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IG Group Holdings

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FY2010 Annual Report · IG Group Holdings
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Annual Report

IG Group Holdings plc  |  31 May 2010

IG Group Holdings plc

Cannon Bridge House
25 Dowgate Hill
London
EC4R 2YA

Tel:  + 44 (0)20 7896 0011 
Fax: + 44 (0)20 7896 0010

www.iggroup.com

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This document has been  
printed on recycled paper.

 
 
 
 
 
InTroducTIon

Introduction

IG Group Holdings plc is a world leader in the provision  
of online financial derivatives trading to retail investors.  
We provide these services directly under our own brands  
and via a network of partners.

Our award-winning dealing platforms provide clients with easy 
access to global financial markets and the flexibility to trade 
on multiple asset classes.

During the year, over 120,000 clients in 123 countries traded 
Contracts for Difference (CFDs)(i) or spread bets on a range of 
over 10,000 equity, equity index, commodity, forex, interest 
rate and binary contracts, covering all major global financial 
markets.

(i) Defined in Glossary of Terms Used with illustrative CFD examples.

Performance at a glance

IG Group is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a 
member of the FTSE 250. Our head office is in London with 
other offices in Beijing, Chicago, Düsseldorf, Johannesburg, 
Lisbon, Luxembourg, Madrid, Melbourne, Milan, Paris, 
Singapore, Stockholm and Tokyo.

The Group is debt-free and has high levels of capital and 
liquidity to provide assurance to our clients and other 
counterparties. 

Total equity

£474.6m

[2009: £395.9m]

Number of financial  
clients dealing(1)(2)

103,338

[2009: 88,336]

New financial  
accounts opened(1)(2)

+3.6%

to 63,757  
[2009: 61,538]

Trading revenue(1)

+16.1%

to £298.6m [2009: £257.1m]

Adjusted profit  
before tax(1)

Adjusted diluted  
earnings per share(1)

+25.2%

to £157.6m  
[2009: £125.9m]

+24.4%

to 30.77p per share  
[2009: +22.0%]

Total available liquidity(1)

Regulatory capital  
adequacy(1)

ordinary  
dividend per share

£358.7m

[2009: £252.9m] 

338.1%

[2009: 253.3%]

+23.3%

to 18.5p per share  
[2009: + 25.0%]

Adjusted PBT  
margin(1)

52.8%

 [2009: 49.0%]

(1) This term is defined and discussed further in our Key Performance Indicators section on pages 11 and 12. 
(2) To facilitate full year-on-year comparison, this excludes clients of FXOnline, our Japanese subsidiary, which was acquired in October 2008. 

2

Contents

Contents

Business Review 

Corporate Governance 

Financial Statements 

Other Information 

Five-year Summary 

What we do... 

Board of Directors 

Strategy  

Key Performance Indicators 

Chairman’s Statement 

Chief Executive’s Review 

Operating and Financial Review 

Our Business Risks 

Directors’ Statutory Report 

Corporate Governance Report 

Directors’ Remuneration Report 

Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities 

Independent Auditor’s Report  
to the Members of IG Group Holdings plc 

39

42

48

57

58

1

3

7

9

11

13

15

19

33

Group Income Statement 

Statements of Financial Position 

Group Statement of Comprehensive Income 

Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity 

Cash Flow Statements 

Index to Notes to the Financial Statements 

Notes to the Financial Statements 

Glossary of Terms Used 

Global Offices 

Shareholder Information 

Company Information 

Cautionary Statement 

60

61

62

63

65

66

67

  121

  127

  129

IBC

IBC

In addition to the Chairman’s Statement and the Chief 
Executive’s Review, the Business Review section describes our 
business, strategy and performance against key indicators, as 
well as our financial performance for the year. We also describe 
our key business risks and how we mitigate them.

As well as the Directors’ Statutory Report and the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report, the Corporate Governance section  
also describes our corporate governance framework and  
our compliance with the Combined Code.

The Financial Statements section contains both Group and 
Company statutory Financial Statements.

This section contains Company and investor information, 
including details of the Group’s registrar and our electronic 
communications programme.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Business Review: FIVE-YEAR SUMMARY

Five-year Summary

Group income statement – statutory (£000s) 

Key performance indicators(1)

Year ended 31 May

Trading revenue

Interest income on segregated client funds

Revenue

Interest expense on segregated client funds

Betting duty

Net operating income

Recovery / (impairment) of trade receivables

Amortisation of intangibles arising on 
consolidation

Other administrative expenses

Operating profit

Finance revenue

Finance costs

Profit before taxation

Tax expense

Profit for the year

1   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010
1   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

Year ended 31 May

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

298,551

5,791

304,342

(321)

(4,298)

299,723

1,064

257,089

12,888

269,977

(5,288)

(7,223)

257,466

(18,168)

(17,298)

(14,613)

(143,500)

(114,635)

139,989

110,050

2,664

(2,312)

140,341

(38,855)

101,486

2,887

(1,678)

111,259

(32,607)

78,652

184,008

26,562

210,570

(16,341)

(10,842)

183,387

(4,057)

-

(85,759)

93,571

4,047

(628)

96,990

(29,702)

67,288

121,990

19,195

141,185

(12,636)

(4,214)

124,335

(1,416)

-

(57,158)

65,761

3,409

(276)

68,894

(21,027)

47,867

89,391

8,308

97,699

(3,272)

(1,584)

92,843

(1,401)

-

(42,336)

49,106

2,373

(339)

51,140

(15,472)

35,668

Adjusted profit before taxation (£000s)
Adjusted profit before taxation margin

EBITDA (£000s)
EBITDA margin

Adjusted diluted earnings per share 

Regulatory capital adequacy 

Total available liquidity (£000s)

Average revenue per financial client (£) 
      Excluding clients of FXOnline (£) (2)

Number of financial clients dealing
Excluding clients of  FXOnline (2)

Number of financial accounts opened

Excluding accounts of FXOnline (2)

Number of financial accounts dealing  
for the first time

Excluding accounts of FXOnline (2)

157,639  
52.8%

165,941
55.6% 

30.77p 

338.1%

 125,872  
49.0%

 131,086
51.0% 

 24.74p 

253.3%

 96,990  
52.7%

 98,493
53.5% 

 20.28p 

228.1%

 68,894  
56.5%

 70,351
57.7% 

 14.52p 

188.0%

358,686 

 252,892 

 274,823 

 161,975 

 2,425  
2,600

 120,689  
103,338

 81,134  
63,757

 2,263  
2,495

 109,747 
88,336 

 74,331  
61,538

55,674  
46,612

50,364 
44,291

 3,064 
3,064

 56,291  
56,291

 42,693 
42,693 

29,211 
29,211

 3,184 
3,184 

 34,483  
34,483

 23,785 
23,785 

15,809  
15,809

 51,140  
57.2%

 52,626
58.9% 

 10.88p 

197.2%

 81,759 

 3,251 
3,251

 24,709 
24,709 

 18,377 
18,377 

12,287 
12,287

(1) All key performance indicators are defined and discussed further in our Key Performance Indicators section on pages 11 and 12. 
(2) Metric excluded to facilitate full year-on-year comparison as FXOnline was acquired in October 2008.

Other metrics

Year ended 31 May

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

Trading revenue - % derived from UK office
Trading revenue - % derived from non-UK offices

56.4% 
43.6%

62.0% 
38.0%

81.1% 
18.9%

88.7% 
11.3%

89.5% 
10.5%

Total equity (£000s)

 474,628 

 395,913 

 244,716 

 201,708 

 170,448 

Average number of employees for the year

Interim dividend paid per share 
Final dividend proposed per share

Total dividend per share

 828 

 5.0p
13.5p 

 18.5p 

 761 

 4.0p
11.0p 

 15.0p 

 551 

 3.0p
9.0p 

 12.0p 

 404 

 2.0p
6.5p 

 8.5p 

 312 

 1.5p
4.0p 

 5.5p 

2

  
  
  
  
  
Business Review: WhAt WE dO...

What we do...

In this section we describe our 
business and the factors that 
contribute to our success.

Award-winning business and recognised 
market leader

IG Group brands have been recognised with a number of 
awards. In 2009 IG Index was awarded Best Spread Betting 
Firm by Shares Magazine and Best Online Provider at the 
MoneyAM Online Finance Awards. Our cutting-edge charting 
package, DealThru Charts, was also recognised with the Best 
Online Product Innovation award. 

(i) Investment Trends: ‘2009 UK Spread Betting and CFD Report’ (November 2009).
(ii) Investment Trends: ’May 2010 Australia CFD Report’(July 2010).

Market-leading brands

Focus on our clients

We are committed to providing our clients with a consistent, 
world-class service. In 2009, independent research by 
Investment Trends(i)(ii) confirmed IG Markets as the largest 
single provider of CFD accounts in the UK and Australia,  
while IG Index is the UK’s largest spread-betting company.

A commitment to client education

The Group monitors a range of key performance indicators  
to ensure we continue to deliver high-quality client service 
and maintain our reputation for fair treatment of clients.  
This commitment includes educating clients throughout  
their trading life.

We provide all new clients with our established TradeSense 
education programme. TradeSense covers a number of key 
topics, and offers reduced trade sizes for the duration of the 
six-week course, promoting responsible trading and building 
client confidence.

We also offer a range of seminars, both online and at our 
offices, designed by our team of financial experts led by  
our Chief Market Strategist.

Providing online derivatives trading to a global client base:

   Contracts for Difference (CFD) trading on forex, shares, indices, 
commodities and options, plus a full Direct Market Access (DMA) 
service

   Principal offices in London, Düsseldorf, Lisbon, Madrid, 
Melbourne, Milan, Paris and Singapore

  Clients in over 123 countries and a network of global partners 

   The largest and longest-running spread betting company in 
the world

   Spread betting on forex, indices, commodities, binaries and 
thousands of global shares 

   Multi-award-winning and recently confirmed as UK market 
leader(i)

   CFD trading and margined forex

   Based in Tokyo, acquired by IG Group in 2008

   Nadex offers limited-risk derivative contracts on indices, commodities 
and forex as well as direct-access browser-based trading

   Futures brokers can now trade on Nadex following a change in 
regulatory designation in April 2010

   Sports spread betting, fixed-odds, binaries and an online 
casino, all from one account

3   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

4

Business Review: WhAt WE dO...

What we do... 
(continued)

Competitive and transparent 
pricing

Advanced and robust 
technology

We offer transparent prices that are competitively low, while 
maintaining our trademark quality of service and trade 
execution. Spreads on EUR/USD, for example, start at just one 
pip, while our commission rates start at 0.1% for UK equities.

We provide our clients with a fast, reliable and secure trading 
environment. Over 45,000 clients use our trading platforms 
on a daily basis, utilising super-quick pricing and one-click 
dealing, and over 99% of all trades are executed automatically.

New Smart Order Routing  

The PureDeal trading platform 

During the year, we introduced Smart Order Routing to source 
prices from Europe’s top three Multilateral Trading Facilities 
(MTFs): Chi-X, Turquoise and BATS. This provides our clients 
with greater liquidity and better prices. In addition to MTFs, 
we also source prices from major European exchanges, such 
as the London Stock Exchange and Euronext, in search of the 
narrowest market spreads. Our pricing is then derived from the 
best bid and offer prices to be found in the underlying market. 

Our in-house IT team has developed an award-winning trading 
platform to keep us at the forefront of the industry. Some of 
the platform’s key features include:

   Fully customisable interface so clients can easily monitor 
their favourite markets

   Trading tools including Reuters news feeds, research and 
market analysis

   Extensive charting packages including real-time charts,  
in-built trading pattern software and DealThru Charts

   Mobile dealing on iPhone, BlackBerry and smartphones

Direct Market Access solutions

We offer Direct Market Access (DMA) through a choice of 
browser-based and downloadable platforms. DMA offers a 
number of advantages to traders, including the ability to trade 
straight into the order book of equity exchanges and view full 
market depth. 

Partners and institutional 
business

In addition to our focus on the recruitment and servicing of 
direct retail clients, we also have a diversified base of over  
370 global partners.

Partner relationships can take a number of forms:

   A third party introduces the client, but is not actively 
involved in the ongoing relationship.

   A third party has an ongoing involvement in the client 
relationship. This may be management of the underlying 
investment under a power of attorney, or more general 
relationship management. In some cases, all client contact  
is via the intermediary.

   A white-label arrangement is created where clients of a third 
party trade on our PureDeal platform, but under the third 
party’s ‘trading banner’.

   FlX is an industry standard protocol for systems connectivity 
that enables direct electronic access to our pricing and 
trade execution technology. This enables firms with their 
own trading platform to offer IG Group products. 

Financial strength  

Since IG Index was established in 1974, our operations 
have expanded and we are now a global leader in online 
CFD trading and spread betting. We are a multinational 
organisation supporting over 120,000 clients worldwide  
who carry out millions of transactions per month.

The IG Group is built on solid financial foundations:

Constituent of the FTSE 250

IG Group is listed on the London Stock Exchange where it  
is a constituent of the FTSE 250. Our market capitalisation  
at 31 May 2010 was £1.4bn (2009: £0.8bn).

Client money protection

We adopt a best-practice approach to client money 
protection. We follow the client asset rules set by the UK’s 
Financial Services Authority (FSA), segregating all retail 
clients’ funds in ‘client money’ bank accounts, in contrast  
to a number of our competitors.  

Risk management and corporate 
governance 

IG Group has a strong and effective enterprise-wide risk 
management and corporate governance framework. 
Our centralised operating model allows our experienced 
management team to effectively control our global 
operations.

Capital resources

IG Group is strongly capitalised and highly cash generative. 
At 31 May 2010, consolidated regulatory capital resources 
represented 338.1% (2009: 253.3%) of capital resources 
requirement and total equity amounted to £474.6m (2009: 
£395.9m). 

5   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

6

Business Review: BOARd OF dIRECtORS

Board of 
directors

Jonathan davie

tim howkins

Steve Clutton

Peter hetherington

Andrew MacKay

Non-Executive Chairman, 63 years old

Chief Executive, 47 years old

Finance Director, 49 years old

Chief Operating Officer, 41 years old

Head of Asia Pacific, 44 years old

Jonathan qualified as a Chartered Accountant. He 
joined George M. Hill and Co, a jobber on the London 
Stock Exchange in 1969. The firm was acquired by Wedd 
Durlacher Mordaunt and Co where Jonathan became 
a partner in 1975. Jonathan was the senior dealing 
partner of the firm on its acquisition by Barclays Bank 
to form BZW in 1986. Jonathan developed BZW’s Fixed 
Income business prior to becoming CEO of the Global 
Equities Business in 1991. In 1996 Jonathan became 
Deputy Chairman of BZW and then Vice Chairman of 
Credit Suisse First Boston in 1998 on their acquisition of 
most of BZW’s businesses. Jonathan is presently a non-
executive director of Persimmon plc and Infrastrata plc 
and Chairman of First Avenue Partners, an alternatives 
advisory boutique.

Tim has a first class degree in Mathematics and 
Computer Science from Reading. He qualified as a 
Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young and is also 
a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation. Tim 
was one of a group of partners and staff who left 
Ernst & Young in 1990 to form Rees Pollock, a firm of 
chartered accountants targeted at entrepreneurial, 
owner-managed businesses. Tim was a partner in 
Rees Pollock for seven years and was the partner 
responsible for the Group’s audit. He then joined 
IG Group as Finance Director in 1999, and became 
Chief Executive in 2006. During the year, Tim was 
appointed as a Board Member of the Futures and 
Options Association.

Steve gained a first class degree in Chemistry 
from Nottingham. After qualifying as a Chartered 
Accountant with KPMG, he spent five years in 
corporate finance with Barclays de Zoete Wedd. 
In 1994 he joined British Telecom heading up its 
internal corporate finance team before becoming 
the Chief Financial Officer of BT’s international 
business based in Virginia, USA. Between 2000 
and 2004, Steve was Finance Director of Interoute 
Communications Ltd, a private equity backed 
supplier of telecoms services with operations 
throughout Europe. Steve joined IG Group in 
October 2006 from Barclays Bank plc, where he was 
Finance Director of UK Retail Banking.

Peter read Economics at Nottingham University and 
has a Masters in Finance from the London Business 
School. Peter was an officer in the Royal Navy 
before joining IG Index, as a graduate trainee, in 
1994. He became head of financial dealing in 1999 
and was appointed a director of IG Group in 2002, 
since when he has performed the role of Chief 
Operating Officer. 

Andrew has a Masters in History from St Andrews 
University and completed the Law Society Finals 
examination at the College of Law in London. He 
qualified as a lawyer with Linklaters and worked 
there for seven years, principally in the litigation and 
financial services practices. In 1998, Andrew moved 
to LIFFE as market investigations manager before 
joining the IG Group as Legal Counsel in March 1999. 
Andrew was appointed a director of IG Group in 
2003. Following the Group’s acquisition of FXOnline 
in October 2008, Andrew moved to Tokyo to assume 
the role of Head of Asia Pacific.

david Currie

Martin Jackson

Robert Lucas

Nat le Roux

Roger Yates

Non-Executive Director, 63 years old

Non-Executive Director, 61 years old

Non-Executive Director, 47 years old

Non-Executive Deputy Chairman, 53 years old

David Currie (Lord Currie of Marylebone) was the 
founding Chairman of Ofcom, where he served from 
2002 to 2009. He was also previously a non-executive 
director of Abbey National plc from 2001 to 2002; a 
founder and Chairman of the International Centre of 
Financial Regulation and Chairman of Independent 
Audit from 2003 until 2007. Between 2001 and 2007 
David was the Dean of Cass Business School. Prior to 
that, at the London Business School, he was Deputy 
Dean, Professor of Economics, and headed the Centre 
for Economic Forecasting and the Regulation Initiative. 
He is currently a non-executive director of Royal Mail 
Holdings plc, the Dubai Financial Services Authority 
and the London Philharmonic Orchestra as well as  
Chairman of Semperium PPP Investment Partners.

Martin was appointed a non-executive director of  
IG Group and chairman of the Audit Committee in 
April 2005. He was the group Finance Director of 
Friends Provident plc between 2001 and 2003 and 
Friends Provident Life Office between 1999 and 
2001. Prior to that, he was the group Finance Director 
at London & Manchester Group plc from 1992 to 
1998 up to the date of its acquisition by Friends 
Provident Life Office. He is a non-executive director 
and chairman of the Audit Committee of Admiral 
Group plc and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered 
Accountants.

Robert read Electrical Engineering at Imperial 
College, London. He joined Marconi post 
graduation until 1987, when he moved into private 
equity investment with 3i plc. In 1996, he joined 
CVC Capital Partners Limited and, in 2004, he 
became a Managing Partner. Robert is a non-
executive director of a number of companies in 
which funds managed or advised by CVC Capital 
Partners Limited or its affiliates have invested, 
including AA/Saga. He became a non-executive 
director of IG Group in 2003.

Nat was Chief Executive of IG Group for four years 
before becoming Non-Executive Deputy Chairman 
in 2006. He initially joined the Group as Financial 
Dealing Director in 1992 after a career in futures 
broking and stock broking. Nat holds an MA in 
Law from Cambridge University and an MSc in 
Anthropology from University College London.  
He is an independent director of the London  
Metal Exchange.

Senior Independent Non-Executive Director,     
53 years old

Roger joined the board as non-executive and Senior 
Independent Director in February 2006. Roger read 
Modern History at Worcester College Oxford, and has 
28 years’ experience in the fund management industry 
as an investment professional and business manager. 
Previously he was Chief Investment Officer of Invesco 
Global and held senior roles for fund management 
companies LGT and Morgan Grenfell. He joined 
Henderson Global Investors as Chief Executive in 1999, 
and in 2003 led the de-merger of Henderson from 
its then parent AMP, becoming Chief Executive of 
the resulting listed entity, now Henderson Group plc, 
until November 2008. In June 2009, he also became a 
non-executive director of F&C Asset Management plc, 
and laterly, CEO of  Pioneer Investments, a part of the 
UniCredit Group.

