group own?
IG, tastytrade, tastylive, tastyfx, Freetrade, and Spectrum Markets.
History of IG Group Holdings plc
Stuart Wheeler founded IG Index in 1974, offering investors a way to speculate on the price of gold as an index when holding bullion was restricted in the UK. It was the world's first spread-betting firm.
The company pioneered online trading in 1998, listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2000, and was briefly owned by CVC Capital Partners (2003-2007) before returning to public markets in 2005. CFD trading expanded through the 2000s, and a series of acquisitions built out non-leveraged businesses: DailyFX (2016) for trading news, tastytrade (2021, roughly $1 billion) for US options and futures, and commission-free UK investing platform Freetrade (2025).
The US strategy deepened in June 2024 when the IG US retail forex business rebranded to tastyfx, uniting the US offering under the tasty identity with strong recognition among American active traders.
IG Group Holdings plc Sustainability & Ethics
IG publishes annual ESG reporting covering carbon-neutral operations claims, client outcome metrics, and governance standards. As a regulated financial services group, its most material social factors are responsible marketing and client-loss transparency: it reports the percentage of retail clients who lose money on its platforms per FCA/ESMA disclosure rules.
Awards & Recognition
IG won six #1 rankings at the ForexBrokers.com 2026 Annual Awards announced January 27, 2026: Overall Broker (sixth straight year), Mobile App, Trust Score, Web Platform, Best for Beginners, and Education. US brand tastyfx took #1 US forex broker.
Controversy, Regulation & Public Scrutiny
As a leveraged trading provider, IG operates under persistent regulatory scrutiny: FCA and ESMA leverage caps, client-loss disclosures, and periodic industry reviews of CFD marketing. IG has faced fines historically for conduct issues in specific entities, handled through standard regulatory settlement.
Brands Owned by IG Group Holdings plc
IG Group Holdings plc owns 2 brands in our database. Explore the ownership tree below — click categories to expand and see individual brands.
IG Group Holdings plc
public · Founded 1974 · London, England, UK
2
brands
IG Group Holdings plc Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +50-year operating history and strongest regulatory footprint in retail trading
- +Scale and margins fund a £1 billion capital-return program
- +US tasty ecosystem provides a differentiated growth engine
- +Diversified across leveraged trading, US derivatives, and investing
Considerations
- -Revenue depends on market volatility and client trading appetite
- -Regulatory tightening on retail leverage is a permanent headwind
- -High client loss rates in CFDs are a documented industry problem
- -Competition from zero-commission investing reshapes client expectations
Frequently Asked Questions About IG Group Holdings plc
What kind of company is IG Group?
IG Group is a London-listed online trading and investments company offering spread betting, CFDs, forex, US derivatives, and investing to over 300,000 clients.
Is IG Group a public company?
Yes. It trades on the London Stock Exchange under ticker IGG and is a FTSE 250 constituent.
Who founded IG Group?
Stuart Wheeler founded the company in 1974 as IG Index, the world's first financial spread-betting firm.
Where is IG Group headquartered?
Cannon Bridge House, Dowgate Hill, in the City of London, with major offices including Chicago for the tasty business.
How much revenue does IG Group make?
Approximately £1.08 billion in FY2025 (year ended May 31, 2025), the first year it crossed the £1 billion mark.
What brands does IG Group own?
IG, tastytrade, tastylive, tastyfx, Freetrade, and Spectrum Markets.





