HSBC announced that it has appointed David Rice as its first Chief AI Officer as part of a broader push to embed artificial intelligence across the organisation.  Rice will take up the role on 1 April, with the bank saying the position provides enterprise-level leadership for AI as it builds “a bank that is designed for the future”. The move comes as HSBC rolls out generative AI tools to all staff to simplify internal processes and help frontline employees offer more personalised customer services.  The bank explained that the strategy aims to support colleagues while ensuring that AI-enabled decision-making retains human oversight. Group Chief Executive Georges Elhedery stated: “Our customers increasingly expect their bank to deliver services uniquely aligned to their specific needs, and fast. That’s why we’re building a bank that is designed for the future.”  He added: “AI plays a key role in how we get there.” Elhedery noted that the bank’s ambition is to empower staff to use AI to create personalised experiences “in real time and at scale”, while maintaining human judgement and accountability. “David will be instrumental in helping us realise our ambition in this area,” he commented. Rice said he is thrilled to take on the new role, noting that “AI is going to play an ever-increasing role in HSBC’s future plans”. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer for the bank’s Corporate and Institutional Banking division. HSBC also expanded the remit of Mario Shamtani, its Chief Technology Officer, to strengthen the technology foundations needed to deploy AI at scale, including modernising core platforms and developing a central AI platform for staffThe post HSBC Appoints David Rice as First Chief AI Officer  first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Stash Capital LLC has been censured and fined $450,000 by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority after the regulator found the firm failed to maintain adequate anti-money-laundering and identity-theft controls between January 2019 and June 2023. FINRA said Stash Capital, which offers self-directed online brokerage accounts and has opened more than nine million accounts since launch, did not implement a customer identification programme proportionate to the size and risk of its business.  Investigators found accounts were approved without full identity verification, including cases where only partial Social Security numbers were provided or where indicators of potential identity fraud were overlooked. The regulator also found the firm lacked sufficient procedures to detect and report suspicious transactions, relying heavily on automated alerts for deposits and withdrawals while failing to connect red flags identified during account opening with later activity. FINRA cited instances where multiple accounts shared common phone numbers or email address patterns without being flagged. Stash Capital was also found to have failed to maintain a reasonable identity-theft prevention plan. FINRA said the firm relied on customer-reported issues and clearing-firm notifications and did not implement timely controls despite known risks. The firm consented to the sanctions without admitting or denying the findings. The post Stash Capital Fined By FINRA Over AML and Identity-Theft Control Failures first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Nasdaq and Talos have formed a partnership to connect Talos’s digital asset infrastructure with Nasdaq’s Calypso and Trade Surveillance platforms.  The companies said in a release that the integration aims to close structural gaps that have prevented tokenised collateral from being widely adopted in institutional markets. Tokenised collateral allows traditional financial assets to move in real time across jurisdictions using distributed ledger technology.  Nasdaq cited research showing around 25% of collateral, said to be worth more than $35 billion, is tied up in corrective or non-interest-bearing arrangements.  The firms believes unified infrastructure is required to unlock that capital while maintaining institutional-grade controls. Connecting Talos with Nasdaq Calypso will allow firms to manage on- and off-chain collateral within a single workflow framework, spanning risk, margin, collateral and execution. The partnership will also expand connectivity to custodians and marketplaces across both ecosystems. Roland Chai, executive vice president at Nasdaq, said the collaboration solves “the inability to manage exposure across markets with a single risk and asset lens”.  Anton Katz, chief executive and co-founder of Talos, said joining Talos’s infrastructure with Calypso and Nasdaq Trade Surveillance will reduce operational friction. Talos clients will gain access to Nasdaq’s surveillance technology, which monitors trading behaviour for signs of market abuse such as layering, spoofing, wash trading and cross-market manipulation.The post Nasdaq and Talos Partner on Integrated Tokenised Collateral Solution first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