8

7   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

Business Review: StRAtEGY

Strategy

Our strategy comprises  
four elements:

Maintaining market-leading 
positions

Expanding our global reach – 
directly or through partnership

delivering product and 
technological innovation

Continuing high standards of 
client service

IG Group is the leading provider of CFD trading and spread 
betting products to retail investors, and our brands hold 
market-leading positions in the global markets in which  
we operate.

The Group is committed to maintaining its strong global 
position and our strategy is to target new markets where 
we believe there is a sizeable long-term opportunity and 
regulations permit.

We seek to have a decisive retail market lead in every country 
in which we operate.

We believe CFD products have the potential to reach market 
penetration levels in most of the markets in which we operate 
similar to those seen in the UK and Australia, the Group’s most 
developed markets. In addition, we also see significant further 
partnering opportunities, which complement our direct retail 
offer. Partnering can be used to develop business in countries 
where we do not currently have a local presence. 

The Group has a culture of innovation and is at the forefront 
of the market in terms of product offering and technology 
platforms. Our trading platforms are based on award-winning 
technology and provide clients with state-of-the-art features 
in an easy-to-use way, while maintaining high levels of 
platform resilience and speed of trade execution.

In addition to spread betting in the UK, the Group provides a 
complete CFD service to clients globally, including enhanced 
websites, dealing platforms, 24-hour customer support and 
telephone dealing in 11 languages. The key focus of our 
customer service strategy is the ability to treat clients fairly and 
deliver a superior customer experience. For higher frequency 
trading clients, we offer access to a nominated sales trader. 

IG Group businesses offer near-instantaneous execution,  
with around 99% of client orders accepted automatically.

9   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

10

Business Review: KEY PERFORMANCE INdICAtORS

Key Performance  
Indicators (KPIs)

KPI

Financial

Trading revenue

description of KPI and how we use it   

Represents revenue from commissions, spreads and financing on client trades, net of gains and losses on positions entered into 
by the Group to hedge open client positions in our Financial or Sport businesses.

IG Group’s Board of Directors 
and senior management utilise 
both financial and non-financial 
KPIs to monitor performance. 
These are described in this 
section, with the actual results 
for the financial year discussed 
in the Operating and Financial 
Review on page 19.

Adjusted profit before taxation 

This is used as a measure of underlying business profitability. It also facilitates year-on-year profitability comparison. It is 
calculated as profit before taxation excluding amortisation and impairment of intangible assets arising on consolidation.

Adjusted profit before  
taxation margin

EBITDA

EBITDA margin

Adjusted diluted earnings  
per share

Regulatory capital adequacy

Total available liquidity

Client

Average revenue per financial client 

Number of financial clients dealing

New financial client  
account openings

Number of new financial accounts 
dealing for the first time

Client service

This is calculated as adjusted profit before taxation expressed as a percentage of trading revenue and facilitates year-on-year 
performance comparison, as well as against the performance of our peer group.

EBITDA represents operating profit before depreciation, amortisation of intangible assets, amortisation and impairment of 
intangibles arising on consolidation and amounts written-off property, plant and equipment and intangible assets.

EBITDA margin is used by the Group to assess the relative performance of our regional businesses. It is expressed as EBITDA as  
a percentage of trading revenue.

The Group seeks to maximise the growth in earnings per share over time in order to maximise shareholder value. Our long-term 
incentive plans (LTIPs) and Directors’ bonuses are linked to growth in adjusted diluted earnings per share and growth in our share 
price. Adjusted basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the profit for the year (before amortisation and impairment 
of intangibles arising on consolidation and related tax adjustments) attributable to ordinary equity holders of the parent by 
the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the year, excluding ordinary shares purchased by the Group 
and held as own shares in employee benefit trusts. Adjusted diluted earnings per share is calculated using the same profit, but 
adjusts the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding to assume conversion of all dilutive ordinary shares arising 
from share schemes. A reconciliation to statutory earnings per share is included in note 12 to the Financial Statements.

Monitoring our regulatory capital adequacy is key to satisfying regulatory requirements. This KPI is calculated as our consolidated 
capital resources expressed as a percentage of our ‘Pillar 1’ consolidated capital resources requirement (calculated under the 
rules of the UK’s Financial Services Authority).

Total available liquidity is the total of net working capital and undrawn facilities. This is analysed further in the Operating and 
Financial Review section on page 29.

Average revenue per client comparisons provide useful indicators of business development on a total and geographical basis.  
It is calculated as total trading revenue (excluding Sport revenue) divided by the number of financial clients dealing.

Number of financial clients dealing represents the total number of financial clients who have opened a trade in the financial year. 
The number of clients dealing is a key driver of revenue growth and reflects the underlying growth of the business. Although 
year-on-year comparisons of this KPI can be distorted during sustained periods of high financial market volatility, these provide 
useful indicators of business development on a total and geographical basis.

Over the medium and long-term, the growth of our client base is a key driver of revenue growth. The number of accounts 
opened and the number of accounts dealing for the first time are leading indicators of future prospects. These are analysed  
on both a total and a geographical basis.

The Group monitors a range of client service metrics to ensure that we continue to maintain a high level of client service.

11   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

12

 
 
Business Review: ChAIRMAN’S StAtEMENt

Chairman’s Statement

It is my pleasure to make this annual statement 
after another record year for the Group. Our annual 
revenue has increased 16.1% to £298.6m (2009: 
£257.1m), whilst adjusted diluted earnings per share 
increased 24.4% to 30.77p (2009: 24.74p).

As I made clear last year, we have focused on the further 
development of our established and newer businesses, and 
improving our performance in Japan. Our aim is that many of our 
newer markets should ultimately reach the scale and performance 
that we have achieved in the UK and Australia.  

Board composition 
I am very pleased to welcome David Currie to the Board to replace  
Sir Alan Budd who has become the Chairman of the Office of 
Budgetary Responsibility.  

We continue to evaluate the opportunity to enter new markets and, 
to this end, we have opened offices in Portugal, Sweden and China 
(representative) in the past year. We continue to focus on investment 
in high quality dealing platforms, a broad range of products and 
excellent customer service provided to our expanding client base. 

At the forthcoming AGM, your Board will recommend the payment 
of a final dividend of 13.5p per share. This will bring the total dividend 
for the year to 18.5p, an increase of 23.3% on last year. This represents 
approximately 60% of our adjusted earnings for the year, which is 
consistent with the policy that the Board announced three years ago. 

Board evaluations 
In our previous financial year, your Board decided to commission 
the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA), 
an external consultant, to conduct a full evaluation of the Board in 
accordance with Principle A.6 of the Combined Code on Corporate 
Governance. Your Board does not consider it necessary to undertake 
such an external review every year and this year have performed our 
review of performance internally.

Following on from the recommendations made by the ICSA and this 
year’s internal review, I believe that we will continue to make ongoing 
improvements to ensure the Board continues to operate effectively in 
the coming year.

Remuneration 
One matter which remains at the top of many investor agendas is 
that of remuneration. As I mentioned in my Chairman’s Statement last 
year, following consultation with some of our larger shareholders, we 
agreed that the Remuneration Committee, under the Chairmanship 
of Roger Yates, our Senior Independent Director, should undertake an 
annual review of the pay of all Executive and Non-executive Directors. 

We have again consulted with many of our leading shareholders 
about the increases which are set out in the Directors’ Remuneration 
Report. We continue with an element of deferral in the bonus 
structure, reflecting the UK’s Financial Services Authority’s guidance 
on best practice and in line with our commitments in previous 
reports. 

In light of feedback from some of our shareholders that they would 
prefer an element of relative rather than absolute share price 
performance in our long-term incentive schemes, we have designed 
a new long-term incentive scheme, which will be put to shareholders 
for approval at the AGM. The new scheme enables Executive 
Directors and senior staff to share in the creation of shareholder 
value, over and above the total shareholder return of the FTSE 350 
Financial Services Index, and a 12% compound growth in adjusted 
profit before tax. We believe that this new scheme provides greater 
alignment of long-term management incentives with shareholder 
interests. Further details of this proposed scheme are set out in the 
Directors’ Remuneration Report.

Your Board is very fortunate to have found David, an excellent 
replacement for Sir Alan Budd, whose wisdom and guidance will be 
missed. David has considerable knowledge of financial markets and 
extensive government experience. He has advised two Conservative 
Chancellors and three Labour Shadow Chancellors. He is presently 
Chairman of the International Centre for Financial Regulation, a Non-
executive Director of the Royal Mail and Chairman of Semperium 
Investment Partners.  

As I mentioned in my statement last year, the Board has also 
commenced a search for an additional independent non-executive 
director who will further extend the range of skills and experience 
possessed by the Board. We very much hope to be able to make 
an announcement on a new appointment prior to our AGM. Rob 
Lucas has expressed a desire to step down from your Board at 
this year’s AGM, due to his substantial commitments as the Senior 
Partner of CVC (Europe). Your Board has accepted Rob’s decision with 
understanding and regret. 

Rob will be a great loss to our Board and we thank him for all the 
insights, professionalism and wisdom that he has imparted to us over 
the past seven years. 

The effect of Rob’s retirement and the anticipated arrival of a new 
independent non-executive director means that we will have made 
substantial progress towards becoming more compliant with Code 
Provision A.3.2 of the Combined Code. 

As previously announced, Steve Clutton, who has been Finance 
Director for the last four years, will be leaving the Group shortly, 
having effected an orderly handover of his responsibilities.  The 
search for his successor is underway. We have enjoyed working with 
Steve and thank him for his significant contribution in managing the 
Group’s impressive growth over the last four years. We wish him well 
for the future.

Our results of the past year could not have been achieved without 
the dedication and skill of all our employees throughout the world. I 
and my fellow Directors would like to express our thanks to them all 
for their personal contributions to these excellent results. 

I and all my colleagues look forward to working towards another 
successful year for the Group and all its shareholders.

Jonathan Davie, Chairman 
20 July 2010 

13   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010
13   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

14

Business Review: ChIEF ExECUtIVE’S REVIEW

Chief Executive’s Review

Our strategy has two key elements – continuing to 
grow our existing businesses whilst also extending 
our global reach. We continue to make good progress 
on both fronts.

uK (excluding Sport) 
Trading Revenue +8.0%

Australia 
Trading Revenue +63.4%

Europe (excluding UK) 
Trading Revenue +57.2%

Rest of the World 
Trading Revenue +11.0%

It is now five years since our Initial Public Offering. At that 
time, in the year to 31 May 2005, our total trading revenue was 
£62m and Australia, our only office outside the UK, accounted 
for only 6% of revenue. Over the intervening five years, we 
have grown trading revenue almost five-fold to £298.6m, 
we now have offices in 14 countries and almost half of our 
revenue comes from outside the UK. We have continued to 
achieve strong growth in the UK, with the trading revenue of 
our UK financial business growing more than three-fold from 
less than £52m in 2005 to over £162m in 2010. Both Australia 
and mainland Europe are now substantial businesses. In the 
year to 31 May 2010, they achieved revenues of £45.7m and 
£47.4m respectively. With the highest growth rates in the 
Group, they are both rapidly approaching the scale that our 
UK financial business had at the time of our IPO. 

Performance of our main business units

The UK is our longest established business. In the previous 
financial year, we suffered a loss of clients in the extreme 
volatility of October 2008 and it was a satisfactory 
achievement that revenue in the first half of this year was 
flat, reflecting the rebuilding of our client base. Once the 
anniversary of October 2008 was behind us, year-on-year 
growth resumed and in the second half of the year, we grew 
revenue by 18%.

Our Australian business was established eight years ago. It 
achieved very strong growth this year with revenue increasing 
by 63.4% from £27.9m to £45.7m. We are the largest retail CFD 
firm in Australia and recent market research indicates that we 
have opened up a decisive market lead during the year.  

Revenue from our European offices also grew rapidly, up 
57.2% from £30.2m to £47.4m. Our main European businesses 
in Germany, Italy, France and Spain were established between 
two-and-a-half and four years ago, and all of these markets 
are therefore at a very early stage and still growing rapidly.  
Germany is the most established of these markets and 
achieved the highest growth rate this year.

Our Japanese business made a good recovery in the final 
quarter of the year, vindicating our strategy of re-positioning 
the business to appeal more to established traders. There 

remains much to be done in Japan, where we face a 
challenging competitive and regulatory environment. The 
first of a number of leverage restrictions comes into force at 
the beginning of August and it is inevitable that this will have 
an immediate adverse impact on our revenues. We are doing 
what we can to mitigate this impact.

IG Group clients
IG Group clients (but no betting clients)

A significant proportion of our partners business comes 
from advisory brokers who are interested primarily in equity 
markets. As a result, our partners business grew strongly this 
year driven by the equity market rally and revenue was up 
41.6%. Partners accounted for 16.3% of our trading revenue, 
compared to 13.4% in the previous year.

A more detailed analysis of our financial performance is set 
out in the Operating and Financial Review on page 19.

International expansion continues

We have continued with our strategy of international 
expansion. We opened an office in Sweden in August 2009 
and commenced marketing into New Zealand from our 
Australian office in October 2009. Shortly after the year-end, 
we opened an office in Portugal, a country which we were 
previously marketing into from our office in Spain. These new 
ventures are all making encouraging progress. We continue 
to evaluate new countries and expect to open an office in at 
least one additional country during the coming year.

During the year, we also opened a representative office 
in Beijing. As I indicated in January, this is a long-term 
opportunity and we do not expect to generate material 
revenue from China in the short or medium term.

We have exchanged contracts on the acquisition of the 
business of Ideal CFDs, our white-label partner in South Africa 
and will complete shortly. The consideration is £1.6m for the 
business and the vendor will retain a 20% interest in our South 
African business, which is subject to call and put options in 
2013. This is an interesting emerging market and the financial 
performance of Ideal to date has been all the more impressive 
because it has been achieved with minimal marketing 
expenditure. With the resources of the Group behind them,  
I am hopeful that we can build a more substantial business in 
South Africa over time.

15   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010
15   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

16

Business Review: ChIEF ExECUtIVE’S REVIEW

Chief Executive’s Review 
(continued)

The US

Our client offering

Investment in IT development

Current trading and outlook

At the start of the year we re-named HedgeStreet, our 
CFTC-regulated exchange in the US, as Nadex (the North 
American Derivatives Exchange). Nadex now offers exchange-
traded options and futures over forex, equity indices and 
commodities as well as some ‘event’ markets such as economic 
indicators. Our strategy for Nadex is for the majority of clients 
to trade on it through brokers. Our own broker, IG Markets 
Inc, is already connected to the exchange and giving its 
clients access to it, but has only a small client base. Before 
other brokers with much larger client bases can be added, 
the software firms which provide their trading platforms and 
back office solutions must connect their technology to Nadex.  
Some of this integration work is already underway, but it is 
likely to be a few months before the first brokers are able to 
start offering Nadex products to their clients. I believe that 
the ultimate potential of Nadex could be significant, but this 
will not be achieved overnight and we are likely to see the 
business build steadily over the next few years.

Over the last fifteen months, we have been progressively 
improving our product offering. This began towards the 
end of our previous financial year with the introduction of 
variable spreads on forex, making our forex offering much 
more competitive. We then enhanced our shares offering 
with the introduction of tiered-margin rates, enabling us 
to reduce margin rates for the vast majority of our clients.  
More significantly, we have connected to the main European 
Multilateral Trading Facilities, or MTFs, enabling us to pass 
on to our clients the benefit of the tighter spreads on UK 
and European shares. We believe we are currently the only 
spread betting or retail CFD firm connected to these MTFs 
and that this makes our pricing significantly more attractive 
than that of our competitors. Finally, in the second half of the 
year, we improved our equity index offering in Germany, the 
UK and Australia by cutting our spreads on the main equity 
indices. This has positioned us more competitively and has 
driven significant increases in volume. Over the longer term, 
we anticipate it driving further market share gains in these 
markets.  

We are continually developing our award-winning trading 
platforms. In a few days we will release a new iPhone App 
for our UK spread betting business, which will be available 
free from Apple’s App Store. This App provides full dealing 
functionality for clients and gives non-clients access to a 
selection of live prices, which we hope will make it a useful 
client recruitment tool as well as a valuable trading platform.  
A CFD version of the App will follow shortly. 

We are well placed competitively and have extended our 
market lead in several of our key markets over the last year. We 
have demonstrated continued growth from our UK business 
and strong growth from both Europe and Australia, which are 
now businesses of significant scale. These businesses should 
all continue to deliver good levels of growth, underpinned 
by strong account opening. In the longer term, we have a 
significant opportunity in the US with Nadex.  

The new financial year has started well, with the elevated 
volatility levels of May continuing into early June and helping 
to stimulate client activity. It remains difficult, however, to 
predict future trends in volatility or client reaction to changing 
market and economic conditions.  

I look forward to the coming year with confidence.

Tim Howkins, Chief Executive 
20 July 2010 

Maintaining our product and technological lead over our 
competitors is key to the Group’s continued success. The 
major part of our IT development is carried out in-house by 
our dedicated development team. We continue to increase 
our investment in this key area and at the year-end, 184 staff 
(2009: 161) were involved in IT development, equivalent to 
21% of our total year-end employee headcount (2009: 20%).

New London headquarters

Next month we will be moving to new headquarters in the 
City of London. This will give us over 50% more space than our 
current offices and a much better working environment.  More 
importantly we will initially all be on just two adjacent floors, 
enhancing internal communication and leading to further 
operating efficiencies. 

We run regular seminars in our offices and hope that many of 
our clients will take the opportunity to visit our new London 
headquarters in the coming months for one of these seminars.  
We also welcome visits from our institutional shareholders, 
believing that time spent on our dealing floor can be helpful 
in understanding how our business operates.

Regulation

Our UK regulator, the FSA, has recently published a 
consultation paper on the treatment of client money. We give 
all of our retail clients in the UK and Europe full client money 
protection. In contrast, a number of our competitors do not 
fully protect client money, so that their clients may be at risk 
of financial loss should the firm fail. We have always taken our 
responsibility to protect client money extremely seriously and 
I am delighted that the FSA has indicated an intention to force 
our competitors to adopt the same high standards that we 
adhere to. A similar situation exists in Australia, where most of 
our competitors do not afford their clients the same full client 
money protection that we do. I am hopeful that our Australian 
regulator, ASIC, will also enforce strict client money rules in 
due course.

17   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010
17   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

18

Business Review: OPERAtING ANd FINANCIAL REVIEW

Operating and Financial Review

This section reviews the Group’s 
operating performance and 
financial results for the year.

Introduction

This Operating and Financial Review (OFR) has been prepared 
solely to provide additional information to shareholders to 
assess our strategies and the potential for those strategies to 
succeed. The OFR should not be relied on by any other party 
or for any other purpose.

The OFR contains certain forward-looking statements. These 
statements are made by the Directors in good faith based 
on the information available to them up to the time of their 
approval of this report. Such statements should be treated 
with caution due to the inherent uncertainties, including 
both economic and business risk factors, underlying any such 
forward-looking information.

The Directors, in preparing the OFR, have sought to comply 
with the guidance set out in the Accounting Standards Board’s 
Reporting Statement: Operating and Financial Review. The 
Directors also believe they have adequately discharged their 
responsibilities under Section 417(3) of the Companies Act 
2006 in providing this business review.

Our Strategy and Key Performance Indicators are described 
on pages 9 to 12, and our business risks and their mitigation 
described on pages 33 to 38.

