10-KPeriod: FY2015

Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. Annual Report, Year Ended Dec 31, 2015

Filed February 29, 2016For Securities:IBKR

Summary

Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (IBKR) reported its 2015 annual results, highlighting continued growth in its electronic brokerage segment, which drove overall revenue increases despite a challenging market environment. The company demonstrated resilience by expanding its customer base and increasing trading volumes, even as market making segment revenues saw a slight decrease due to competitive pressures. A notable event impacting the results was a significant customer bad debt expense related to the Swiss franc devaluation, which impacted the electronic brokerage segment's profitability. The company maintained a strong capital position and continued its focus on technological innovation to support its low-cost, high-efficiency business model.

Financial Highlights

31 data points
Beta

Revenue

$1.26B

Net Income

$49.00M

3.9% Net Margin

EPS (Diluted)

$0.20

Total Assets

$48.73B

Cash & Equivalents

$1.60B

Free Cash Flow

$725.00M

Financial Statements
Beta
Revenue$1.26B
Net Income$49.00M
EPS (Basic)$0.20
EPS (Diluted)$0.20
Shares Outstanding (Basic)244.17M
Shares Outstanding (Diluted)250.04M

Key Highlights

  • 1Electronic brokerage segment showed strong growth, with net revenues increasing by 15% to $1.097 billion, driven by higher commissions and net interest income.
  • 2Total net revenues for the company increased by 14% to $1.189 billion, reflecting growth in both brokerage and market-making activities.
  • 3A significant event impacting profitability was a $137 million customer bad debt expense in the electronic brokerage segment due to the Swiss franc devaluation, which partially offset otherwise strong operational performance.
  • 4Despite market volatility, the company's market making segment saw a 5% increase in net revenues to $298 million, driven by higher volatility and trading activity.
  • 5Total customer accounts grew by 18% to 331,000, with over half of the customers residing outside the U.S., indicating broad geographic reach.
  • 6Diluted earnings per share were $0.78, a slight increase from $0.77 in the prior year, demonstrating stable profitability.
  • 7The company maintained robust regulatory capital, with aggregate excess regulatory capital of $3.4 billion as of December 31, 2015.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary driver of revenue growth for Interactive Brokers in 2015 was the electronic brokerage segment, which saw a 15% increase in net revenues driven by higher commissions, execution fees, and net interest income, fueled by customer account growth and increased trading activity.

The Swiss National Bank's decision to remove the currency cap against the Euro on January 15, 2015, led to significant losses for some customers who held currency positions. Interactive Brokers incurred a $137 million customer bad debt expense related to this event, which negatively impacted the profitability of its electronic brokerage segment.

Interactive Brokers stated its intention to continue paying a quarterly cash dividend of $0.10 per share to its common stockholders for the foreseeable future, reflecting confidence in its ongoing financial performance.

Interactive Brokers manages market risk through a proprietary pricing model that continuously reevaluates positions and rebalances the portfolio throughout the trading day to manage risk exposures. It also utilizes hedging strategies, including cash instruments and exchange-traded derivatives, to mitigate market risks associated with its trading inventories and currency exposures.