STOKR has appointed Subhankar Sinha as senior adviser to support the firm’s push into fund tokenisation and strengthen its institutional presence in the US market.  Sinha is expected to work with the Luxembourg-based company’s leadership on money market fund tokenisation and broader US market development. Sinha previously served as head of blockchain at BNY and earlier co-founded the US blockchain consulting practice at PwC.  STOKR believes his background across capital markets, blockchain infrastructure and institutional business development made him well-suited to help scale its technology. Arnab Naskar, co-founder of STOKR, stated that Sinha brings “the institutional depth that this stage of STOKR’s growth demands”, noting his experience advising tokenisation platforms, stablecoin issuers and wealth managers.  He added that Sinha will be instrumental in expanding the company’s institutional fund tokenisation capabilities. Over his career, Sinha has worked across banking, asset management, energy, entertainment and transportation, advising firms on growth strategy, digital transformation and partnerships. His recent work has focused on stablecoins, tokenisation platforms and blockchain networks. Sinha believes STOKR has built “a proven, regulated infrastructure for digital securities issuance in the Bitcoin ecosystem” over the past eight years. The post STOKR Hires Former BNY Blockchain Executive as Senior Advisor first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

CMC Markets announced on Monday that it has launched a new multi-asset platform.  The new platform is said to be designed to offer retail, professional and institutional clients a single interface for trading and investing across global markets.  CMC explained that the service supports investment in more than 12,000 global shares and ETFs with 0% commission and no platform or holding fees, aside from a 0.5% FX conversion charge where applicable. The company feels the launch reflects a strategic focus on delivering breadth, performance and usability as investor behaviour shifts towards flexible, cost-efficient multi-asset portfolios.  Alongside the investment offering, clients can trade CFDs and options on global markets through the same account. CMC Markets has also introduced 0% commission on U.K. and EU share CFDs, excluding Greece, which it said reinforces its commitment to transparent pricing.  The firm noted increasing investor rotation from US markets into the UK and Europe and said the updated pricing structure supports more dynamic capital management. Chris Cheverall, head of UK at CMC Markets, stated that the platform makes it easier for clients to align long-term positions and short-term trading strategies.  “You might want to own shares in companies like Nvidia as part of a long-term strategy, or trade those same markets more actively using leverage – and now you can do both through a single CMC Markets platform,” he commented. Vaughn Affonso, co-head of dealing, believes removing commission on UK and European CFD shares allows clients to trade more efficiently and access new opportunities as market conditions evolve.The post CMC Markets Unveils New Multi-Asset Platform  first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Clear Street has expanded its institutional offering with the launch of a new digital asset trading capability, enabling U.S. clients to execute large-scale over-the-counter spot cryptocurrency trades through Clear Street Digital.  The company revealed in its release that the service allows access to bitcoin, ether, solana and a wide range of altcoins and stablecoins. The new functionality is said to be built on the same cloud-native infrastructure as Clear Street’s equities, options, fixed income and futures businesses.  The firm noted that future enhancements will include financing, derivatives, cross-asset margining and API connectivity, allowing institutions to manage crypto exposures alongside traditional positions. Ed Tilly, chief executive of Clear Street, believes the expansion is “the most recent illustration” of the firm’s mission to provide access to “every asset, in every market” through a unified platform.  The firm’s partnership with digital asset custodian BitGo, announced in November, will underpin custody and wallet services. Bob Rutherford, chief executive of Clear Street Digital, commented that institutions increasingly require “visibility and control across their entire portfolio, not disconnected systems for each asset class”.  He added that the firm’s capital markets platform enables digital assets to sit within the same risk and financing framework used for traditional markets. Clear Street also announced the appointment of David Martin as chief revenue officer for Clear Street Digital.  