Critical accounting estimates and judgements made, together 
with new and amended accounting standards adopted in the 
preparation of the Financial Statements, are set out in note 2 
to the Financial Statements. 

Our business and products

The Group operated in two principal areas of activity 
throughout the year: Financial and Sport. Further information 
on our business and our competitive advantage is included in 
the What we do section on pages 3 to 6.

As such, we need regulatory authorisation to conduct our 
business in all of the jurisdictions in which we operate. 
Regulatory compliance is vitally important for our business 
and we invest a significant amount of resources to ensure 
that we comply with both the letter and the spirit of the 
regulations that govern our global business. 

Financial
   Contracts for Difference (CFDs) and spread bets on equities, 
equity indices, commodities, forex, interest rates and other 
financial markets.

The recent financial crisis and subsequent economic downturn 
has increased regulatory scrutiny on firms within the financial 
services industry, and there are currently a number of different 
policy initiatives and proposals being discussed that may 
impact our sector. Examples of such upcoming changes are:

   CFDs and spread bets on options and binary options on 
certain of these markets.

  The operation of a regulated futures and options exchange.

Sport

   Spread bets and fixed-odds bets on sporting and other 
events and the operation of an online casino.

Competitive environment

We enjoy leading positions in many of the markets in which we 
operate, markets that experience high degrees of competition. 

We have often been the first entrant in a number of new 
countries, and we embrace competition as it serves to expand 
the overall market by increasing awareness of the CFD 
product.  

We have continued to deliver growth through all stages of  
the economic cycle, achieving strong financial performance, 
high margins and strong cash generation. 

Regulatory environment

Our products have several key features which make them 
higher risk from a retail client’s perspective: our products are 
not listed on any exchange and are not assignable or tradable 
with any other third party; our products are derivatives and are 
therefore complex in nature; and our products are leveraged 
meaning risk to a client’s equity is increased.

   In Japan, the Financial Services Agency has announced 
leverage limits on forex trading, equity CFDs and index 
CFDs.  We already operate under existing leverage limits  
in certain jurisdictions (e.g. Singapore) which has not had  
a material impact on the popularity of the CFD product. 

   The European Commission is considering regulations on 
the clearing of OTC derivatives, aimed at bringing the 
G20’s proposed OTC reforms into effect. The aim of these 
new regulations is to reduce systemic risk. We will monitor 
any proposed legislation and maintain dialogue both 
directly and via industry associations with the European 
Commission.

   The FSA has recently issued revised guidelines on how 
spread betting and CFD firms must protect client money. 
We already protect our clients’ money to the full extent of 
these regulations and therefore these new guidelines will 
not impact our business. The new guidelines may, however, 
have an impact on the competitive landscape of the UK CFD 
and spread-betting industry.

We therefore operate in a dynamic financial services industry 
experiencing constant regulatory change and development. 
We work closely with our regulators to ensure both that we 
operate to the highest regulatory standards and that we can 
adapt to regulatory change, however, we can provide no 
certainty that potential regulatory changes will not have an 
adverse impact on our business.

19   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010
19   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

20

Business Review: OPERAtING ANd FINANCIAL REVIEW

Operating and Financial Review 
(continued)

Macro-economic  
environment

Market conditions, which influence clients’ propensity to trade, 
were mixed. The start of the year benefited from continued 
strengthening of equity markets, which encouraged clients to 
trade equity CFDs and spread bet through the first half of the 
financial year. This was followed by a period of range-bound 
markets with a tail-off in volatility, resulting in a reduction 
in client activity. The year ended strongly, with higher client 
activity boosted by increased volatility levels in both equity 
and forex markets.   

Low volatility of trading revenue

We do not take proprietary market positions based on the 
expectation of market movements and this is a significant 
contributory factor to trading revenue stability. This is 
discussed further in the Our Business Risks section on page 33. 

The stability of our revenue is illustrated in the chart below, 
which shows the distribution of daily trading revenue during 
the financial year. The Group did not experience a single day 
of negative trading revenue during the financial year (2009: nil 
days).

how did we perform against  
our strategy?

Our strategy is detailed on pages 9 and 10. In this section,  
we describe how we performed against the key elements of 
our strategy.

The Chief Executive’s Review provides an overall assessment of 
our progress during the year and prospects for the future with 
reference to the business strategies outlined below.

Maintaining market-leading positions

We are the market-leading CFD provider in a number of the 
countries in which we operate, as well as being recognised as 
the market leader in the UK financial spread betting market. 

Independent research(i)(ii) confirmed our market-leading 
positions in the UK and Australia. The UK, our most established 
market, continues to show good growth evidenced by client 
recruitment averaging over 3200 new clients per month, an 
increase of 3% on the prior year, a year which had benefited 
from periods of extreme volatility. In Australia, we gained a 
market-leading position as the primary account provider for 
active CFD traders.

20
20
18
18
16
16
14
14
12
12
10
10
8
8
6
6
4
4
2
2
0
0

s
e
c
n
e
r
r
u
c
c
o
y
l
i

a
D

0.0m

0.5m

1.0m

1.5m

2.0m

Daily trading revenue bands (£m)

We also remain the clear market leader in several other 
markets including France, Spain and Italy and are challenging 
the current market leader in Germany.

Progress in other markets was positive. In Japan, FXOnline 
faced a challenging competitive environment of reduced 
spreads and aggressive marketing but responded by 
repositioning its brand. This was achieved by an increased 
focus on the quality of our trade execution and the 
introduction of our wide range of CFD and binary products to 
the Japanese market, a retail market traditionally focussed on 
forex trading. This revised strategy achieved positive returns, 
particularly in the second half of the financial year. 

Although leverage restrictions are to be introduced on retail 
forex and equity CFD trading in Japan, it remains a significant 
market opportunity for the Group. Research(iii) on the Japanese 
online forex market undertaken in 2009 highlighted our 
very high rate of order execution, in contrast to that of our 
competitors. This research confirmed that the ‘real’ spread 
paid by our clients is extremely competitive in comparison to 
our competitors, who tend to advertise lower spreads, but are 
often unable to fill client orders at their advertised spreads or 
prices.

Expanding our global reach – directly or 
through partnership

We now have offices in 14 countries, with clients located in 
over 123 countries worldwide.

The Group continues to expand its non-UK office client base 
and in the year ended 31 May 2010, revenue from these 
clients grew to 43.6% of total trading revenue (2009: 38.0%). 
International expansion continues with new offices opened in 
Sweden and Portugal, key developments in the Scandinavian 
and Iberian markets. We also commenced marketing in New 
Zealand and opened a representative office in China.

The Group has exchanged contracts to acquire the business of 
Ideal CFD Financial Services (Pty) Limited, a South Africa based 
introducing broker of the Group. This acquisition will further 
strengthen our position in this high-growth market.

The Group continues to develop its partners business, seeing 
41.6% growth in revenue this year. For example, during the 
year, we announced a partnership alliance with Monex Inc, 
one of Japan’s major online financial services brokers.

We also further enhanced our Partners website dedicated to 
highlighting the benefits of partnering with us through our 
range of partnership models (see the What we do section on 
page 3). 

White-labelling opportunities (where our products are 
branded and distributed in the name of third parties) continue 
to extend the reach of our products. 

In the US, we are now allowed to admit futures brokers to the 
membership of our Nadex Exchange (prior to this, Nadex was 
only permitted to admit retail clients for membership).

Delivering product and technological 
innovation

During the year, we introduced our Autochartist pattern 
recognition tool, which automatically alerts clients to 
customisable charting patterns and trading opportunities. 
We will launch a new iPhone App for our UK spread betting 
business in the near future, and a CFD version of the App is 
expected later in 2010.

The Group’s clients gained access to the best prices from 
Europe’s top three Multilateral Trading Facilities (MTFs), namely 
Chi-X, Turquoise and BATS. In January 2010, for example, they 
accounted for almost 39% of total FTSE 100 liquidity.

Continuing high standards of client 
service

Our commitment to client service has been recognised in 
recent surveys(i)(ii) and we endeavour to maintain the highest 
levels of client service.

We monitor a range of KPIs covering client service and 
‘treating customers fairly’ standards in support of this.

(i) Investment Trends: ’2009 UK Spread Betting and CFD Report’ (November 2009).
(ii) Investment Trends: ’May 2010 Australia CFD Report’ (July 2010).
(iii) Yano Research Institute.

21   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

22

 
 
Business Review: OPERAtING ANd FINANCIAL REVIEW

Operating and Financial Review 
(continued)

Key performance indicators 
(KPIs)

As described on pages 11 and 12, we utilise both financial and 
client KPIs to monitor and control our business performance.  
A five-year summary of these KPIs is shown on page 2. 

Financial KPIs are discussed in the Financial Review section 
and client KPIs in the Client KPIs section.

Financial review 

Group income statement (adjusted)

£000

Trading revenue

Interest income on segregated 
client funds

Revenue

Interest expense on segregated 
client funds

Betting duty

2010

2009

298,551

257,089

5,791

12,888

304,342

269,977

(321)

(4,298)

(5,288)

(7,223)

Trading revenue 

The geographical split of trading revenue for the financial 
years ending 31 May 2010 and 2009 is shown in the following 
charts:

2010 trading revenue  
split by geographical region

Sport (UK)

uK
£162.6m

Total
£298.6m

Australia
£45.7m

Europe
(excluding UK)
£47.4m

£5.9m
£13.1m

Japan
£23.9m

Net operating income

299,723

257,466

Rest of the World

Recovery / (impairment) of trade 
receivables

1,064

(18,168)

Other administrative expenses

(143,500)

(114,635)

Adjusted operating profit

157,287

124,663

Finance revenue

Finance costs

Adjusted profit before taxation

Tax expense

Adjusted profit for the year

Adjusted diluted earnings per share

2,664

(2,312)

157,639

(46,120)

111,519

30.77p

2,887

(1,678)

125,872

(38,744)

87,128

24.74p

The Group Income Statement (adjusted) shown above and 
the calculation of adjusted diluted earnings per share exclude 
amortisation and impairment of intangibles arising on 
consolidation (and corresponding deferred tax adjustment), 
which are included in the statutory Group Income Statement 
shown on page 60.

2009 trading revenue  
split by geographical region

Sport (UK)

uK
£150.6m

£8.7m
£11.8m

Total
£257.1m

Japan
£27.9m

Australia
£27.9m

Europe
(excluding UK)
£30.2m

Rest of the World

Total trading revenue for the year reached £298.6m (2009: 
£257.1m), an increase of 16.1%, reflecting continued growth 
in many of our markets. As discussed previously, whereas the 
previous financial year benefited from periods of extreme 
volatility, market conditions were more mixed during the year.  
The start of the year saw rising equity markets which gradually 
settled to a period of range-bound market movements. 
Towards the end of the financial year, we benefited from an 
increase in volatility in both forex and equity markets. Volatility 
boosts client activity, trading revenue and new client account 
opening rates. 

On a like-for-like basis (excluding the impact of FXOnline 
which was acquired in October 2008), financial trading 
revenue grew by 21.9%.

The UK financial business continues to deliver solid growth,  
up 8.0% on the previous year, which had benefited 
significantly from periods of extreme volatility and high  
levels of client activity.  

Although Australia’s 63.4% trading revenue growth benefited 
from the strength of the Australian dollar, it mainly reflects  
the continued growth opportunity in one of our most 
established markets.  

Europe (excluding the UK) delivered strong growth of 57.2%.  
All of the offices contributed to this growth, with the strongest 
growth seen in Germany.

The trading revenue of FXOnline in Japan fell to £23.9m  
(2009: £27.9m (8 months)). The business faced a very 
challenging competitive environment and re-focussed its 
strategy to attract higher value clients with an emphasis on 
execution quality and introducing the Group’s range of CFD 
contracts to the Japanese market. Following this, FXOnline 
delivered sequential revenue growth in each of the last four 
months of the year.

Rest of World comprises our Singapore and USA businesses, 
which together saw revenue growth of 11.0%.

Overall, 43.6% of trading revenue was generated by  
non-UK offices (2009: 38.0%), which reflects our expanding 
geographic reach.

The trading revenue of our sport business fell 32.2% compared 
to the prior year and accounted for 2.0% of our total trading 
revenue (2009: 3.4%).

£48.7m of the total trading revenue (2009: £34.4m) was 
derived from our partners business, with particularly strong 
growth seen in the UK, Europe and Australia.

23   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010
23   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

24

 
Business Review: OPERAtING ANd FINANCIAL REVIEW

Operating and Financial Review 
(continued)

Financial review 
(continued)

Impairment of trade receivables

The development of our close-out monitor, the introduction 
of tiered-margining, and lower volatility during the financial 
year, all contributed to a significant reduction in the level of 
doubtful debt provision and write-offs from £18.2m in the 
previous year, to a net recovery of £1.1m. These processes are 
described in detail in note 34 to the Financial Statements on 
page 108.

Other administrative expenses 

Other administrative expenses excluding amortisation and 
impairment of intangible assets arising on consolidation, 
increased by 25.2% to £143.5m (2009: £114.6m) and these  
are analysed in the charts below:

Employee remuneration costs increased to £72.1m (2009: 
£54.1m), with £11.7m of this increase a result of enhanced 
bonus payments driven by improved overall group financial 
performance. An increase in average number of employees 
to 828 (2009: 761) also contributed to the increase in our 
total compensation ratio (i.e. total employee remuneration 
expressed as a percentage of total trading revenue) to 24.1% 
(2009: 21.0%).

The increase in advertising and marketing costs of £3.6m 
reflects initiatives to maximise the recruitment, conversion 
and retention of clients globally. 

Premises-related costs increased by £4.9m to £11.1m (2009: 
£6.2m), reflecting exceptional costs of £4.4m (2009: £nil)  
in relation to the relocation of our London headquarters in 
2010 and the opening of offices in Sweden and Portugal.  
A further £0.5m of exceptional costs arose from accelerated 
depreciation, also as a result of this relocation. 

2010 Other administrative expenses

2009 Other administrative expenses

Depreciation and 
amortisation

Other costs
£24.4m

Depreciation and 
amortisation

Other costs
£24.2m

£8.6m

£11.1m

Total
£143.5m

Salaries,  
bonus and  
LTIP/SIP 
£72.1m

£6.4m

£6.2m

Total
£114.6m

Salaries,  
bonus and  
LTIP/SIP 
£54.1m

Advertising &  
marketing
£27.3m

Advertising &  
marketing
£23.7m

Premises-related  
costs

Premises-related  
costs

EBITDA increased to £165.9m (2009: £131.1m) driven by the 
increase in trading revenue and the significant improvement 
in the level of impairment of trade receivables. EBITDA margin 
(EBITDA expressed as a percentage of total trading revenue) 
increased to 55.6% (2009: 51.0%).  

The following table summarises EBITDA margin by region:

£000

UK  (including Sport)

Australia

Europe (excluding the UK)

Japan

Rest of World

Group 

2010

63.4%

60.0%

45.7%

27.4%

27.1%

55.6%

2009

55.3%

59.6%

40.9%

41.4%

21.0%

51.0%

The UK and Australia, being our more established markets, 
currently enjoy higher EBITDA margin levels than our other 
regions. In Europe, for example, markets are in their infancy, 
and while these businesses reach operating profitability  
quickly, initially they have depressed EBITDA margins, as 
marketing and other fixed costs are initially high relative to 
trading revenue.

Adjusted profit before taxation

Adjusted profit before taxation increased to £157.6m (2009: 
£125.9m), a 25.2% increase on the previous year.

Taxation expense 

The effective tax rate (i.e. tax expense, excluding deferred tax 
adjustments resulting from amortisation of intangibles arising 
on consolidation, expressed as a percentage of adjusted 
profit before taxation) fell to 29.3% (2009: 30.8%), principally 
reflecting an increased proportion of profits flowing from 
lower corporation tax rate jurisdictions.

EBITDA margins

In contrast to adjusted profit before taxation discussed above, 
which is used to assess overall group performance, we use 
EBITDA primarily to assess the regional performance of our 
business (see note 4 to the Financial Statements (‘Segment 
Information’) on page 75). Adjusted operating profit in the 
Group Income Statement is reconciled to EBITDA in the 
following table:

£000

2010

2009

Adjusted operating profit

157,287

124,663

Depreciation

6,175

5,402

Amounts written off property, 
plant and equipment and 
intangible assets

Amortisation of intangible assets

EBITDA

49

2,430

37

984

165,941

131,086

25   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

26

 
Business Review: OPERAtING ANd FINANCIAL REVIEW

Operating and Financial Review 
(continued)

Financial review 
(continued)

Dividend policy

The Board has adopted a progressive dividend policy, which 
reflects the long-term earnings and cash flow potential of the 
Group.

Our dividend payout target is in the region of 60% of adjusted 
profit after tax. This policy will be kept under review, but our 
current intention is to pay out a similar proportion of adjusted 
earnings in the future.

The Board has recommended a final dividend of 13.5p, to 
bring the total dividend for the financial year ending  
31 May 2010 to 18.5p (2009: 15.0p).

Group Statement of Financial Position

Non-current assets

£000

Non-current assets

2010

2009

Property, plant and equipment

 9,632 

 11,632 

Intangible assets arising on 
consoliation

Intangible assets arising from 
software and licences

Deferred tax assets

 261,452 

 256,824 

 3,876 

 14,264 

 3,783 

 7,562 

 289,224 

 279,801 

Current assets

Trade receivables

 206,243 

 183,085 

Prepayments and other 
receivables

 7,084 

 4,928 

Cash and cash equivalents

 678,564 

 520,421 

As discussed in the Chief Executive’s Review, the Group 
continues to invest in technology and IT development to 
enhance our capacity and resilience, which are critical to the 
success of our business. During the year, we also invested 
£4.1m in property, plant and equipment (2009: £5.1m) 
including £1.6m in relation to our new London headquarters. 
Depreciation charged during the year amounted to £6.2m 
(2009: £5.4m).

At the year-end, intangible assets arising on consolidation 
totalled £261.5m (2009: £256.8m). This comprises goodwill of 
£234.2m (2009 £217.0m), primarily arising on the acquisition 
of IG Group Plc and its subsidiaries in 2003, the acquisition 
of FXOnline Japan KK in 2008 and £27.3m (2009: £39.8m) in 
respect of other intangible assets (namely trade name, client 
lists and customer relationships) arising on the acquisition  
of FXOnline.

Total assets

Current liabilities

Trade payables

Other payables

Provisions

Income tax payable

Non-current liabilities

Deferred tax liabilities

Provisions

Redeemable preference shares

Total liabilities

NET ASSETS

Capital and reserves

Equity share capital

Share premium

Other reserves

Retained earnings

Shareholders' equity

Minority interests

TOTAL EQUITY

 891,891 

 708,434 

 1,181,115 

 988,235 

As detailed in note 17 of the Financial Statements, goodwill is 
subject to an annual impairment review and no impairments 
have been identified as a result of this review (2009: £nil). 

FXOnline trade name and customer relationships are 
amortised over their useful lives of two and five years 
respectively. Amortisation charged in the year amounted  
to £17.3m (2009: £14.6m).  

Intangible asset additions during the year amounted to 
£2.4m (2009: £2.1m) and relate to the acquisition of licences 
and software and the capitalisation of internal software 
development costs relating to client trading platform 
development.

 608,140 

 511,656 

 44,825 

 1,377 

 38,863 

 27,326 

 -   

 36,560 

 693,205 

 575,542 

 11,463 

 1,779 

 40 

 16,740 

 -   

 40 

 13,282 

 16,780 

 706,487 

 592,322 

 474,628 

 395,913 

 18 

 18 

 206,246 

 206,246 

 79,742 

 45,281 

 185,443 

 141,819 

 471,449 

 393,364 

 3,179 

 2,549 

 474,628 

 395,913 

27   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

28

 
Business Review: OPERAtING ANd FINANCIAL REVIEW

Operating and Financial Review 
(continued)

Financial review 
(continued)

Total available liquidity

At 31 May 2010, the Group had committed facilities with Royal 
Bank of Scotland Group plc and Lloyds Banking Group plc 
totalling £160.0m (2009: £120.0m) – neither of these facilities 
were drawn down during the financial year.