Martin previously held senior roles at AsiaNext and FalconX and co-founded Blockforce Capital. The digital assets team will attend the Digital Asset Summit in New York from 24 to 26 March.The post Clear Street Launches Institutional Digital Asset Trading in the US first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Virtu Financial said Monday that Nissay Asset Management Corporation has adopted its Triton execution management system to enhance trading efficiency across global markets. The move follows a detailed vendor evaluation process. Nissay Asset Management, a wholly owned subsidiary established in 1995, specialises in insurance-related asset management and provides investment products for pension funds, individual investors and other long-term clients. The firm went live on Triton for domestic Japanese trading in September, with international desks due to transition later this year. Triton is a multi-asset execution platform designed for active traders and supports equities, ETFs, futures, options, FX and fixed income across more than 700 brokers and venues.  Virtu noted that the system integrates Algo Wheel and analytics tools, and can be tailored to client workflows, including bespoke wheel logic to meet internal requirements. Shuichi Uchida, head of trading at Nissay Asset Management, said adopting Triton and Virtu’s POSIT Alert had centralised “automated execution, RFQs, and IOIs” into a single interface.  He added that this “significantly enhanced our operational efficiency”, adding that the firm valued Triton’s “intuitive operability and scalability” alongside Virtu’s responsiveness to client needs. Nissay AM also highlighted Virtu’s strong client satisfaction within the Japanese institutional market and the companies’ longstanding relationship, having already implemented Virtu’s transaction cost analysis tools.  Phil Chevalier, co-head of Virtu Execution Services APAC, believes the selection validated the company’s strategy of providing flexible, best-in-class systems adaptable to clients’ workflow requirements.The post Nissay Asset Management Selects Triton to Streamline Trading Operations first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Virex Market has partnered with Spotware Systems to adopt the cTrader platform as the foundation of its trading environment.  The broker is aiming to deliver a more advanced and transparent experience for clients. It said the partnership aligns with its focus on building a secure, high-performance trading ecosystem.  By integrating cTrader, Virex Market will be able to provide access to a wide suite of tools designed for traders of all experience levels, including the cTrader Store, which offers trading bots, indicators, copy strategies, prop-trading challenges and plugins. cTrader has more than 11 million users globally and was recently named “Top Trading Platform for Brokers” by Finance Magnates for 2026. Its open-architecture design allows brokers to customise interfaces through plugins and connect with more than 100 third-party FX and CFD solutions. Virex Market CEO Wasi Mohammadi said the partnership represents “a strategic step in building Virex Market as a truly technology-driven brokerage,” adding that cTrader’s transparency and institutional-grade architecture support the firm’s values of fairness and long-term trader trust. Spotware COO Yiota Hadjilouka believes Virex Market’s innovation-led approach made it a natural partner for cTrader, enabling the delivery of “powerful tools and best-in-class trading experience” across its client base. The integration also enhances Virex Market’s social-trading functionality through cTrader Copy.The post Virex Market Partners With Spotware to Expand Trading-Platform Offering first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

On Friday, Compagnie Financière Tradition revealed an 11.4 percent increase in revenue to CHF 1.20 billion in 2025 on a constant-currency basis. The rise was said to have been supported by heightened market activity amid shifting global monetary policy and rising geopolitical uncertainty. The company said investors’ need to reposition portfolios drove higher transaction volumes across asset classes and regions.  Revenue from its interdealer broking division rose 11.2 percent, while its Japanese online retail FX business grew 18.8 percent. EBITDA, including joint ventures, increased 24.6 percent to CHF 209.9 million, with an operating margin of 17.4 percent.  Operating profit rose 28.9 percent to CHF 187.4 million at constant exchange rates. The group noted that reported performance was tempered by the stronger Swiss franc, particularly against the U.S. dollar and Japanese yen. Net profit attributable to shareholders increased 22.2 percent to CHF 134.2 million, with basic earnings per share rising to CHF 17.55. The board plans to propose an 11.1 percent increase in the dividend to CHF 7.50 per share. The group maintained a strong balance sheet, with consolidated equity at CHF 565.8 million before treasury shares and net cash of CHF 282.7 million including joint-venture holdings. Compagnie Financière Tradition said activity early in 2026 is ahead of last year at constant exchange rates, and it intends to prioritise organic growth, targeted recruitment and investment in digitalisation, data and analytics.  The company said strengthening balance-sheet quality and managing costs remain central to sustaining long-term resilience.The post Compagnie Financière Tradition Reports Strong 2025 Performance first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