The following table summarises the Group’s working capital 
and liquidity as at 31 May 2010:

£000

2010

2009

Amounts due from brokers

203,714

178,261

Amounts due from clients

2,529

4,824

Cash and cash equivalents

678,564

520,421

Amounts due to clients

(608,140)

(511,656)

Other net current liabilities

Net working capital

Undrawn committed facilities

(77,981)

198,686

160,000

(58,958)

132,892

120,000

Total available liquidity

358,686

252,892

Total available liquidity therefore increased by £105.8m at the 
year-end.

Amounts due to and from clients include unrealised profits 
and losses on clients’ open positions, realised profits or 
losses on closed positions as well as cash balances on clients’ 
accounts. We hedge the vast majority of financial business 
clients’ open positions. Amounts due from brokers represent 
cash or treasury bills placed with counterparties in order to 
provide initial and variation margin to support these positions.

Cash flow

The following table summarises the Group’s cash flow during 
the year, excluding the effect of foreign exchange gains on 
cash and cash equivalents.

£000

2010

2009

Net cash flow from operating 
activities

Net cash flow from investing 
activities

Net cash flow from financing 
activities

Net increase in cash and cash 
equivalents

186,648

56,759

(2,481)

(58,051)

(59,152)

35,662

125,015

34,370

Cash and cash equivalents increased by £125.0m during the 
year (2009: £34.4m), reflecting the cash generative nature of 
the business as well as an increase in client balances. 

The most significant outflows during the year were £47.7m 
in respect of taxation (2009: £20.3m), £57.7m for dividends 
(2009: £44.0m) and capital expenditure of £5.0m (2009: £8.0m). 
The prior year also saw a cash outflow of £40.6m (net of share 
placing proceeds) in respect of the acquisition of FXOnline.

Included in cash and cash equivalents is client money, which is 
segregated in trust bank accounts. This amounted to £550.5m 
(2009: £421.0m) at the year end, with an equivalent amount 
included in amounts due to clients. Although the levels of 
client money can vary depending on the overall mix of financial 
products being traded by clients, the long-term increase in  
the level of client money placed by clients with the Group is  
a positive indicator of future client propensity to trade.

Capital and reserves

During the year to 31 May 2010, 1,524,127 ordinary shares 
with an aggregate nominal value of £76 were issued following 
the exercise of long-term incentive plan awards for a 
consideration of £76.

The Group remains debt-free except for £40,000 (2009: 
£40,000) of preference shares (see note 23 to the Financial 
Statements). Own shares held in employee benefit trusts were 
purchased to satisfy future obligations of share incentive plans 
(SIP) awards. 

Regulatory capital adequacy

Throughout the year, we maintained significant excesses of 
capital resources over our capital resources requirement, both 
on a consolidated and individual regulated entity basis.

We believe there are significant benefits to being well 
capitalised at a time of continuing global economic 
uncertainty. We are well placed in respect of any regulatory 
changes which may increase our capital or liquidity 
requirements, and high levels of liquidity are important in  
the event of significant market volatility.

The following table summarises the Group’s capital adequacy 
on a consolidated basis. The Group’s capital management is 
reviewed further in note 35 to the Financial Statements on 
page 120.

£m

Total Tier 1 capital

2010

475.6

2009

396.9

Less: intangible assets (adjusted)

(252.5)

(243.9)

Less: investment in own shares

Total capital resources (CR)

Capital resources requirement - 
Pillar 1 (CRR)

Surplus

(1.0)

222.1

(65.7)

156.4

(1.0)

152.0

(60.0)

92.0

CR expressed as a % of CRR

338.1%

253.3%

29   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010
29   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

30

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Business Review: OPERAtING ANd FINANCIAL REVIEW

Operating and Financial Review 
(continued)

Client KPIs

Average revenue per financial client

This average increased by 7.2% to £2,425 (2009: £2,263) on a 
total basis, and by 4.2% excluding the effect of FXOnline clients. 

Number of financial clients dealing

Financial clients dealing, excluding those of FXOnline, 
increased to 103,338 (2009: 88,336), a 17.0% growth rate. This 
was despite lower financial market volatility than experienced 
in the previous financial year. Strong growth was seen in 
Europe with a 50.2% increase and 11.4% for spread betting 
in the UK. Including FXOnline clients, the overall growth rate 
averaged 10.0%.

New financial account openings

Excluding FXOnline in Japan, the total number of new financial 
accounts opened increased by 3.6% compared to the previous 
year. However, this increase must be seen in the context of 
a prior year where total account openings had increased by 
44.1%, driven by high levels of market volatility. 

In the UK, spread betting account opening was relatively 
flat, with total UK growth driven primarily by CFD account 
openings. 

The number of accounts opened in Australia increased by 
9.6% over the previous year. 

Total accounts opened, including FXOnline, increased by 9.2%.

Risks and uncertainties

There are a number of potential risks and uncertainties, which 
could have a material impact on our long-term performance. 
These principal risks are described in the Our Business Risks 
section on page 33. Our risk management policies and 
procedures are also discussed in the Corporate Governance 
Report on page 42.

Corporate Social Responsibility

The Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility Report has been 
updated and is published on our corporate website at  
www.iggroup.com. 

Resources available to  
the Group

Our strong reputation for innovation and high levels of 
customer service reflect over 30 years of investment in 
technology. The vast majority of development is carried out 
in-house and our employees continue to be our key resource. 
Our employees have extensive knowledge of our key markets 
and actively contribute to the development of new products 
and services.

Our continued growth is highly dependent upon attracting 
and retaining high-calibre employees.

The Group pays performance-related bonuses to most staff 
and makes awards under long-term incentive plans (LTIPs) 
to key personnel. In addition, the opportunity to acquire 
shares under various SIPs has been made available to all UK, 
Australian and US staff.  These awards reward employees for 
past performance and help to retain them in the future. We 
also provide a range of other benefits to employees, including 
pension contributions and private health insurance.

Inclusive of national insurance and pension costs, employment 
costs comprise:

£000

Fixed employment costs

Performance-related bonuses 
and commissions:

Pool schemes

Specific schemes

Share-based payment schemes

2010

44,939

2009

40,165

13,889

8,444

4,782

5,136

5,525

3,256

Total employment costs

72,054

54,082

The average number of employees increased in the year  
to 828 (2009: 761), with 28.3% of staff based overseas  
(2009: 27.3%).

31   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010
31   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

32

 
Business Review: OUR BUSINESS RISKS

Our Business Risks

Effective management of our 
business risks is critical to the 
achievement of our strategy. 
This section describes our key 
business risks and how we 
mitigate them.

IG Group’s risk appetite

Our key risks and their mitigation

Our risk appetite is detailed in our Group Risk Appetite 
Statement and is approved by the Board. It describes risk 
tolerances for all our business risks and ensures there is a 
comprehensive risk-management framework in place to 
monitor current risks and identify future risks. 

Our risk-management framework is designed to embed 
management of business risks throughout the organisation.  
The effectiveness of controls is assessed and confirmed by 
our assurance functions - Risk Management, Compliance and 
Internal Audit.

This approach mitigates our reputational risk that arises as a 
result of failure to manage business risks. The Group places 
the highest importance on risk management and endeavours 
to operate with the highest levels of integrity and ethical 
standards in all business activities.

Our financial risks, specifically credit, market and liquidity 
risks, are described in further detail in note 34 to the Financial 
Statements and in our Pillar 3 Disclosures, a regulatory 
disclosure requirement, which can be found at  
www.iggroup.com.

The Group’s Risk Management function maintains a register 
of all operational risk events and controls to ensure that the 
post-mitigation risk is within our risk tolerance. 

This process is supported by our rolling three-year Internal 
Audit Programme, compliance with the requirements of 
the Financial Services Authority (and other local regulatory 
requirements), as well as monitoring key risk indicators 
derived from our Risk Appetite Statement.

In addition to mitigating individual risks, the Group also 
undertakes various stress and scenario testing as part of our 
Individual Capital Adequacy Assessment Process (ICAAP) 
under the requirements of the FSA. These scenarios stress 
the effect on our capital and liquidity adequacy of a series 
of combined risk events occurring at the same point in time. 
The ICAAP process is described further in our Corporate 
Governance Report on page 42. 

The tables on pages 35 to 38 analyse in further detail our 
principal business risks.

33   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010
33   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

34

Business Review: OUR BUSINESS RISKS

Our Business Risks 
(continued)

Risk

Strategic risk

Regulatory risk

description

Strategic risk can arise from inadequate Board and senior 
management processes and external factors that lead to 
a failure to identify or implement our strategy. 

Regulatory risk is the risk of non-compliance with and 
future changes in regulatory rules potentially impacting 
the Group’s business in the markets in which it operates.

Operational risk

Operational risk is the risk of loss arising from 
inadequate or failed internal processes, people and 
systems or from external events. 

Mitigation

Strategic risk is mitigated by a process for determining risk appetite and strategy, ongoing challenge of these by the Board 
and monitoring of actual results against four-year operating plans. 

Our ability to do business is dependent on us obtaining and maintaining the necessary regulatory authorisations and 
remaining in compliance with these. 

The risk that we do not comply with existing regulations is mitigated by making compliance a priority throughout all levels of 
the business and by investing significant resources in our compliance systems and controls.

The risk that existing regulations change such that we can no longer conduct our business efficiently or profitably is 
mitigated by maintaining strong relationships with regulators and by contributing to any consultations on proposals that 
might affect our business.

The Group’s system of controls is designed to ensure operational risks are mitigated to the level prescribed by our Group Risk 
Appetite Statement.

We invest significantly in our IT infrastructure to ensure the availability and reliability of our client dealing platforms. This is 
supported by ongoing business continuity planning and testing of disaster recovery facilities, as well as maintaining  
BS ISO/IEC 27001:2005 Information Security Management System standards in respect of IT and data security.

Combating online fraud is also paramount and the Group has embedded controls at all process levels to mitigate this risk and 
these are constantly evolving. We also use external fraud mitigation software and have built up a highly experienced fraud 
prevention capability.

In addition, our success is closely aligned to the abilities and experience of our employees. Our performance could be 
adversely affected by the loss of the services of key individuals. In order to mitigate this risk, we seek to create an open and 
supportive working environment for our employees. Reward and incentive schemes are regularly reviewed in order to ensure 
the Group continues to be successful in attracting and retaining the calibre of employees necessary to meet our objectives, 
while aligning these schemes with our risk appetite, compliance and treating customers fairly objectives. The Group also has a 
senior management succession plan in place which is regularly updated.

35   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010
35   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

36

Business Review: OUR BUSINESS RISKS

Our Business Risks 
(continued)

Risk

Market risk (1)

Credit risk (1)

description

Market risk is the risk that the fair value of financial 
assets and financial liabilities will change due to 
adverse changes in market prices, currency or  
interest rates.

Credit risk is the risk that a counterparty fails to 
perform its obligations which results in financial loss 
for the Group. Adverse changes in the credit quality of 
individual clients or financial institution counterparties 
could affect the recoverability of our assets and 
therefore our financial performance.

Liquidity risk (1)

Liquidity risk is the risk that the Group may not be able 
to meet payment obligations as they fall due.

Mitigation

Market risk is managed on a group-wide and real-time basis. We do not take proprietary positions based on an expectation of 
market movements. However, not all client transactions are hedged and, as a result, the Group may have a residual net position 
in any of the markets on which we offer products. The Group has a formal risk policy which includes limits for any such residual 
positions, for every single financial market in which our clients trade, as well as certain groups of markets which the Board 
consider to be correlated, all subject to our risk appetite. 

Client credit risk arises where client funds deposited with the Group (margin and free equity) are insufficient to cover losses 
incurred upon liquidation. In addition, a small number of clients are granted credit limits to cover losses on open positions 
and initial margin requirements. The majority of client positions are monitored in real time on the Group’s ‘close-out monitor’ 
system or hold limited risk accounts with guaranteed stop-losses where clients cannot lose more than their initial deposits. In 
addition, in 2009, we introduced tiered-margining, with risk-adjusted margin requirements calculated dependent on such factors 
as specific financial instrument volatility and size of the client’s position. For individual equity CFDs and spread bets, this has 
resulted in the creation of four margin tiers ranging from 5% in Tier 1 to potentially 90% under Tier 4.

It is our policy that all institutional counterparties holding client money accounts must have minimum Standard and Poor’s 
short- and long-term ratings of A-2 and A- respectively. This is also the target minimum ratings for all other banking, as well 
as broking counterparies, where our funds on deposit may not be subject to ‘client money protection’. In some operating 
jurisdictions, however, it can be problematic to find a banking counterparty satisfying these minimum ratings requirements, 
although this risk is mitigated by ensuring balances held with these counterparties are minimised.

Given the very short-term maturity profile of both our financial assets and liabilities, the Group does not have any material 
liquidity mismatches with regard to liquidity maturity profiles, nor do we have exposure to assets whose quality is ‘opaque’, 
such as a bank’s loan or a security dealer’s mortgage-backed securities portfolio. In contrast, our assets (excluding non-
current assets), consist primarily of cash at bank and on short-term deposit or short-term trade receivables. We also maintain 
committed facilities totalling £160.0m (2009: £120.0m) and these are described further in note 34 to the Financial Statements.

Key supplier risk

Key supplier risk is the risk of failure of one of our principal 
business partners to provide contractual services. 

We conduct initial and ongoing due diligence on key suppliers, in addition to using multiple financial brokers, trading 
exchanges and market data information suppliers.

(1) Discussed in further detail in note 34 to the Financial Statements.

37   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

38

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: dIRECtORS’ StAtUtORY REPORt

directors’ Statutory Report

The Directors are pleased to submit their Report together with the 
group Financial Statements for the year ended 31 May 2010.

The final ordinary dividend, if approved, will be paid on 12 October 
2010 to those shareholders on the register at 10 September 2010. 

Principal activities
An overview of the principal activities of the Group is provided in 
the Business Review section on pages 3 to 6. 

Results
The Group’s profit for the year, after taxation amounted to 
£101,486,000 (2009: £78,652,000), of which £101,281,000 
(£77,986,000) is attributable to the equity members of the 
Company. 

Dividends
The Directors recommend a final ordinary dividend of 13.5 pence 
per share, amounting to £48,750,000, making a total of 18.5 pence 
per share and £66,796,000 for the year. Dividends are recognised in 
the Financial Statements in the year in which they are paid, or in the 
case of a final dividend, when approved by the shareholders. The 
amount recognised in the Financial Statements, as described in note 
13, is made up of this year’s interim dividend and the final dividend 
from the previous year, which were both paid during the year. 

Review of business and future developments
A review of the Group’s progress, outlining developments during 
the year and giving an indication of likely future developments, is 
provided in the Business Review section set out on pages 1 to 38. 
This section also covers an analysis of the position of the Group at 
the year-end and key performance indicators.

Directors and their interests
Details of the Directors who served and their interests in the share 
capital of the Company are set out in the Directors’ Remuneration 
Report on pages 48 to 56.

Major interests in shares
Notifications shown below have been received by the Company of 
shareholdings of three percent or more of its issued ordinary share 
capital.

Artemis Investment Management Limited 
Lion Trust Investment Services Limited
Investec Asset Management Limited
Standard Life Investments Limited
JP Morgan Chase & Co
Legal & General Group plc
CVC Capital Partners Limited
Reach Capital Management LLC
Prudential plc

No. of shares

As at 16 July 2010
Percentage

No. of shares

As at 31 May 2010
Percentage

18,260,791
17,907,353
17,863,943
17,564,421
15,830,307
14,287,840
13,954,879
11,409,480
11,066,417

5.06%
4.96%
4.95%
4.86%
4.39%
3.96%
3.86%
3.16%
3.06%

18,260,791
17,907,353
17,863,943
17,564,421
15,830,307
14,287,840
13,954,879
11,409,480
11,066,417

5.06%
4.96%
4.95%
4.86%
4.39%
3.96%
3.86%
3.16%
3.06%

Share capital and own shares 
Details of the Company’s equity and preference share capital are 
given in notes 24 and 23 respectively to the Financial Statements.  
Details of the Group’s required regulatory capital are disclosed in 
note 35 to the Financial Statements. 

The Group purchases its own shares in order to satisfy awards 
under the Group’s share incentive plan schemes and the Group 
issues shares in respect of Long-Term Incentive Plan schemes.  
Details of the shares held by the Group’s Employee Benefit Trusts 
and the amounts paid during the year are disclosed in note 25 to 
the Financial Statements.

Change of control 
Following any future change of control of the Company following 
a takeover bid, the Group’s banking facilities will be cancelled and 
any obligations will become immediately due and payable.

Branches outside the United Kingdom
In line with strategic objectives, the Group has branches in a 
number of overseas jurisdictions including Australia, France, 
Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain and 
Sweden. 

Supplier payment policy and practice
The Company does not incur significant costs and the Group 
does not follow any stated code on payment practice. It is the 
Group’s policy to agree terms of payment with suppliers when 
agreeing the terms for each transaction and to abide by those 
terms. Standard terms provide for payment of all invoices within 
30 days after the date of the invoice except where different terms 
have been agreed with the supplier at the outset. There were 4.5 
creditor days of suppliers’ invoices outstanding at the year-end 
(2009: 6) for the Group. 

Risk management
The Group’s risk appetite and the risk management framework 
along with the Group’s key risks and their mitigation are provided 
in the Our Business Risks section of the Business Review on 
pages 33 to 38. The principal activities of the Group outlined in 
the Business Review give rise to exposure to financial risks in the 
ordinary course of business. 

The main risks associated with the Group’s financial instruments, as 
well as the key operational risks faced by the Group are set out in 
note 34 to the Financial Statements and in the Business Review, as 
are the policies agreed by the Board for the management thereof.

Donations
The Group made no political donations (2009: £nil). The Group 
made charitable donations of £40,355 in the year (2009: £49,912) 
as follows:

  Gambling Trust 

  Charity Cricket Tournament 

  Other  

  Total: 

£18,000

£6,000

£16,355

£40,355

Employee involvement
During the year, the policy of providing employees with 
information about the Group continued through quarterly 
management forums where line managers are informed of current 
developments and encouraged to present suggestions and views 
on the Group’s performance, development and policies. Line 
managers then communicate the points raised in the forum across 
the organisation. 

The Group’s intranet is used to communicate with staff. Employees 
participate directly in the success of the business through the 
Group’s performance-related bonus schemes and employee share 
plans.

Equality and diversity
We are an equal opportunities employer and have extensive 
human resource policies in place to ensure that employees can 
expect to work in an environment free from discrimination and 
harassment. 

The Group gives full consideration to applications for employment 
from disabled persons where the candidate’s particular aptitudes 
and abilities are consistent with adequately meeting the 
requirements of the job. 

Opportunities are available to disabled employees for training, 
career development and promotion. Where existing employees 
become disabled, it is the Group’s policy to provide continuing 
employment wherever practicable in the same or alternative 
position and to provide appropriate training to achieve this aim.

Corporate governance
The Company’s statement on corporate governance can be found 
in the Corporate Governance Report on pages 42 to 47. 