TradingView revealed last week that it has added live market data from Singapore-based Antarctic Exchange, which enables users to chart its perpetual contracts directly on the platform. The integration is said to give traders access to pairs including BTCUSDT.P, ETHUSDT.P and SOLUSDT.P, which can now be added to watchlists and analysed using TradingView’s suite of indicators, alerts and charting tools.  Antarctic Exchange, founded in 2024, noted that it has processed more than $21 billion in trading volume and serves over 280,000 active addresses.  The platform positions itself as offering centralised-exchange performance while maintaining a transparent settlement design with on-chain verification components. TradingView commented that the addition strengthens its coverage of global digital-asset markets and forms part of its broader expansion of real-time data sources.  The platform provides access to over two million tradable instruments across hundreds of feeds. Antarctic Exchange believes its collaboration with TradingView enhances accessibility and supports more efficient analysis of its markets as its user base grows.The post Antarctic Exchange Data Goes Live on TradingView first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has opened an enforcement investigation into Market Financial Solutions Limited (MFS), which entered administration on 25 February. The regulator said MFS was registered only for compliance with the UK’s Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds regulations and was not otherwise authorised or subject to broader FCA oversight.  MFS specialised in complex property-related loans and had grown rapidly in recent years. Its failure has left creditors, including banks and private credit funds, with substantial exposures. Administrators from AlixPartners are overseeing the process. In its brief statement, the FCA confirmed the investigation but provided no detail on the focus of inquiries, although it has been reported that it comes amid allegations of fraud.The post FCA Launches Enforcement Investigation into Market Financial Solutions first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Ledger announced last week that it has appointed finance veteran John Andrews as its new chief financial officer.  The company also revealed it has opened a New York City office as part of a multi-million-dollar investment to scale its U.S. presence. Ledger secures more than 20 percent of global crypto assets and over 30 percent of dollar stablecoins held by retail investors. It said the move strengthens its position in its largest market globally.  Andrews joins from Circle, where he led capital markets and investor relations. Ledger noted that Andrews brings more than 25 years of financial-sector experience and will play a central role in expanding its institutional offering.  Meanwhile, the new office is expected to serve as a strategic hub for Ledger Enterprise, the firm’s infrastructure platform aimed at banks, asset managers, custodians and stablecoin issuers seeking secure digital-asset governance. Pascal Gauthier, chairman and CEO, said Andrews “brings the institutional rigour and financial leadership necessary to scale Ledger’s global vision,” adding that positioning Ledger Enterprise “at the epicentre of the financial world” would help meet rising demand for cryptographic security. The expansion coincides with Ledger’s broader effort to develop AI-accelerated security tools combining hardware protection, cryptography and artificial intelligence.  The company highlighted that teams remain “human-in-the-loop” to preserve expertise while enhancing productivity. Andrews believes Ledger had built “the most trusted security platform for digital assets” and was well placed to support institutions entering the sector.  The office opening follows a multi-year partnership with the San Antonio Spurs and will be marked by an industry event on 23 March.The post Ledger Appoints New CFO and Opens New York Office first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

CAB Payments has rejected a possible cash offer from StoneX Group Inc., stating that the proposal “significantly undervalues” the business and its medium-term prospects. The company received the unsolicited, non-binding proposal on 15 March, with StoneX indicating a possible offer price of 95 pence per share.  CAB Payments’ Independent Board, together with its advisers, carried out an assessment of the proposal and concluded that the price does not reflect the group’s progress or outlook.  The board has formally communicated its rejection to StoneX. In its evaluation, the company said it considered what it described as a “significant improvement” in financial and operational performance during FY25, alongside the medium-term guidance issued with its 2025 results.  It also consulted with major shareholders regarding the approach. CAB Payments noted that it continues to see strategic value in the group’s relationship-led business model, its ability to win and retain clients, and its differentiated emerging-market payments network.  It added that its regulated platform and growth strategy underpinned confidence in delivering “attractive total returns” for shareholders. Under the Takeover Code, the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers will set a deadline by which StoneX must either announce a firm intention to make an offer or confirm it does not intend to proceed. The post CAB Payments Rejects Takeover Approach from StoneX first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

London Stock Exchange Group has announced a series of senior appointments to strengthen its European-equities business, expanding leadership across the London Stock Exchange and its pan-European venue, Turquoise. Simon McQuoid-Mason, appointed in December 2025, will now lead Business Development alongside New Product Development and Market Structure.  LSEG said his expertise in market structure and electronic trading would support efforts to enhance execution quality and deepen customer partnerships. Tom Stenhouse has been appointed chief executive of Turquoise, subject to regulatory approval. He will also remain head of product, overseeing Turquoise Europe’s operations and the expansion of its trading footprint across the continent. Two further appointments were made at Turquoise Europe, based in Amsterdam. Elian Matthijssen becomes director, responsible for operating the venue and driving ecosystem growth, while Remko van Moll joins as senior business-development manager to lead customer engagement. Charlie Walker, deputy chief executive of the London Stock Exchange, said the appointments reinforce LSEG’s ambition to operate “competitive equities trading venues in Europe”. The post LSEG Strengthens European Equities Leadership with Senior Appointments first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Tradeweb Markets has expanded its dealer algorithmic-execution offering for U.S. Treasuries, adding strategies from Citi and RBC Capital Markets.  The move builds on the firm’s U.S. launch of dealer algorithms last year and supports its strategy to deepen liquidity and provide diversified execution styles. The algorithms allow institutional investors to execute Treasury orders over defined time horizons using liquidity from participating dealers.  The company noted that the enhancement supports its effort to integrate algo tools with proprietary data and analytics, moving towards a unified multi-dealer, multi-asset platform. Tradeweb said the suite complements its wider fixed-income ecosystem, including cash-and-futures spread execution.  The firm reported record average daily U.S. government-bond volumes of $237.2 billion in 2025, up 11.6 percent. Bhas Nalabothula, head of U.S. institutional rates, believes the addition of Citi and RBC will “strengthen the depth and breadth” of its multi-dealer environment.  Citi’s Jamie Mortimore stated that its algos provide firm, multi-level prices that improve clarity in fast markets. RBC’s Darcy Greenham said its tools integrate market intelligence to help clients optimise order management.The post Tradeweb Expands Dealer Algo Execution Suite for U.S. Treasuries first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Euronext has successfully launched the Euronext Nord Pool Power Futures market, completing a full migration of open interest from Nasdaq Clearing and marking a key step in its Innovate for Growth 2027 strategy. The market went live on 16 March following the transfer of 173 TWh of open interest.  All Nordic and Baltic power-futures contracts are now traded on the Optiq platform and cleared through Euronext Clearing.  The group stated that the launch contributes to Europe’s strategic autonomy by providing companies with tools to manage electricity price volatility. Euronext believes the initiative reinforces its long-term commitment to the Nordic region, following its acquisitions of Oslo Børs, Euronext Securities Oslo, Euronext Securities Copenhagen, Nord Pool and Admincontrol.  The new marketplace aims to revitalise liquidity through dedicated liquidity-provider programmes and a capital-efficient clearing model using Value-at-Risk methodologies. Eighty-six participants have connected to the market, with 16 clearing members offering the contracts. The platform will provide a unified venue for physical-power and futures-trading access, supporting cross-border integration and Europe’s wider energy-market development. Camille Beudin, chair of the Nord Pool board, said the launch, “reinforcing Europe’s strategic autonomy in the energy sector,” was a major milestone.  