39   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

40

 
 
 
 
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: dIRECtORS’ StAtUtORY REPORt

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: CORPORAtE GOVERNANCE REPORt

directors’ Statutory Report
(continued)

Corporate Social Responsibility
The Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility Report has been 
updated and is published on our corporate website at  
www.iggroup.com. The report details the Group’s continued 
commitment to its business standards and client service, 
the Group’s workplace, carbon emissions and endeavours 
towards sustainability. It includes a section on the environment 
sustainability charter promoted in the fit-out of the Group’s new 
headquarters at Cannon Bridge House, that amongst other things 
achieved a recycling rate of 94% of the strip-out materials taken 
from the site.

Events since the year-end date
On 19 July 2010, IG Markets South Africa Limited, a subsidiary 
of the Group, reached agreement to acquire the client list and 
business of Ideal CFD Financial Services Pty Limited (Ideal), a South 
African based introducing broker of the Group for £1.6 million, 
payable in cash. For further details see note 16b of the Financial 
Statements. 

Annual General Meeting
The Group’s Annual General Meeting will be held on 7 October 
2010. A separate circular will be sent to all shareholders which 
details the agenda for the AGM.

Auditors
A resolution to re-appoint Ernst & Young LLP as the Group’s auditor 
will be put to the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.

Directors’ statement as to disclosure of information to 
auditors
The Directors who were members of the Board at the time of 
approving the Directors’ Statutory Report are listed on pages 7 and 
8. Having made enquiries of fellow Directors and of the Company’s 
auditors, each of these Directors confirms that:

   To the best of each Director’s knowledge and belief, there is  
no information (that is information needed by the Group’s 
auditors in connection with preparing their report) of which  
the Company’s auditors are unaware.

    Each Director has taken all the steps a Director might reasonably 
be expected to have taken to be aware of relevant audit 
information and to establish that the Company’s auditors are 
aware of that information.

Going concern
The Directors have prepared the Financial Statements on a going 
concern basis which requires the Directors to have a reasonable 
expectation that the Group has adequate resources to continue  
in operational existence for the foreseeable future.

The Directors have reviewed the Group’s processes to control the 
financial risks to which the Group is exposed, its available liquidity, 
its regulatory capital position and the annual budget. As a result 
of this review the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the 
Group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence 
for the foreseeable future. For this reason, they continue to adopt 
the going concern basis in preparing the Financial Statements.

By order of the Board

Steve Clutton, Finance Director

20 July 2010

Corporate Governance Report

In 2009, the Board commissioned the Board Evaluation Team of 
the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (‘ICSA’) to 
carry out a thorough evaluation of the performance of the Board. 
ICSA’s Board Evaluation Report acknowledged that “the Group has 
a Board whose members appear well-qualified and appropriate 
to manage the shareholders’ interests”, and the team recognised 
the value of having experienced non-executives on the Board 
during times of turbulent economic and market conditions. Since 
then, the new UK Corporate Governance Code has recognised the 
importance of having a Board that has an appropriate balance of 
skills, experience, independence and knowledge of the Company 
and the Board considers that the number and calibre of the 
non-executives and composition of the Board would qualify the 
Company to already be compliant with this principle. 

We also reported last year that once a replacement for Sir Alan 
Budd had been appointed, the Board would seek to appoint an 
additional independent non-executive director. The Board was 
pleased to report earlier this year the appointment of David Currie 
to the Board, effective from the 4th May 2010. Sir Alan Budd retired 
from the Board on the same date. The Nomination Committee’s 
search for an additional independent non-executive director is 
progressing well and further to the Chairman’s Statement, the 
Company hopes to be able to make an announcement on a new 
appointment to the Board prior to the forthcoming AGM.  The 
recruitment of this additional independent director, coupled with 
the retirement of Robert Lucas, will both mark significant progress 
towards further compliance with Provision A.3.2 of the Combined 
Code.

Brief biographies of the Directors appear on pages 7 and 8.

Statement by the directors in 
compliance with the Combined 
Code

The Board is satisfied that the Group complied with the provisions 
of the Combined Code on corporate governance, issued by the 
Financial Reporting Council in June 2008, for the whole year, with 
the exception that the Group was not compliant with Provision 
A.3.2 throughout the year. 

Provision A.3.2 of the Combined Code requires that at least half 
of the Board, excluding the Chairman, are independent non-
executive directors. The Board is currently comprised of four 
Executive Directors and four Non-executive Directors excluding the 
Deputy Chairman and the Chairman. 

The Deputy Chairman, Nat le Roux is considered a non-
independent director as he is a former Chief Executive of the 
Group. The Board considers the value he brings with 17 years’ 
experience in the uniquely specialised market of spread betting 
and Contracts for Difference justifies his position on the Board and 
is in the best interests of the Group and its shareholders. 

Robert Lucas, is considered to be a non-independent non-
executive director as he represents funds managed or advised 
by CVC Capital Partners Limited and associates (‘CVC’), a major 
shareholder, holding 3.86% of the ordinary share capital of 
the Company at 31 May 2010 (2009: 8.40%). Robert has been 
involved with the IG Group since 2003 and consequently has a 
detailed knowledge of the Company and its businesses. He is 
valued for his challenging participation at Board meetings, and 
his in-depth private equity experience is highly regarded by the 
independent non-executive directors. On balance, weighing up all 
the considerations and the best interests of the shareholders the 
Board considers that Robert’s presence on the Board has been a 
positive asset to the Group.  However, as noted in the Chairman’s 
Statement, Robert Lucas has indicated that he will not seek  
re-election at this year’s AGM.

41   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

42

 
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: CORPORAtE GOVERNANCE REPORt

Corporate Governance Report
(continued)

the workings of the Board and 
its committees

The Board
The division of responsibilities between the Chairman and the 
Chief Executive is clearly defined in writing and has been approved 
by the Board.

The Board is responsible to shareholders for the proper 
management of the Group. A statement of the Directors’ 
responsibilities in respect of the Financial Statements is set out on 
page 57 and a statement regarding the use of the going concern 
basis in preparing these Financial Statements is given on page 41.

The Board has a formal schedule of matters specifically reserved to 
it. These include: 

  Setting Group strategy

   Approving major acquisitions, divestments and capital 
expenditure

   Approval of extension of the Group’s activities into new business 
or geographic areas

  Approving annual budgets

  Reviewing operational and financial performance

   Reviewing the Group’s systems of internal control and risk 
management

   Approving Board, Board Committee and Company Secretary 
appointments

   Ensuring adequate succession planning for the Board and senior 
management

  Defining and setting Board Committee terms of reference

   Approving policies relating to directors’ remuneration and the 
severance of directors’ contracts

   Setting risk appetite and approving any changes to the Group’s 
risk management policy which materially increases the risk 
profile of the Group

   Receiving reports on the views of the Company’s shareholders

Matters not specifically reserved to the Board are delegated to the 
Executive Directors. These include:

   The development and recommendation of strategic plans for the 
Group

  Implementation of the strategies of the Group

   Day-to-day monitoring of the operating and financial results of 
the Group

   Prioritising the allocation of capital, technical and human 
resources

   Developing and implementing risk management systems, 
policies and procedures

All Directors have access to the advice and services of the 
Company Secretary, who is responsible to the Board for ensuring 
that Board procedures are followed and that applicable rules and 
regulations are complied with.  Directors receive appropriate 
training as necessary when they are appointed. Training on the 
duties and responsibilities of Directors is provided by the Group’s 
legal advisers. 

The Group purchases appropriate liability insurance for all Directors 
and staff.

The Board meets regularly; at least five times a year. In addition 
the Board meets when necessary to discuss ad hoc emerging 
important issues that require consideration between regular 
Board meetings. The Non-executive Directors have a particular 
responsibility to ensure that the strategies proposed by the 
Executive Directors are appropriate and fully considered. To enable 
the Board to discharge its duties, all Directors receive appropriate 
and timely information. Briefing papers are distributed to all 
Directors in advance of board meetings and financial information is 
distributed monthly. The Chairman ensures that the Directors take 
independent professional advice as required.

The following Committees deal with specific aspects of the Group’s 
affairs:

Remuneration Committee
The Remuneration Committee comprises Roger Yates (Chair), 
David Currie, Jonathan Davie and Martin Jackson, who are all 
independent directors. It makes recommendations to the Board, 
within agreed terms of reference, on an overall remuneration 
package for the Executive Directors in order to attract, retain and 
motivate high-quality directors capable of achieving the Group’s 
objectives.  Consideration is given to pay and employment 
policies elsewhere in the Group, especially when determining 
annual salary increases. The Committee determines the contract 
terms, remuneration and other benefits for each of the Executive 
Directors, including performance-related bonus schemes, pension 
rights, compensation payments and contingent share awards. The 
Committee approves all share-based awards under the Group’s 
employee incentive schemes and approves the remuneration of 
the Chairman. The Board itself determines the remuneration of the 
other Non-executive Directors.

Audit Committee
The Audit Committee members, comprising Martin Jackson 
(Chair, with recent and relevant financial experience), Roger Yates 
and David Currie, are all independent non-executive directors. 
The Finance Director, Group Financial Controller, Head of Internal 
Audit, Global Head of Legal and Compliance, Head of UK 
Compliance, Company Secretary and the external auditors attend 
the Audit Committee by invitation appropriate to the matters 
under consideration. Other Directors, representatives from the 
Finance Function and other areas of the business attend the Audit 
Committee as and when required. The Audit Committee normally 
meets four times a year and as and when required.

the workings of the Board and 
its committees (continued)

The main duties of the Audit Committee are: 

   To monitor the integrity of the Financial Statements of the 
Group including annual and interim reports, preliminary results 
announcements and any other formal announcements relating 
to its financial performance, reviewing significant issues and 
judgements contained therein. 

   To keep up-to-date with changes to accounting standards and to 
review any changes to accounting polices year on year.

   To consider and make recommendations to the Board on the 
appointment, re-appointment and removal of the Company’s 
external auditors, which is subject to shareholder approval.

   To review the effectiveness of the Group’s internal controls and 
risk management systems.

   To monitor and review the effectiveness of the Group’s Internal 
Audit Function.

   To review the overall effectiveness of the Group’s implementation 
of the FSA’s Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) requirements.

   To review the Group’s arrangements for its employees to raise 
concerns, in confidence, about possible wrongdoing in financial 
reporting or other matters.

The Company Secretary drafts the agenda for each Audit 
Committee, ensuring that each item in the terms of reference is 
covered at least once in the financial year and more frequently 
if required. The agenda is then finalised by the Chair of the Audit 
Committee. 

Summary of main activities undertaken by the Audit Committee 
during the financial year: 

   Reviewed the annual report and interim results of the Group.

   Reviewed key regulatory documents produced by the Group – 
Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process (ICAAP) and the 
Pillar 3 Disclosures prior to formal approval by the Board.

   Reviewed the external auditor’s audit planning and other reports, 
proposed audit fees and performance of the external auditors 
including their independence and objectivity.

   Reviewed the policy on the use of external auditors for non-audit 
services and reviewed all non-audit services provided by the 
external auditors to ensure compliance with the policy as part 
of the safeguards in place to ensure the independence of the 
audit is not compromised; the policy is available on the Group’s 
website at www.iggroup.com. 

   Reviewed the effectiveness of the Group’s internal controls and 
risk management systems.

   Reviewed the effectiveness of the Group’s Internal Audit 
Function including a review of the three-year rolling internal 
audit plan, individual internal audit reports and the report on the 
implementation of internal audit recommendations.

   Reviewed reports from the Compliance Function.

   Reviewed the effectiveness of the Group’s application of the FSA’s 
Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) requirements.

   Reviewed the Company’s procedures for detecting internal fraud. 

  Reviewed the Group’s ‘whistle-blowing’ arrangements.

In addition, the members of the Audit Committee meet privately 
in separate meetings with the Head of Internal Audit, Head of 
Compliance and the external auditor to focus on respective areas 
of responsibility and to discuss any potential issues where support 
from the Audit Committee may be required to address any issues 
arising.

Following each meeting, the Committee reports to the Board on its 
activities.

Nomination Committee
The Nomination Committee considers appointments to the Board 
and meets as necessary. The Nomination Committee is responsible 
for nominating candidates to fill Board vacancies and for making 
recommendations on Board composition and balance. 

The Committee leads the process for making appointments to the 
Board or where the appointee is likely to become a Board member. 
The Committee ensures there is a formal, rigorous and transparent 
procedure for the appointment of new directors to the Board 
through a full evaluation of the skills, knowledge and experience 
of candidates. The Committee also ensures plans are in place for 
orderly succession for appointments to the Board, and to other 
senior management positions. Responsibility for making senior 
management appointments is vested in the Chief Executive. 

The membership of these committees was as follows:

Audit Committee

Martin Jackson (Chair)
Sir Alan Budd (1)
Roger Yates
David Currie (2)

Remuneration Committee

Nomination Committee

Roger Yates (Chair) 
Sir Alan Budd (1)
Jonathan Davie
Martin Jackson
David Currie (2)

Jonathan Davie (Chair)
Sir Alan Budd (1)
Martin Jackson
Roger Yates
David Currie (2)

Copies of the terms of reference of these Committees can be obtained from the Company Secretary on request and are available in the 
Investor Relations section of the Group’s website, at www.iggroup.com. 

(1) until 4th May 2010

(2) from 4th May 2010

43   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

44

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: CORPORAtE GOVERNANCE REPORt

Corporate Governance Report
(continued)

Relations with shareholders

The Board recognises the importance of communications 
with shareholders. The Chairman’s Statement, Chief Executive’s 
Review and the Operating and Financial Review include detailed 
reviews of the business and future developments. There is regular 
dialogue with institutional shareholders including presentations 
by management around the time of the Company’s preliminary 
announcement of the year-end results and at the half year. These 
presentations are made available on the Group’s website at www.
iggroup.com which also provides information to shareholders 
and prospective shareholders. Feedback is provided to the Board 
following these investor presentations of any views or concerns 
expressed by shareholders.

The Board uses the Annual General Meeting to communicate with 
private and institutional investors and welcomes their participation. 
The Chairman aims to ensure that all of the Directors, including 
the Chairmen of the Remuneration and Audit Committees, are 
available at Annual General Meetings to answer questions.  Details 
of resolutions to be proposed at the Annual General Meeting will 
be contained in the notice of the meeting.

Roger Yates, the Senior Independent Director, is available to meet 
shareholders on request and to ensure that the Board is aware of 
shareholder concerns not resolved through other mechanisms for 
shareholder communication.

The Chairman and the Senior Independent Director provide 
feedback to the Board of any views or concerns expressed to them 
by shareholders.

Internal control and risk 
management 

The Board of Directors has overall responsibility for the system 
of risk management and internal control and has delegated 
responsibility to the Audit Committee for reviewing the 
effectiveness of the Group’s system of risk management and 
internal control at least annually. The system is designed to 
manage, rather than eliminate, the risk of failure to achieve the 
business objectives and can only provide reasonable assurance, 
but not absolute assurance, against the risk of material mis-
statement or loss.

The Audit Committee has reviewed the effectiveness of the 
Group’s system of internal control, covering financial, operational 
and compliance controls and risk management systems and 
no significant weaknesses were identified during this review. 
Furthermore, the Audit Committee regularly receives and reviews 
reports on internal control from Internal Audit and receives 
quarterly reports from the Compliance Function.

Executive Directors and senior managers are responsible for the 
day-to-day operation of the Group’s system of internal control 
which aims to provide reasonable assurance over the:

   Accomplishment of business objectives and goals

   Compliance with policies, plans, procedures, laws and 
regulations

   Reliability and integrity of financial and management 
information

   Economic and efficient use of resources

   Safeguarding of assets

The main features of the Group’s system of internal control are:

Organisation structure
The Group’s organisation charts document the responsibilities 
of the Executive Directors and clear reporting lines through the 
organisation. The organisation charts are reviewed and changed as 
required to meet business requirements.

Risk management framework and risk registers
The Group’s risk appetite and significant risk management policies 
are set by the Board.  The main risks relate to strategic, market, 
credit, liquidity, regulatory, key supplier and operational risk, and 
these are expanded upon in the Our Business Risks section of this 
report on pages 33 to 38 and financial risk management note 
(note 34).  The Risk Committee, comprising Chief Executive Officer, 
Chief Operating Officer and Finance Director as well as the Dealing, 
Credit and Risk Directors, meets regularly to review the risks faced 
by the Group, within the parameters set by the Board.  The senior 
independent director, Roger Yates, also attends Risk Committee 
meetings once a month; and minutes of the Risk Committee 
meetings are circulated to the Non-executive Directors. 

An ongoing process of identifying, evaluating and managing 
significant risks using risk registers is co-ordinated by the Risk 
Department, headed by the Risk Director.  Heads of department 
are responsible for departmental risk registers and these are 
updated regularly and include appropriate action plans for 
improving controls to mitigate risks.  The key risks are reviewed 
regularly by the Board and the Audit Committee and Internal Audit 
carries out an annual review of the risk management process and 
reports to the Audit Committee.  The risk management process 
has been in place for the full year under review and up to the date 
of approval of the Annual Report and is in accordance with the 
Turnbull guidance “Internal Control: Guidance for Directors on the 
Combined Code.” 

Internal control and risk 
management (continued)

Capital and liquidity adequacy
During the year, the Group has made significant progress in further 
developing its Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process 
(ICAAP), a process required under the rules of the UK’s Financial 
Services Authority (FSA), and embedding it further into the Group’s 
risk management process. Key developments arising from the 
ICAAP have been:

   Projection of capital and liquidity adequacy requirements and 
stress testing thereof for at least a three-year planning horizon

   Significant enhancement of the Group’s stress testing framework 
for key business risks including identification of combined risk 
stress scenarios 

   Initiatives to refresh the corporate governance framework, the 
Group’s Risk Appetite Statement, key risk indicator (KRI) reporting 
and establishment of the Group’s ICAAP and Individual Liquidity 
Adequacy Committee (IIC)

   Board approval of a revised liquidity management policy under 
the requirements of the FSA’s Individual Liquidity Adequacy 
Standards regime

The ICAAP is approved at least annually by the Board or more 
frequently following any material change to the Group’s operating 
plan. The monitoring of the ICAAP is delegated to the IIC which 
is responsible for ensuring it is revised as necessary with regard 
to all identified group risks. The IIC reports to the Risk Committee, 
which uses the ICAAP as a key component in its role of managing 
the Group’s risk. Reports from the IIC are also made available to the 
Board in their ongoing consideration of ICAAP requirements.

Policy framework
A framework of policies covering HR, compliance, and information 
security requirements is in place to provide guidance to all 
members of staff. Policies are reviewed and changed as and when 
required and a new channel for distributing policies to all staff 
across the Group is currently being introduced.

Financial planning and reporting
Business managers across the Group have budget responsibility, 
with oversight of budgeting and reporting on performance against 
budget undertaken by the Group’s Financial Planning and Analysis 
Team. 

Attendance at Board and Committee meetings

The number of full Board meetings and Committee meetings attended by each director as members of each Committee during the 
year was as set out below. In each case the first figure indicates the number of meetings attended and the second figure indicates the 
maximum number of meetings during the year for which each individual was a Director or Committee member.

Full Board 
meetings

Nominations 
Committee

Audit 
Committee

Remuneration 
Committee

Jonathan Davie (Chairman)
Tim Howkins (Chief Executive)
Steve Clutton
Peter Hetherington
Andrew Mackay
Sir Alan Budd (1)
Martin Jackson
Nat le Roux
Robert Lucas
Roger Yates
David Currie (2)

7/7
7/7
7/7
6/7
6/7
6/6
7/7
7/7
5/7
7/7
1/1

(1) Sir Alan Budd stepped down from the Board on 4th May 2010.
(2) David Currie was appointed to the Board on 4th May 2010.