She added that combining Nord Pool’s benchmarks with Euronext infrastructure had created a “resilient and capital-efficient marketplace” designed to support price discovery and risk management in volatile energy conditions.The post Euronext Launches Nord Pool Power Futures Market  first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Pyth Network has launched Pyth Pro X, a market-data service designed for exchanges operating multi-asset markets.  The service provides real-time pricing and collateral-valuation tools for venues including Bitget, BitMEX, Coinbase, Crypto.com, DreamCash, LMAX and TradeXYZ. Pyth Pro X aims to replace fragmented vendor feeds and restrictive data-licensing arrangements with a unified price layer supporting crypto, equities, indices, FX and structured products.  Douro Labs chief executive Mike Cahill said the system was designed to break “the barriers preventing institutions from operating a truly real-time, global exchange”. The service offers sub-100-millisecond latency and more than 2,500 price feeds. It also includes 24/5 continuous pricing for over 50 U.S. equities to support the expansion of equity perpetuals and cross-margin frameworks. Marc Zeitouni, chief executive of Coinbase International Exchange, said integrating the service would help deliver “region-specific solutions” supported by high-fidelity pricing.  BitMEX’s Samuel Sandiford stated that it had become foundational for valuing crypto and real-world-asset collateral through a single data source. Pyth Pro X builds on the adoption of Pyth Pro, which surpassed $1 million in annual recurring revenue in its first month.The post Pyth Network Unveils Pro X Data Service for Multi-Asset Exchanges first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Flow Traders has launched a digital-assets OTC offering providing 24/7 two-way liquidity for tokenised money-market funds, equities and commodities, including Franklin Templeton’s BENJI and Tether Gold. The firm said the move reflects rising institutional demand to trade tokenised assets outside traditional market hours. The company noted that secondary-market activity for tokenised equities and commodities has grown across overnight and weekend sessions, creating a need for continuous liquidity and improved execution frameworks.  Chief executive Thomas Spitz stated that tokenisation could represent “one of the next major steps” in market-structure evolution, adding that activity in some large-cap U.S. stocks had at times reached 2–3 percent of notional volumes in tokenised and synthetic markets. Through the OTC platform, counterparties can hedge tokenised equity and commodity exposures using fiat or stablecoins, with risk controls designed for out-of-hours trading. Connectivity is available via FIX, OMS/EMS systems, ECNs or high-touch channels. Paolo Ardoino, chief executive of Tether, noted that demand for gold in both traditional and on-chain markets had accelerated, highlighting the role of liquidity providers in supporting assets such as XAU₮.  “Supporting XAU₮ across multiple exchanges and through their OTC desk helps strengthen the market structure around digital representations of physical gold,” he said. Flow Traders said asset coverage would expand in line with demand, regulatory requirements and supported venues, with availability varying by jurisdiction.The post Flow Traders Launches 24/7 OTC Liquidity for Tokenised Assets first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

MPC drops easing guidance as markets price in rate hikes for first time since 2023 The Bank of England held interest rates at 3.75% today in a unanimous 9-0 vote, the first time the MPC has voted unanimously on rates since September 2021, and a markedly more hawkish outcome than the 7-2 split most economists had expected. The decision itself was widely anticipated. What caught markets off guard was the unity. Even the committee’s most dovish members chose to hold fire, signalling that the Middle East conflict has fundamentally changed the policy calculus. Critically, the MPC dropped the forward guidance it had issued in February, that “Bank Rate is likely to be reduced further”, declining to repeat the line in its March statement. In its place, the committee said it was assessing both the inflation risk from higher energy prices and the drag on growth those prices would cause, and that it “stands ready to act as necessary.” A hawkish surprise Markets reacted swiftly. Pricing for BoE rate hikes in 2026 jumped to 65 basis points immediately after the announcement, up from 39 basis points beforehand. Two-year gilt yields surged 33 basis points on the day to 4.43%, the highest level since January 2025, extending a sell-off that had begun earlier on reports of further damage to gas infrastructure in Qatar. Sterling briefly strengthened against both the dollar and the euro following the announcement. CMC Markets: a “cautiously optimistic” hold Chris Cheverall, Head of UK at CMC Markets, said the unanimous hold reflects a pragmatic stance from the MPC rather than a pivot toward tightening. “Before the outbreak of the war, inflation was expected to fall closer to the 2% CPI target,” Cheverall said. “While the