3/3
-
-
-
-
2/3
2/3
-
-
3/3
-

-
-
-
-
-
4/4
5/5
-
-
4/5
1/1

3/3
-
-
-
-
2/3
2/3
-
-
3/3
-

45   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

46

 
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: CORPORAtE GOVERNANCE REPORt

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: dIRECtORS’ REMUNERAtION REPORt

Corporate Governance Report
(continued)

Evaluation of the Board’s performance

During the year, the Board carried out an evaluation of itself and its committees. The evaluation consisted of one-to-one discussions 
between the Chairman and Directors including meetings with the Non-executive Directors without the Executive Directors being present. 
The results of the evaluation were discussed at a Board meeting in July 2010. The performance of the individual Executive Directors, other 
than the Chief Executive, is appraised annually by the Chief Executive, to whom they report. The performance of the Chief Executive is 
appraised annually by the Chairman. The performance of the Chairman is reviewed by the Non-executive Directors, led by the senior 
independent Non-executive Director (Roger Yates), taking into account the views of the Executive Directors, following which Roger Yates 
gives feedback to the Chairman.  

Review of the Audit Committee’s performance

During the year the Audit Committee reviewed its performance. The review was carried out using the Audit Committee Institute’s 
evaluation questionnaire and a discussion of the results by the Committee took place at a meeting in July 2010. The results were reported 
to the Board in July 2010.

Review of the Remuneration Committee’s performance

During the year the Remuneration Committee reviewed its performance. The review consisted of all members completing an evaluation 
questionnaire and a discussion of the results by the Committee took place at a meeting in June 2010. The results were reported to the 
Board in July 2010.

directors subject to re-election

In accordance with the Company’s Articles of Association, the following Directors retire, and being eligible, offer themselves for re-election at 
the next Annual General Meeting: Tim Howkins, Peter Hetherington and Andrew MacKay. David Currie offers himself for election at the AGM. 

Robert Lucas has expressed his intention to step down from the Board at the next AGM on 7 October after seven years’ service to the Board. As 
previously mentioned, the Nomination Committee is progressing its search for an additional independent Non-executive Director.

As previously announced, Steve Clutton will also be retiring from the Board and will not therefore be offering himself for re-election at the AGM.  

directors’ Remuneration Report

This report has been prepared by the Board following the 
provisions in Schedules 5 and 8 to the Large and Medium-sized 
Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 
and gives details of the remuneration and service contracts of the 
Directors.

  Tim Howkins 

- from £325,000 to £400,000 (1)

  Peter Hetherington 

- from £200,000 to £240,000 (2)

  Andrew MacKay   

- from £230,000 to £270,000 

  Chief Financial Officer 

- from £215,000 to £280,000

Information not subject to audit

The Remuneration Committee, whose composition is set out 
on page 44, determines the contract terms, remuneration 
and other benefits for each of the Executive Directors, 
including performance-related bonus schemes, pension rights, 
compensation payments and contingent awards. 

The Committee aims to put in place a remuneration structure for 
Executive Directors which positions total remuneration: 

  Competitively against the market 

  At median for target performance

  At upper quartile for above target performance

The Board itself determines the remuneration of the Non-executive 
Directors.

Basic salary
During the year, the Remuneration Committee commissioned 
external advisors to carry out a comprehensive annual review of 
the remuneration of the Executive Directors and of the Chairman. 
As regards to the former, the review benchmarked the salary and 
total remuneration of the Company’s Executive Directors against 
three comparison groups: FTSE 101-250 companies, FTSE 350 
financial services companies and a tailored peer group comprising 
20 companies with similar market capitalisation selected from 
the financial, technology and entertainment sectors. The review 
considered the entire remuneration package for Executive 
Directors; salary, bonus and LTIPs and revealed an under rewarding 
of the Executive Directors by between 15% and 23% below the 
median. The Committee therefore recommended increasing the 
Executive Director remuneration to just below the bottom quartile 
of the comparison benchmark data for executive director pay. 

While the Remuneration Committee was sensitive to investor 
concern about executive pay, it felt that there was a particularly 
strong case for increases in salary given the Company’s impressive 
performance in the past year. To the credit of the Executive 
Directors and the Company as a whole, during a period of slow 
economic growth in the UK, the Group has been and remains 
a successful, growing business as revealed in the results shown 
elsewhere in this Annual Report. Therefore the Remuneration 
Committee approved the following salary increases for the 
Executive Directors effective from 1st June 2010:

The Remuneration Committee also decided to bring the 
Chairman’s salary more into line with the median for non-executive 
chairmen based upon a benchmark comparison against a tailored 
comparable group, FTSE 101-250 companies and FTSE 350 financial 
services companies; in each case the Chairman’s salary was in the 
fourth quartile. Accordingly, his salary has risen to £160,000 from 
£120,000, with effect from 1 June 2010.

The Board commissioned external advisors to benchmark the Non-
executive Directors’ remuneration against a tailored comparable 
group and their remuneration was found to be in the fourth 
quartile. In recognition of the increasing commitment required 
from its Non-executive Directors, the Board decided to increase 
the remuneration of the Non-executive Directors for the first time 
since 2005, to a uniform rate of £50,000, with the exception of the 
Audit Committee chairman (Martin Jackson), who shall receive an 
additional £12,500, bringing his remuneration to £62,500. These 
changes took effect from 1 June 2010.

Performance-related bonuses

The annual cash bonus for the Group’s Executive Directors is 
calculated by reference to growth in diluted adjusted earnings per 
share (EPS). Last year the Remuneration Committee was faced with 
the challenge of calibrating the bonus scheme against a much 
more difficult financial background and one in which the Group 
was not immune. Accordingly for the year ended 31 May 2010, this 
required an EPS growth of 15% to achieve a maximum bonus, set 
at 200% of salary. For the same period, no bonus was payable if EPS 
growth was below 2.5%. As shown elsewhere in the Annual Report, 
actual EPS growth for the year was 24.4% which resulted in a 
bonus of 200% of salary for each of the Executive Directors. In cash 
terms, the total bonuses payable to the four Executive Directors 
was £1.8m compared to £0.5m in the previous year. As reported 
last year, in light of emerging FSA remuneration guidelines the 
Remuneration Committee decided to introduce an element of 
deferral into the cash bonus scheme: the first £100,000 of any 
bonus to be paid in cash; one third of the resulting balance would 
also be paid in cash and the remaining two thirds deferred for 12 
months and provided in shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, 
Steve Clutton will receive his entire performance bonus in cash. 

(1)  In 2009 Tim Howkins deferred for 12 months an increase in his salary from £265,000 

to £325,000. 

(2)   Peter Hetherington is paid a reduced pro rata salary of £240,000 based upon a 

£300,000 full time equivalent salary to reflect his flexible working arrangements. 
Any bonus payments are based on his full-time equivalent salary.  

47   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

48

 
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: dIRECtORS’ REMUNERAtION REPORt

directors’ Remuneration Report
(continued)

Information not subject to 
audit (continued)

For the year which began on 1 June 2010, the Remuneration 
Committee recalibrated the bonus scheme to a more stretching 
target; to achieve a maximum bonus, again set at 200% of salary, 
the Committee has set a target of 17.5% EPS growth or higher. At 
12.5% EPS growth a bonus of 100% of salary is payable and below 
5% growth, no bonus is paid. The Committee feels that the new 
targets represent an appropriate balance between a stretching 
objective and one which is not completely unachievable. The 
Committee considered the higher EPS growth targets appropriate 
for the current financial year reflecting the previous year’s 
performance but tempered by conditions of residual economic 
uncertainty. 

The Remuneration Committee retains the right to reduce the 
bonuses payable if it considers that the formula has not produced 
an appropriate result. 

The cash element of performance-related bonuses is paid in full 
within three months of the year-end.

Long-term incentive plans
During the year the Committee carried out a review of long-term 
incentive arrangements. As a result of this review, and following 
discussions with our shareholders, the Committee is proposing to 
introduce a new value-sharing plan to replace the existing LTIPs.  
Shareholder approval for this new plan is being sought at the 2010 
AGM and the first awards will be made shortly afterwards. 

The new value-sharing plan will comprise annual awards, providing 
executives with a pre-defined number of shares for each £1m of 
surplus shareholder value created over three years above a hurdle.  
For Executive Directors, 60% of the shares will vest on growth in 
market capitalisation plus net equity cashflows to shareholders 
(i.e. total shareholder return (TSR)), over and above the equivalent 

return from investing in the FTSE 350 Financial Services Index and 
40% of shares would vest on growth in profit before taxation (times 
a fixed multiple plus net equity cashflows to shareholders) over 
and above a hurdle return of 12% pa. 

2010 awards will be 400 shares per £1m of surplus shareholder 
value created over three years for the CEO, and 250 shares per £1m 
for each of the other Executive Directors.  The number of shares 
that can be earned will be capped when the surplus shareholder 
value created reaches 100% of the Group’s starting market 
capitalisation, and 50% of any shares earned under the plan will be 
deferred for one year.

The Remuneration Committee believes that adjusted profit 
before taxation is the best internal measure of the Group’s 
financial performance as it is highly visible internally, and regularly 
monitored and reported.  The use of relative TSR introduces an 
element of relative performance into our remuneration package, 
which is intended to improve robustness to general stock market 
movements, and focus more closely on the value created for 
shareholders by management over and above that delivered by 
peers. We believe that the proposed blend of measures provides 
strong alignment with shareholder interests and a good balance 
between internal and external performance and between absolute 
and relative performance. 

The new value-sharing plan will succeed the Long-Term Incentive 
Plan (LTIP) under which awards were made during the years 
ended 31 May 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 which vest(ed) on 
publication of the results for the financial years to 31 May 2008, 
2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 respectively. The Committee does not 
intend to make any further awards under the existing plan.  
IG Group will continue to abide by a 10% in 10 years dilution limit 
and will purchase shares in the market to satisfy awards under this 
plan, as necessary, to manage within this.  

LTIP awards are discussed further in note 27 to the Financial 
Statements.

Information not subject to audit (continued)

Long-term incentive plans (continued)
The vesting criteria of these plans are based on compound annual growth rate in adjusted diluted earnings per share and share price 
growth over the relevant three-year period as shown in the table below: 

Year of award

Scheme

Base 
period 
(year ended 
31 May)

Base 
earnings 
per share 
(pence)

Measurement 
period 
(year ending
31 May)

31 May 2010

Share price growth award

2009

N/A*

2012

31 May 2010

Earnings per share award

2009

24.74

2012

31 May 2009

Share price growth award

2008

N/A*

2011

31 May 2009

Earnings per share award

2008

20.28

2011

31 May 2008

Share price growth award

2007

N/A*

31 May 2008

Earnings per share growth award

2007

14.52

2010

2010

31 May 2007

Senior management award

2006

10.88

2009

31 May 2007

Executive award

2006

10.88

31 May 2005

Senior management IPO high growth award

2005

6.75

2009

2008

Compound 
annual 
growth

<22.5%
22.5-100%

<12% 
12-18%
18-25%

% of award 
vesting

Nil
0-100%

Nil
0-50%
50-100%

<22.5%
22.5-100%

Nil 
0-100%

<12%
12-18%
18-25%

<22.5%
22.5-100%

<20%
20-25%
25-31%

<10%
10-20%
20-30%
30-40%
40-50%

<20%
20-50%

<20%
20-50%

Nil
0-50%
50-100%

Nil
0-100%

Nil
37.5-75%
75-100%

Nil
0-40%
40-70%
70-90%
90-100%

Nil
0-100%

Nil
0-100%

* share price growth is determined on a base share price of 310.9 pence (2008), 306.8 pence (2009) and 225.0 pence (2010). 

In all cases, vesting is pro-rata between the lower and upper limits.

In order to obtain tax-favoured treatment for the Group and 
participants, up to 100% of the ultimate value of the LTIP awards 
made in the year ended 31 May 2010 (‘2010 LTIP’), which is 
conditional on the performance conditions noted above, will be 
delivered to the participants using HM Revenue and Customs 
(‘HMRC’) approved options. The HMRC approved options have 
been granted to participants subject to the rules of the IG Group 
Limited Executive Share Option Scheme (‘Approved Plan’) which 

has been updated and re-approved by HMRC. These approved 
options have exactly the same vesting and exercise conditions 
as the 2010 LTIP awards. In order to ultimately exercise a 2010 
LTIP award, a participant will have to first exercise the respective 
Approved Plan option and use the IG Group Limited shares 
acquired as ultimate payment for that 2010 LTIP award.

The Company operates a Share Incentive Plan (SIP) for all UK 
employees except for Executive Directors who are not able to 
participate in the scheme.

49   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

50

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: dIRECtORS’ REMUNERAtION REPORt

directors’ Remuneration Report
(continued)

Information not subject to 
audit (continued)

Benefits
The Group provides a range of benefits to its employees, including 
private health cover and health club membership. The Executive 
Directors are entitled to participate in these non-cash benefits on 
equal terms with all other staff. The Group has decided to  
re-introduce subsidised health club membership to all staff from  
1 June 2010.

Pensions
The Group contributes 15% of basic salary to personal pensions for 
each of the Executive Directors. As an alternative to the payment of 
part of a performance-related bonus or basic salary, Directors may 
elect to receive an equivalent contribution to their pension.

Fees
The fees for Non-executive Directors are determined by the Board. 
The Non-executive Directors are not involved in any discussions or 
decisions by the Board about their own remuneration.

Service contracts
Each of the Executive Directors is employed under a service 
contract with IG Group Limited (a wholly owned intermediate 
holding company) for the benefit of the Company and the 
Group, which can be terminated on six months’ notice by either 
the Company or the Executive Director. All service contracts 
are continuous and contractual termination payments are for 
the unexpired notice period. The effective dates of the service 
contracts for each of the Executive Directors as at the date of this 
report are:

Executive Directors 
  Tim Howkins 

  Steve Clutton 

  Peter Hetherington 

  Andrew Mackay   

12 April 2005

2 October 2006

12 April 2005

12 April 2005 

The Non-executive Directors were each appointed for an initial 
term of 12 months with appointment continuing indefinitely 
thereafter subject to re-election, but capable of being terminated 
on three months’ notice. 

There are no special provisions for compensation in the event 
of loss of office. The Remuneration Committee would consider 
the circumstances of individual cases of early termination and 
determine compensation payments accordingly.

Information not subject to audit (continued)

Interests in share capital
The Directors who served during the year and their beneficial interests in the share capital of the Company were as follows:

J R Davie
T A Howkins
S Clutton
P G Hetherington
A R MacKay
Sir Alan Budd
D M Jackson
R R Lucas 
N B le Roux
R P Yates
D A Currie

31 May 
2010 
Ordinary 
shares

31 May 
2010 
Preference 
shares

31 May 
2009 
Ordinary 
shares

31 May 
2009 
Preference 
shares

600,000
3,800,000
17,169
250,000
867,687
27,438
-
47,312
100,000
25,000
-

-
10,000
-
10,000
10,000
-
-
-
10,000
-
-

1,000,000
4,601,291
17,169
976,620
2,010,680
27,438
-
47,312
222,100
25,000
-

-
10,000
-
10,000
10,000
-
-
-
10,000
-
-

There have been no changes in Directors’ interests in share capital between the year-end and the date of the Annual Report.

The market price of the Company’s ordinary shares on 31 May 2010 was 380.10p and the high and low share prices in the year were 
430.00p and 217.75p respectively.

Performance graph
The following graph illustrates the performance of IG Group Holdings plc ordinary shares measured by total shareholder return (share 
price growth plus dividends paid) in the period since conditional dealings commenced on the London Stock Exchange on 27 April 2005. 
The most appropriate benchmark is considered by the Directors to be the FTSE 250 index as it represents a broad equity market index in 
which the Company is a constituent member.

The figures have been rebased to 100 as at 27 April 2005 in order to aid comparison and are presented to 16 July 2010. 

Total shareholder return

IG Group Holdings plc

FTSE 250

450

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

M
a
y
-
0
5

N
o
v
-
0
5

M
a
y
-
0
6

N
o
v
-
0
6

M
a
y
-
0
7

N
o
v
-
0
7

M
a
y
-
0
8

N
o
v
-
0
8

M
a
y
-
0
9

N
o
v
-
0
9

M
a
y
-
1
0

51   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

52

 
 
 
 
 
 
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: dIRECtORS’ REMUNERAtION REPORt

directors’ Remuneration Report
(continued)

Information subject to audit

Directors’ remuneration
This section of the report sets out the remuneration of the Directors for the year ended 31 May 2010. The remuneration of the Directors 
who served during the year was as follows:

Information subject to audit (continued)

Pension entitlements

T A Howkins
S Clutton
P G Hetherington
A R MacKay

There were no contributions made for the Non-executive Directors during the year ended 31 May 2010.

Executive directors:
T A Howkins
S Clutton  
P G Hetherington
A R MacKay

Non-executive directors:
J R Davie
Sir Alan Budd (5)
D M Jackson
R R Lucas (4)
N B le Roux
R P Yates
D A Currie (5)

        Performance related
        bonuses (2)

Basic 
salary and 
fees
£000

Other 
benefits and 
payments (1)
£000

Paid in 
cash
£000

Deferred 
into shares
£000

Pension 
elections (3)
£000

Year ended 
2010
£000

Year ended 
2009
£000

265
215
200
230

910

120
32
40
30
35
35
3

1,205

1
1
1
3

6

-
-
-
-
-
-
-

6

243
430
200
220

1,093

-
-
-
-
-
-
-

287
-
200
240

727

-
-
-
-
-
-
-

-
-
(40)
(25)

(65)

-
-
-
-
-
-
-

796
646
561
668

431
325
252
288

2,671

1,296

120
32
40
30
35
35
3

80
35
40
30
35
35
-

1,093

727

(65)

2,966

1,551

(1) All Executive Directors are entitled to receive professional subscriptions, private health cover and health club membership.

(2 )  The first £100,000 of performance-related bonuses plus one third of the balance are paid to the Executive Directors in cash; the remaining two thirds of the balance is deferred 

into IG Group Holdings plc ordinary shares for 12 months.

(3)   Executive Directors can elect to receive pension contributions in lieu of performance-related bonuses and salary. These contributions are deducted in the remuneration table 

and included within pension entitlements below inclusive of Employers’ National Insurance.

(4) Fees of £30,000 (2009: £30,000) relating to the services of Robert Lucas as a director of the Company were paid to CVC Capital Partners Limited.

(5) David Currie commenced his employment and Sir Alan Budd terminated his employment on the 4 May 2010.

There was no compensation for loss of office paid during the year (2009: £nil). 

2010
£000

40
32
75
63

2009
£000

40
30
66
52

210

188

53   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

54

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: dIRECtORS’ REMUNERAtION REPORt

directors’ Remuneration Report
(continued)

Information subject to audit (continued)

Interests in Long-Term Incentive Plans
Awards under the Group’s LTIPs have been made to each of the Executive Directors. The awards made and those that have lapsed or been 
exercised during the year, together with the maximum numbers of shares that can vest are detailed below. The share price on the date of 
awards vesting in the year were 275.75p (7 August 2009) and 320.00p (4 October 2009).

Share price 
at award 
date

Award date

Number 
as at 
31 May 
2009

Number 
awarded 
during the 
year

Number
lapsed 
during the 
year

Number
exercised 
during the 
year

Number 
as at
 31 May 
2010

T A Howkins
Senior management IPO high
growth award

16 May 2005

112.50p

134,769

Executive award

7 August 2006

217.00p

122,120

Earnings per share award

23 July 2007

312.25p

169,736

Share price growth award

23 July 2007

312.25p

169,736

Earnings per share award

30 September 2008

313.75p

174,917

Share price growth award

30 September 2008

313.75p

174,918

-

-

-

-

-

-

Earnings per share award

25 September 2009

318.80p

Share price growth award

25 September 2009

318.80p

-

-

166,248

166,249

-

(134,769)

(75,307)

(46,813)

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

169,736

169,736

174,917

174,918

166,248

166,249

S Clutton
Senior management award

4 October 2006

261.75p

76,409

Executive award

4 October 2006

261.75p

229,226

Earnings per share award

23 July 2007

312.25p

96,077

Share price growth award

23 July 2007

312.25p

96,077

Earnings per share award

30 September 2008

313.75p

132,013

Share price growth award

30 September 2008

313.75p

132,014

-

-

-

-

-

-

Earnings per share award

25 September 2009

318.80p

Share price growth award

25 September 2009

318.80p

-

-

134,881

134,881

(20,630)

(55,779)

(141,356)

(87,870)

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

96,077

96,077

132,013

132,014

134,881

134,881

761,816

269,762

(161,986)

(143,649)

725,943

Information subject to audit (continued)

Interests in Long-Term Incentive Plans (continued)

Share price 
at award 
date

Award date

Number 
as at 
31 May 
2009

Number 
awarded 
during the 
year

Number
lapsed 
during the 
year

Number
exercised 
during the 
year

Number 
as at
 31 May 
2010

P G Hetherington

Executive award

7 August 2006

217.00p

82,949

Earnings per share award

23 July 2007

312.25p

76,861

Share price growth award

23 July 2007

312.25p

76,861

Earnings per share award

30 September 2008

313.75p

105,611

Share price award

30 September 2008

313.75p

105,611

-

-

-

-

-

Earnings per share award

25 September 2009

318.80p

Share price growth award

25 September 2009

318.80p

-

-

125,471

125,471

(51,152)

(31,797)

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

76,861

76,861

105,611

105,611

125,471

125,471

447,893

250,942

(51,152)

(31,797)

615,886

A R MacKay

Executive award

7 August 2006

217.00p

69,124

Earnings per share award

23 July 2007

312.25p

86,469

Share price growth award

23 July 2007

312.25p

86,469

Earnings per share award

30 September 2008

313.75p

125,413

-

-

-

-

-

(42,626)

(26,498)

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

86,469

86,469

125,413

125,413

144,291

144,292

Earnings per share award

25 September 2009

318.80p

Share price growth award

25 September 2009

318.80p

-

-

144,291

144,292

Gains made by Directors on share options 
The table below shows gains made by individual Directors from the exercise of share options during the year. The gains are calculated by 
reference to the share price as at the respective exercise date, although the shares may have been retained.

492,888

288,583

(42,626)

(26,498)

712,347

T A Howkins
S Clutton
P G Hetherington
A R MacKay
N B le Roux

On behalf of the Board

Steve Clutton, Finance Director 

20 July 2010

2010
£000

676
534
117
94
-

2009
£000

639
-
781
703
382

1,421

2,505

946,196

332,497

(75,307)

(181,582)

1,021,804

Share price growth award

30 September 2008

313.75p

125,413

55   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

56

 
 
 
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: StAtEMENt OF dIRECtORS’ RESPONSIBILItIES

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: INdEPENdENt AUdItOR’S REPORt tO thE MEMBERS 
OF IG GROUP hOLdINGS PLC

Statement of directors’ Responsibilities

Independent Auditor’s Report  
to the Members of IG Group holdings plc

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and 
the Group and Company Financial Statements in accordance with 
applicable United Kingdom law and those International Financial 
Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted by the European Union.

The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity 
of the Company’s website and legislation in the United Kingdom 
governing the preparation and dissemination of Financial 
Statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

The Directors are required to prepare Financial Statements for 
each financial year which present fairly the financial position of the 
Company and of the Group and the financial performance of the 
Group and cash flows of the Group and of the Company for that 
period. In preparing those Financial Statements, the Directors are 
required to:

   Select suitable accounting policies in accordance with IAS 8: 
Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and 
Errors, and then apply them consistently

   Present information, including accounting policies, in a manner 
that provides relevant, reliable, comparable and understandable 
information

   Provide additional disclosures when compliance with the 
specific requirements of IFRS is insufficient to enable users to 
understand the impact of particular transactions, other events 
and conditions on the Group’s financial position and financial 
performance

   State that the Group and the Company have complied with IFRS, 
subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in 
the Financial Statements

The Directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting 
records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time 
the financial position of the Group and of the Company and 
enable them to ensure that the Financial Statements comply 
with the Companies Act 2006 and, as regards the Group Financial 
Statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation. They are also 
responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Group and hence for 
taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud 
and other irregularities.

directors’ statement pursuant 
to the disclosure and 
transparency Rules

Each of the Directors, whose names and functions are listed 
on pages 7 and 8, confirms that, to the best of each person’s 
knowledge and belief: 

   The Financial Statements, prepared in accordance with IFRSs as 
adopted by the European Union, give a true and fair view of the 
assets, liabilities, financial position and profit of the Company 
and the undertakings included in the consolidation as a whole; 
and

   The Business Review and the Directors’ Statutory Report 
contained in the Annual Report include a fair review of the 
development and performance of the business and the 
position of the Company and the undertakings included in the 
consolidation taken as whole, together with a description of the 
principal risk and uncertainties that they face.

By order of the Board

Steve Clutton, Finance Director

20 July 2010 

Opinion on Financial Statements
In our opinion:

   The Financial Statements give a true and fair view of the state 
of the Group’s and of the Parent Company’s affairs as at 31 May 
2010 and of the Group’s profit for the year then ended

   The Group Financial Statements have been properly prepared in 
accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union 

    The Parent Company Financial Statements have been properly 
prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the European 
Union and as applied in accordance with the provisions of the 
Companies Act 2006

    The Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with 
the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and, as regards the 
Group Financial Statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation

Opinion on other matters prescribed by the 
Companies Act 2006
In our opinion:

   The part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited has 
been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 
2006

   The information given in the Directors’ Statutory Report for the 
financial year for which the Financial Statements are prepared is 
consistent with the Financial Statements

   The information given in the Corporate Governance Statement 
set out on pages 42 to 47 in the Corporate Governance Report 
with respect to internal control and risk management systems in 
relation to financial reporting processes and about share capital 
structures is consistent with the Financial Statements

We have audited the Financial Statements of IG Group Holdings plc 
for the year ended 31 May 2010 which comprise the Group Income 
Statement, Group and Parent Company Statements of Financial 
Position, the Group Statement of Comprehensive Income, the Group 
and Parent Company Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity, 
the Group and Parent Company Cash Flow Statements and the related 
notes 1 to 36.  The financial reporting framework that has been applied 
in their preparation is applicable law and International Financial 
Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the European Union and, 
as regards the Parent Company Financial Statements, as applied in 
accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006.

This report is made solely to the Company’s members, as a body, in 
accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006.  
Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the 
Company’s members those matters we are required to state to them 
in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent 
permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to 
anyone other than the Company and the Company’s members as a 
body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have 
formed.

Respective responsibilities of Directors and Auditors
As explained more fully in the Statement of Directors’ 
Responsibilities set out on page 57 the Directors are responsible 
for the preparation of the Financial Statements and for being 
satisfied that they give a true and fair view.  Our responsibility is to 
audit the Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law 
and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland).  Those 
standards require us to comply with the Auditing Practices Board’s 
(APB’s) Ethical Standards for Auditors.

Scope of the audit of the Financial Statements
An audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts and 
disclosures in the Financial Statements sufficient to give reasonable 
assurance that the Financial Statements are free from material 
misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error.  This includes an 
assessment of: whether the accounting policies are appropriate 
to the Group’s and the Parent Company’s circumstances and 
have been consistently applied and adequately disclosed; the 
reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by the 
Directors; and the overall presentation of the Financial Statements. 

57   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

58

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: INdEPENdENt AUdItOR’S REPORt tO thE MEMBERS 
OF IG GROUP hOLdINGS PLC

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: GROUP INCOME StAtEMENt

Independent Auditor’s Report  
to the Members of IG Group holdings plc (continued)

Group Income Statement 
for the year ended 31 May 2010

Matters on which we are required to report by 
exception
We have nothing to report in respect of the following:

Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required to report to you if, 
in our opinion:

   Adequate accounting records have not been kept by the Parent 
Company, or returns adequate for our audit have not been 
received from branches not visited by us; or

   The Parent Company Financial Statements and the part of 
the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited are not in 
agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

   Certain disclosures of Directors’ remuneration specified by law 
are not made; or

   We have not received all the information and explanations we 
require for our audit; or

   A Corporate Governance Statement has not been prepared by 
the Company.

Under the Listing Rules we are required to review:

   The Directors’ statement, set out on page 41, in relation to going 
concern; and

   The part of the Corporate Governance Statement relating to 
the Company’s compliance with the nine provisions of the June 
2008 Combined Code specified for our review.

Simon Michaelson (Senior statutory auditor) 

for and on behalf of Ernst & Young LLP, Statutory Auditor 
London 
20 July 2010

Trading revenue  
Interest income on segregated client funds

Revenue
Interest expense on segregated client funds
Betting duty

Net operating income
Recovery / (impairment) of trade receivables
Other administrative expenses 

Operating profit
Finance revenue
Finance costs

Profit before taxation
Tax expense

Profit for the period

Profit for the period attributable to:
Equity holders of the parent
Minority interests

Earnings per ordinary share

Basic
Diluted

Note

3

3

5

5, 6
9
10

11

Note

12
12

Before 
certain 
items (1)
£000

298,551
5,791

304,342
(321)
(4,298)

299,723
1,064
(143,500)

157,287
2,664
(2,312)

157,639
(46,120)

2010

Certain 
items (1)
£000

-
-

-
-
-

-
-
  (17,298)

(17,298)
-
-

(17,298)
7,265

Before 
certain 
items (1)
£000

257,089
12,888

269,977
(5,288)
(7,223)

257,466
(18,168)
(114,635)

124,663
2,887
(1,678)

125,872
(38,744)

Total
£000

298,551
5,791

304,342
(321)
(4,298)

299,723
1,064
(160,798)

139,989
2,664
(2,312)

140,341
(38,855)

2009

Certain 
items (1)
£000

-
-

-
-
-

-
-
(14,613)

(14,613)
-
-

(14,613)
6,137

Total
£000

257,089
12,888

269,977
(5,288)
(7,223)

257,466
(18,168)
(129,248)

110,050
2,887
(1,678)

111,259
(32,607)

111,519

(10,033)

101,486

87,128

(8,476)

78,652

111,314
205

(10,033)
-

101,281
205

86,462
666

(8,476)
-

77,986
666

111,519

(10,033)

101,486

87,128

(8,476)

78,652

2010

28.19p
28.00p

2009

22.42p
22.31p

(1) Certain items comprise amortisation and impairment of intangibles arising on consolidation and related taxation. 

All of the Group’s revenue and profit for the year and prior year relate to continuing operations. The comparative Group Income Statement has 
been restated such that interest on segregated client funds is included within operating profit rather than finance revenue or costs. Refer to 
notes 2 and 3 for more information. 

The notes on pages 67 to 120 are an integral part of these Financial Statements.

Notes: 

1.   The maintenance and integrity of the IG Group Holdings plc web site is the responsibility of the directors; the work carried out by the auditors does not 
involve consideration of these matters and, accordingly, the auditors accept no responsibility for any changes that may have occurred to the financial 
statements since they were initially presented on the web site. 

2.  Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

59   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

60

 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: StAtEMENtS OF FINANCIAL POSItION

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: GROUP StAtEMENt OF COMPREhENSIVE INCOME

Statements of Financial Position 
at 31 May 2010

Group Statement of Comprehensive Income 
for the year ended 31 May 2010

Profit for the period

Other comprehensive income:
Foreign currency translation on overseas subsidiaries

Other comprehensive income for the period

Total comprehensive income for the period

Total comprehensive income attributable to: 
Equity holders of the parent
Minority interests

The notes on pages 67 to 120 are an integral part of these Financial Statements.

            2010
£000

£000

             2009
£000

101,486

£000

78,652

27,434

32,752

27,434

128,920

128,290
630

128,920

32,752

111,404

110,423
981

111,404

Assets 
Non-current assets
Property, plant and equipment
Intangible assets arising on consolidation
Intangible assets arising from software & licences
Investment in subsidiaries
Deferred tax assets

Current assets 
Trade receivables
Prepayments and other receivables
Cash and cash equivalents

TOTAL ASSETS

Liabilities
Current liabilities
Trade payables
Other payables
Provisions
Income tax payable

Non-current liabilities
Deferred tax liabilities 
Provisions 
Redeemable preference shares

Total liabilities

Capital and reserves
Equity share capital
Share premium
Other reserves
Retained earnings

Shareholders’ equity
Minority interests

Total equity

Note

            Group
2010
£000

2009
£000

            Company

2010
£000

2009
£000

14
15
15
16
11

18

19

20
21
22
11

11
22
23

24
24
26

9,632
261,452
3,876
-
14,264

11,632
256,824
3,783
-
7,562

-
-
-
428,853
-

-
-
-
424,071
-

289,224

279,801

428,853

424,071

206,243
7,084
678,564

183,085
4,928
520,421

-
576,920
8

-
96,943
122

891,891

708,434

576,928

97,065

1,181,115

988,235

1,005,781

521,136

608,140
44,825
1,377
38,863

511,656
27,326
-
36,560

-
573,276
-
3,387

-
120,042
-
-

693,205

575,542

576,663

120,042

11,463
1,779
40

16,740
-
40

13,282

16,780

-
-
40

40

-
-
40

40

706,487

592,322

576,703

120,082

18
206,246
79,742
185,443

471,449
3,179

18
206,246
45,281
141,819

393,364
2,549

18
206,246
14,991
207,823

429,078
-

18
206,246
10,400
184,390

401,054
-

474,628

395,913

429,078

401,054

TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

1,181,115

988,235

1,005,781

521,136

Tim Howkins, Director 

 Steve Clutton, Director

The notes on pages 67 to 120 are an integral part of these Financial Statements.

61   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

62

 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: StAtEMENtS OF ChANGES IN ShAREhOLdERS’ EQUItY

Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity 
for the year ended 31 May 2010

Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity 
for the year ended 31 May 2010

Group

At 1 June 2008
Profit for the period
Other comprehensive income for the period

Total comprehensive income for the period

Shares issued
Share issue costs
Minority interest arising on acquisition
Equity-settled employee share-based payments
Excess of tax deduction benefit on share-based 
    payments recognised directly in shareholders’ equity
Purchase of own shares
Equity dividends paid

Movement in shareholders’ equity

Equity 
share
capital
£000
Note 24

16
-
-

-

2
-
-
-

-
-
-

2

Share
premium
£000
Note 24

125,235
-
-

Other
reserves
£000
Note 26

11,576
-
32,437

Retained
earnings
£000

Shareholders’
equity
£000

Minority
interests
£000

Total
equity
£000

107,849
77,986
-

244,676
77,986
32,437

-

32,437

77,986

110,423

82,199
(1,188)
-
-

-
-
-

-
-
-
3,256

(1,730)
(258)
-

-
-
-
-

-
-
(44,016)

82,201
(1,188)
-
3,256

(1,730)
(258)
(44,016)

40
666
315

981

-
-
1,528
-

-
-
-

244,716
78,652
32,752

111,404

82,201
(1,188)
1,528
3,256

(1,730)
(258)
(44,016)

81,011

33,705

33,970

148,688

2,509

151,197

At 31 May 2009

18

206,246

45,281

141,819

393,364

2,549

395,913

Profit for the period
Other comprehensive income for the period

Total comprehensive income for the period

Equity-settled employee share-based payments
Excess of tax deduction benefit on share-based 
    payments recognised directly in shareholders’ equity
Purchase of own shares
Exercise of US share incentive plans
Equity dividends paid

Movement in shareholders’ equity

-
-

-

-

-
-
-

-

-

-
-

-

-

-
-
-

-

-

-
27,009

101,281
-

101,281
27,009

27,009

101,281

128,290

4,782

2,861
(175)
(16)

-

-
-
-

4,782

2,861
(175)
(16)

-

(57,657)

(57,657)

205
425

630

-

-
-
-

-

101,486
27,434

128,920

4,782

2,861
(175)
(16)

(57,657)

34,461

43,624

78,085

630

78,715

At 31 May 2010

18

206,246

79,742

185,443

471,449

3,179

474,628

The notes on pages 67 to 120 are an integral part of these Financial Statements.

Company

At 1 June 2008
Profit for the period
Other comprehensive income for the period

Total comprehensive income for the period

Shares issued
Share issue costs
Equity-settled employee share-based payments
Purchase of own shares
Equity dividends paid

Movement in shareholders’ equity

At 31 May 2009

Profit for the period
Other comprehensive income for the period

Total comprehensive income for the period

Equity-settled employee share-based payments
Purchase of own shares
Exercise of US share incentive plans
Equity dividends paid

Movement in shareholders’ equity

At 31 May 2010

Equity
share 
capital
£000
Note 24

16
-
-

-

2
-
-
-
-

2

Share
premium
£000
Note 24

125,235
-
-

Other
reserves
£000
Note 26

7,402
-
-

Retained
earnings
£000

Total
equity
£000

176,806
51,600
-

309,459
51,600
-

-

-

51,600

51,600

82,199
(1,188)
-
-
-

81,011

-
-
3,256
(258)
-

2,998

-
-
-
-
(44,016)

82,201
(1,188)
3,256
(258)
(44,016)

7,584

91,595

18

206,246

10,400

184,390

401,054

-
-

-

-
-
-
-

-

-
-

-

-
-
-
-

-

-
-

-

81,090
-

81,090
-

81,090

81,090

4,782
(175)
(16)
-

-
-
-
(57,657)

4,782
(175)
(16)
(57,657)

4,591

23,433

28,024

18

206,246

14,991

207,823

429,078 

The notes on pages 67 to 120 are an integral part of these Financial Statements.  

63   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

64

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: CASh FLOW StAtEMENtS

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: INdEx tO NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Cash Flow Statements 
for the year ended 31 May 2010

Operating activities
Operating profit
Adjustments to reconcile operating profit to net cash flow from operating activities:

   Net interest income on segregated client funds
   Depreciation of property, plant and equipment
   Total amortisation of intangible assets 

   Non-cash foreign exchange gains in operating profit
   Share-based payments

   Write off - property, plant and equipment
   (Recovery) / impairment of trade receivables
   (Increase) / decrease in trade and other receivables
   Increase / (decrease) in trade and other payables
   Increase in provisions

Cash generated from operations
Income taxes paid
Interest received on segregated client funds
Interest paid on segregated client funds

Net cash flow from operating activities

Investing activities
Interest received
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
Payments to acquire intangible fixed assets
Purchase of subsidiary undertaking
Investment in subsidiary undertaking
Net cash acquired on purchase of subsidiary undertaking

Net cash flow from investing activities

Financing activities
Interest paid
Equity dividends paid to equity holders of the parent
Proceeds from the issue of shares
Purchase of own shares
Payment of redeemable preference share dividends

Net cash flow from financing activities

Net increase / (decrease)  in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period
Exchange gains on cash and cash equivalents

              Group
2010
£000

2009
£000

             Company

2010

£000

2009
£000

Note

139,989

110,050

(3,530)

(2,556)

(5,470)
6,175
19,728

(11,382)
4,782

49
(1,064)
(19,162)
92,153
3,156

228,954
(47,719)
5,745
(332)

(7,600)
5,402
15,597

(4,640)
3,256

36
18,168
88,686
(159,585)
-

69,370
(20,274)
12,670
(5,007)

-
-
-

-
-

-
-
96,461
(34,293)
-

58,638
-
-
-

-
-
-

-
-

-
-
77,919
(795)
-

74,568
-
-
-

186,648

56,759

58,638

74,568

2,557
(2,669)
(2,369)
-
-
-

3,429
(5,897)
(2,142)
(121,643)
-
68,202

(2,481)

(58,051)

1
-
-
-
-
-

1

(1,317)
(57,657)
-
(175)
(3)

(1,074)
(44,016)
81,013
(258)
(3)

(918)
(57,657)
-
(175)
(3)

1,065
-
-
-
(111,234)
-

(110,169)

(1,059)
(44,016)
81,013
(258)
(3)

(59,152)

35,662

(58,753)

35,677

125,015
520,421
33,128

34,370
471,722
14,329

(114)
122
-

76
46
-

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period

19

678,564

520,421

8

122

The comparative Group Cash Flow Statement has been restated such that interest on segregated client funds is included within net cash 
flow from operating activities.  Refer to notes 2 and 3 for more information.