conflict in the Middle East may not be the primary driver of the decision to hold interest rates at 3.75%, tensions in the region are a consideration thanks to the sustained rise in oil and gas prices and increased uncertainty.” Cheverall characterised the decision as “a cautiously optimistic assessment of the UK growth outlook,” adding that holding steady “suggests the continuation of a more balanced approach, underscoring the view that policy is now firmly in restrictive territory, while avoiding the risk of overtightening into a weakening macroeconomic backdrop.” “By holding steady at 3.75%, the MPC is choosing to maintain a firm stance and buy time to avoid overreacting to short-term data,” he said. “Market focus now turns to the coming months, and what the eventual impact of the conflict and resulting energy crisis will be.” Divided in tone, united in vote While the vote was unanimous, the commentary from individual MPC members revealed a spectrum of views on what comes next. Chief Economist Huw Pill, who has consistently voted against recent rate cuts, said second-round inflationary effects from the energy shock “remain substantial” and that he is “ready to act” if longer-term inflation pressures emerge. At the other end of the committee, Alan Taylor, one of the most vocal supporters of easing, pushed back on the idea that a hike is imminent, saying he currently sees “a high bar to hiking” given the massive uncertainty around energy prices. Deputy Governor Dave Ramsden went further, saying he would have voted for a 25bp cut had it not been for the Middle East conflict, suggesting the underlying economic case for easing remains intact once the geopolitical fog clears. The economic backdrop The MPC is navigating what amounts to a stagflationary bind. GDP was flat in January, with Bank staff estimating underlying quarterly growth of just 0.1-0.2% in Q1. The unemployment rate stands at 5.2%, and labour demand remains weak. At the same time, Bank staff projections suggest the direct contribution of energy prices to CPI inflation in Q3 2026 will be around three-quarters of a percentage point, pushing the headline rate to an estimated 3.5%, well above the 2% target the Bank had expected to hit by mid-year. Prior to the Middle East conflict, disinflation had been progressing. Private sector regular pay growth had slowed to 3.3% in the three months to January, below the Bank’s February forecast. That progress has now been overtaken by events. What comes next The MPC’s next meeting concludes on 30 April, and the committee indicated it expects to have more information by then to assess the situation. For now, the message is clear: the hurdle to hiking is high, but the path back to cutting has become significantly longer. As Governor Bailey put it, monetary policy cannot reverse the energy shock, but it can respond to the risk that it becomes embedded in UK inflation expectations. The question for markets is whether “respond” eventually means tighten, or simply wait. The post Bank of England holds rates at 3.75% in surprise unanimous vote as Middle East conflict upends outlook first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

On Thursday, IG Group reported record financial results for the 12 months to 31 December 2025 and announced a strategic review aimed at maximising long-term shareholder value. Chief executive Breon Corcoran said: “Record financial results and accelerating customer growth demonstrate the strength of IG’s platform… now is the time to raise our ambitions.” Total revenue rose 7 percent year on year to £1.12 billion, while net trading revenue increased 10 percent to £1 billion. EBITDA edged 1 percent higher to £531.1 million, with margins remaining robust at 47.3 percent despite lower interest income and increased investment in technology, marketing and strategic initiatives. Adjusted earnings per share rose 5 percent to 115.3 pence, and the company announced a new £125 million share buyback. Customer metrics strengthened. First trades climbed 81 percent to 128,800, while active customers rose 174 percent to 742,100, driven largely by the acquisition of Freetrade. Excluding acquisitions, active customers were up 6 percent. The board has commenced a strategic review to evaluate options, including acquisitions, potential changes to IG’s domicile or listing venues, and possible combinations with other industry participants. The outcome will be presented at a Strategy Update in autumn 2026. A trading update for the three months to 28 February 2026 showed revenue up 2 percent to £274.2 million and net trading revenue up 5 percent. Assets under administration reached £19.5 billion after product expansion at Freetrade and the completion of IG’s acquisition of Independent Reserve. IG said it enters 2026 with “strong momentum”, expecting revenue growth towards the top end of its mid-to-high single-digit target range.The post IG Reports Record Revenue, Launches Strategic Review to Boost Long-Term Growth first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.