The notes on pages 67 to 120 are an integral part of these Financial Statements.

Index to Notes to the Financial Statements 
for the year ended 31 May 2010

note 

Page 

1.  

2.  

3.  

4.  

5.  

6.  

7.  

8.  

9.  

Authorisation of Financial Statements and statement of compliance with IFRS 

Accounting policies 

Revenue 

Segment information 

Operating profit 

Exceptional items 

Auditors’ remuneration   

Staff costs 

Finance revenue 

10.   Finance costs  

11.   Taxation 

12.   Earnings per ordinary share 

13.   Dividends 

14.   Property, plant and equipment 

15.  

Intangible assets 

16.  

Investments in subsidiaries 

17.  

Impairment of goodwill  

18.   Trade receivables 

19.   Cash and cash equivalents 

20.   Trade payables 

21.   Other payables 

22.   Provisions 

23.   Redeemable preference shares 

24.   Equity share capital  

25.   Own shares held in Employee Benefit Trusts  

26.   Other reserves 

27.   Employee share plans 

28.   Capital commitments 

29.   Obligations under leases 

30.   Contingent liabilities 

31.   Transactions with Directors 

32.   Related party transactions 

33.   Financial instruments 

34.   Financial risk management 

35.   Capital management and resources 

36.   Subsequent events 

67

67

74

75

78

78

79

79

80

80

81

84

85

86

87

88

90

92

92

92

93

93

94

95

96

97

99

102

102

103

103

103

104

108

120

120

65   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

66

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements

1. Authorisation of Financial 
Statements and statement of 
compliance with IFRS

The Financial Statements of IG Group Holdings plc (the Company) 
and its subsidiaries (together the Group) for the year ended  
31 May 2010 were authorised for issue by the Board of Directors 
on 20 July 2010 and the Statements of Financial Position signed on 
the Board’s behalf by TA Howkins and S Clutton.  

IG Group Holdings plc is a public limited company incorporated 
and domiciled in England and Wales. The Company’s ordinary 
shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange.

The Group and Company Financial Statements have been prepared 
in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards 
(IFRS) as adopted by the European Union (EU) as they apply to the 
Financial Statements of the Group and of the Company for the year 
ended 31 May 2010 and applied in accordance with the provisions 
of the Companies Act 2006. The principal accounting policies 
adopted by the Group and the Company are set out in note 2.

2. Accounting policies

Basis of preparation
The accounting policies which follow, have been applied in 
preparing the Financial Statements for the year ended  
31 May 2010.

The Group has presented its consolidated income statement in a 
columnar format. This enables the Group to continue its practice 
of improving the understanding of its results by presenting profit 
for the year before amortisation and impairment of intangibles 
arising on consolidation (‘certain items’). This is the profit measure 
used to calculate adjusted EPS (see note 12) and is considered 
to be the most appropriate measure as it better reflects the 
Group’s underlying cash earnings. Profit before amortisation and 
impairment of intangibles arising on consolidation is reconciled to 
profit before tax on the face of the income statement.

The amortisation of separately identifiable intangible assets and 
any impairment of goodwill (including any tax effect) is included in 
the income statement within the column ‘certain items’.  Intangible 
assets arising on consolidation represent goodwill and other 
separately identifiable intangible assets on business combinations 
since 1 June 2004. 

As permitted by Section 408(1)(b), (4) of the Companies Act 2006, 
the individual income statement of IG Group Holdings plc has 
not been presented in these Financial Statements. The amount 
of profit after taxation for the financial year dealt with in the 
Financial Statements of IG Group Holdings plc is £81,090,000 (2009: 
£51,600,000).  A statement of comprehensive income for  
IG Group Holdings plc has also not been presented in these 
Financial Statements.  No items of other comprehensive income 
arose in the year (2009: £nil).

The Group and Company Financial Statements are presented in 
sterling and all values are rounded to the nearest thousand pounds 
(£000) except where otherwise indicated.

Going concern
The Directors have prepared the Financial Statements on a going 
concern basis which requires the Directors to have a reasonable 
expectation that the Group has adequate resources to continue in 
operational existence for the foreseeable future.

Basis of consolidation 
The Group Financial Statements consolidate the Financial 
Statements of IG Group Holdings plc and the entities it controls (its 
subsidiaries) made up to the reporting date as listed in note 16.

Subsidiaries are consolidated from the date of their acquisition, 
being the date on which the Group obtains control, and continue 
to be consolidated until the date that such control ceases. Control 
comprises the power to govern the financial and operating policies 
of the investee so as to obtain benefit from its activities and is 
achieved through direct or indirect ownership of voting rights; 
currently exercisable or convertible potential voting rights; or by 
way of contractual agreement. The Financial Statements of the 
subsidiaries used in the preparation of the consolidated Financial 
Statements are prepared for the same reporting year as the parent 
company and are based on consistent accounting policies. All 
inter-company balances and transactions between Group entities, 
including unrealised profits arising from them, are eliminated on 
consolidation.

On acquisition, the assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities 
of a subsidiary are measured at their fair values at the date of 
acquisition. The cost of an acquisition is measured at the fair value 
of consideration paid including an estimate of any contingent or 
deferred consideration and the directly attributable costs of the 
acquisition. Contingent or deferred consideration is re-measured 
at each statement of financial position date. Any excess of the 
cost of acquisition over the fair values of the identifiable net assets 
acquired is recognised as goodwill. Any deficiency of the cost 
of acquisition below the fair values of the identifiable net assets 
acquired (discount on acquisition) is credited to the profit and loss 
in the period of acquisition.

2. Accounting policies    
(continued) 

The interest of minority shareholders is stated at the minority’s 
proportion of the fair values of the identifiable assets, liabilities 
and contingent liabilities recognised. Losses applicable to the 
minority in a consolidated subsidiary’s equity may exceed the 
minority interest in the subsidiary’s equity. The excess, and any 
further losses applicable to the minority, are allocated against 
the majority interest, except to the extent that the minority has a 
binding obligation and is able to make an additional investment to 
cover the losses. If the subsidiary subsequently reports profits, such 
profits are allocated to the majority interests until the minority’s 
share of losses previously absorbed by the majority has been 
recovered.

Minority interests represent the portion of profit or loss and net 
assets in subsidiaries that is not held by the Group and is presented 
within equity in the consolidated statement of financial position, 
separately from parent shareholders’ equity. 

The results of subsidiaries acquired or disposed of during the 
year are included in the consolidated income statement from the 
effective date of acquisition or up to the effective date of disposal, 
as appropriate.

Where necessary, adjustments are made to the Financial 
Statements of subsidiaries to bring the accounting policies used 
into line with those used by other members of the Group. 

Foreign currencies
The functional currency of each company in the Group is that of 
the country of incorporation (as disclosed in note 16) as this is 
consistent with the primary economic environment in which the 
entity operates. The Group’s most significant functional currency 
is sterling. Transactions in other currencies are initially recorded in 
the functional currency by applying spot exchange rates prevailing 
on the dates of the transactions. At each statement of financial 
position date, monetary assets and liabilities denominated in 
foreign currencies are retranslated at the functional currency 
rate of exchange prevailing on the same date. Non-monetary 
assets and liabilities carried at fair value that are denominated in 
foreign currencies are translated at the rates prevailing at the date 
when the fair value was determined. Gains and losses arising on 
translation are taken to the income statement, except for exchange 
differences arising on monetary assets and liabilities that form part 
of the Group’s net investment in a foreign operation. These are 
taken directly to equity until the disposal of the net investment, at 
which time they are recognised in profit or loss.

On consolidation, the assets and liabilities of the Group’s overseas 
operations are translated into sterling at exchange rates prevailing 
on the statement of financial position date. Income and expense 
items are translated at the average exchange rates for the period. 
Exchange differences arising, if any, are classified as equity and 
taken directly to a translation reserve. Such translation differences 
are recognised as income or as expenses in the period in which 
the operation is disposed of. Goodwill and fair value adjustments 
arising on the acquisition of a foreign entity are treated as assets 
and liabilities of the foreign entity and translated at the closing rate.

Property, plant and equipment
Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated 
depreciation and accumulated impairment losses. Cost comprises 
the aggregate amount paid and the fair value of any other 
consideration given to acquire the asset and includes costs directly 
attributable to making the asset capable of operating as intended.  

Depreciation is provided on all property, plant and equipment at 
rates calculated to write off the cost, less estimated residual value 
based upon estimated useful lives. Estimated residual value and 
useful lives are reviewed on an annual basis and residual values are 
based on prices prevailing at the statement of financial position 
date. Depreciation is charged on a straight-line basis over the 
expected useful lives as follows:

  Leasehold improvements 

- over the lease term of  
  up to 15 years 

  Office equipment, fixtures and fittings - over 5 years 
  Computer and other equipment 
  Motor vehicles 

- over 2, 3 or 5 years 
- over 4 years

The carrying values of property, plant and equipment are reviewed 
for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate 
the carrying value may not be recoverable, and are written down 
immediately to their recoverable amount. 

An item of property, plant and equipment is derecognised upon 
disposal or when no future economic benefits are expected to 
arise from the continued use of the asset. The gain or loss arising 
on derecognition of an asset is determined as the difference 
between the sale proceeds and the carrying amount of the 
asset and is included in the income statement in the period of 
derecognition.

Goodwill
Goodwill arising on consolidation represents the excess of 
the cost of acquisition (fair value of consideration paid) over 
the Group’s interest in the fair value of the identifiable assets, 
liabilities and contingent liabilities of a subsidiary at the date of 
acquisition. Goodwill is recognised as an asset and is allocated to 
cash-generating units for purposes of impairment testing. Cash-
generating units represent the smallest identifiable group of assets 
that generates cash inflows that are largely independent of the 
cash inflows from other assets or groups of assets.

Business combinations are accounted for using the purchase 
method. Any excess of the cost of the business combination over 
the Group’s interest in the net fair value of the identifiable assets, 
liabilities and contingent liabilities is recognised in the statement 
of financial position as goodwill and is not amortised. To the 
extent that the net fair value of the acquired entity’s identifiable 
assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities is greater than the cost 
of the investment, a gain is recognised immediately in the income 
statement. Any goodwill asset arising on the acquisition of equity 
accounted entities is included within the cost of those entities.

After initial recognition, goodwill is stated at cost less any 
accumulated impairment losses, with the carrying value being 
reviewed for impairment, at least annually and whenever events or 
changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may be 
impaired.

67   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

68

 
 
     
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

2. Accounting policies    
(continued)

For the purpose of impairment testing, goodwill is allocated to the 
related cash-generating units monitored by management, usually 
at business segment level or statutory company level as the case 
may be. Where the recoverable amount of the cash-generating 
unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill, an 
impairment loss is recognised in the income statement.

The carrying amount of goodwill allocated to a cash-generating 
unit is taken into account when determining the gain or loss on 
disposal of the unit, or of an operation within it. 

Intangible assets
Intangible assets are carried at cost less accumulated amortisation 
and accumulated impairment losses.

Intangible assets acquired separately from a business are carried 
initially at cost. An intangible asset acquired as part of a business 
combination such as a trade name or customer relationship is 
recognised at fair value outside goodwill if the asset is separable 
or arises from contractual or other legal rights and its fair value 
can be measured reliably. Expenditure on internally developed 
intangible assets, excluding development costs, is taken to the 
income statement in the year in which it is incurred. Development 
expenditure is recognised as an intangible asset only after all the 
following criteria are met:

   The project’s technical feasibility and commercial viability can be 
demonstrated 

   The availability of adequate technical and financial resources and 
an intention to complete the project have been confirmed

   The correlation between development costs and future revenue 
has been established

Following initial recognition, the historic cost model is applied, 
with intangible assets being carried at cost less accumulated 
amortisation and accumulated impairment losses.

Intangible assets with a finite life are amortised over their expected 
useful lives, as follows:

  Client lists  

  Development costs 
  Software and licences 

-  straight-line basis over the expected  
  trading life of up to 5 years 
-  straight-line basis over 3 years 
-  straight-line basis over the contract  
  term of up to 5 years 
  Trade names   
-  sum of digits method over 2 years 
  Customer relationships   -  sum of digits method over 5 years

The carrying value of intangible assets is reviewed for impairment 
whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying 
value may not be recoverable. In addition, the carrying value of 
capitalised development expenditure is reviewed for impairment 
annually before being brought into use.

Impairment of assets
At least annually, or when impairment testing is required, the 
Directors review the carrying amounts of the Group’s tangible and 
intangible assets to determine whether there is any indication 
that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such 
indication exists (or at least annually for goodwill), the recoverable 
amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent 
of the impairment loss (if any). Where the asset does not generate 
cash flows that are independent from other assets, the Group 
estimates the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit to 
which the asset belongs. 

The recoverable amount is the higher of fair value less selling costs 
and value-in-use. In assessing value-in-use, the estimated future 
cash flows are discounted to their present values using a pre-tax 
discount rate. This rate reflects current market assessments of the 
time value of money as well as the risks specific to the asset for 
which the estimates of future cash flows have not been adjusted.

If the recoverable amount of an asset is estimated to be less than 
its carrying amount, the carrying amount of the asset is reduced 
to its recoverable amount. Impairment losses are recognised as an 
expense immediately. 

An assessment is made at each reporting date as to whether there 
is any indication that previously recognised impairment losses may 
no longer exist or may have decreased. If such indication exists, 
the recoverable amount is estimated. A previously recognised 
impairment loss is reversed only if there has been a change in 
the estimates used to determine the asset’s recoverable amount 
since the last impairment loss was recognised. If that is the case, 
the carrying amount of the asset is increased to its recoverable 
amount. That increased amount cannot exceed the carrying 
amount that would have been determined, had no impairment 
loss been recognised for the asset in prior years. A reversal of an 
impairment loss is recognised as income immediately, although 
impairment losses relating to goodwill may not be reversed.

Investments in subsidiaries
Investments in subsidiaries are stated at cost less accumulated 
impairment losses.

Operating leases
Leases are classified as operating leases where the lessor retains 
substantially all the risks and benefits of ownership of the asset. 
Lease payments under an operating lease are recognised as an 
expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term unless another 
systematic basis is more representative of the time pattern of the 
user’s benefit.

2. Accounting policies    
(continued) 

Financial instruments 
The Group determines the classification of its financial instruments 
at initial recognition in accordance with the categories outlined 
below and re-evaluates this designation at each financial year-
end. When financial instruments are recognised initially, they are 
measured at fair value, being the transaction price plus, in the case 
of financial assets and financial liabilities not at fair value through 
profit or loss, directly attributable transaction costs.  Financial 
instruments are disclosed in note 33 to the Financial Statements.

Financial assets and financial liabilities at fair value through 
profit or loss 
Financial assets and financial liabilities classified as held for trading, 
or designated as such on inception, are included in this category 
and relate to trade receivables and trade payables as shown in the 
statement of financial position. Financial instruments are classified 
as held for trading if they are expected to settle in the short-term. 
The Group uses derivative financial instruments, in order to hedge 
derivative exposures arising from open client positions, which are 
also classified as held for trading.

All financial instruments at fair value through the profit and loss are 
carried in the statement of financial position at fair value with gains 
or losses recognised in the income statement.

Determination of fair value 
Bets and other derivative financial instruments are stated at fair 
value determined by reference to third party market values (bid 
prices for long positions and offer prices for short positions).

For all other derivative financial instruments, where there is no 
underlying active market, the fair value is determined using an 
appropriate valuation technique as determined by the Group at 
the year-end.

Derecognition of financial assets and liabilities
A financial asset or liability is generally derecognised when the 
contract that gives rise to it is settled, sold, cancelled or expires. 

Financial assets 
A financial asset is derecognised where the rights to receive cash 
flows from the asset have expired; the Group retains the right to 
receive cash flows from the asset, but has assumed an obligation 
to pay them in full without material delay to a third party under a 
‘pass-through’ arrangement; or the Group has transferred its rights 
to receive cash flows from the asset and either (a) has transferred 
substantially all the risks and rewards of the asset, or (b) has neither 
transferred nor retained substantially all the risks and rewards of 
the asset, but has transferred control of the asset.

Where the Group has transferred its rights to receive cash flows 
from an asset and has neither transferred nor retained substantially 
all the risks and rewards of the asset nor transferred control of 
the asset, the asset is recognised to the extent of the Group’s 

continuing involvement in the asset. Continuing involvement 
that takes the form of a guarantee over the transferred asset is 
measured at the lower of the original carrying amount of the asset 
and the maximum amount of consideration that the Group could 
be required to repay.

Financial liabilities 
A financial liability is derecognised when the obligation under the 
liability is discharged or cancelled or expires. Where an existing 
financial liability is replaced by another from the same lender on 
substantially different terms, or the terms of an existing liability are 
substantially modified, such an exchange or modification is treated 
as a derecognition of the original liability and the recognition of 
a new liability, such that the difference in the respective carrying 
amounts together with any costs or fees incurred are recognised in 
profit or loss.

Trade receivables and trade payables
Assets or liabilities resulting from profit or losses on open positions 
are carried at fair value. Amounts due from or to clients and 
brokers are netted against other assets and liabilities with the same 
counterparty where a legally enforceable netting agreement is in 
place and where it is anticipated that assets and liabilities will be 
netted on settlement.

Trade receivables represent balances with counterparties and 
clients where the combination of cash held on account and the 
valuation of financial derivative open positions result in an amount 
due to the Group. A provision for impairment is established where 
there is objective evidence of non-collectability. Reference is 
made to an aged profile of debt and the provision is subject to 
management review.

Trade payables represent balances with counterparties and clients 
where the combination of cash held on account and the valuation 
of financial derivative open positions results in an amount payable 
by the Group.

Prepayments and other receivables
Prepayments and other receivables are non-derivative financial 
assets with fixed or determinable payments that are not quoted 
in an active market, do not qualify as trading assets and have not 
been designated as fair value through profit and loss. Such assets 
are carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method 
if the time value of money is significant. Gains and losses are 
recognised in income when the receivables are derecognised or 
impaired, as well as through the amortisation process. A provision 
for impairment is established where there is objective evidence of 
non-collectability.

Cash and cash equivalents
Cash comprises cash in hand and demand deposits which may be 
accessed without penalty. Cash equivalents comprise short-term 
highly liquid investments with a maturity of less than three months 
from the date of acquisition. For the purposes of the consolidated 
cash flow statement, net cash and cash equivalents consist of cash 
and cash equivalents as defined above, net of outstanding bank 
overdrafts.

69   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

70

 
     
     
 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

2. Accounting policies    
(continued)

The Group holds money on behalf of clients in accordance with 
the client money rules of the UK’s Financial Services Authority 
(FSA) and other regulatory bodies. This money is included within 
cash and cash equivalents on the statement of financial position 
and the corresponding liability to clients is included in trade and 
other payables. The return received on managing client balances is 
included within operating income.

Other payables
Non-trading financial liabilities are recognised initially at fair value 
and carried at amortised cost using the effective interest rate 
method if the time value of money is significant. 

Provisions
Provisions are recognised when the Group has a present legal or 
constructive obligation as a result of past events; it is probable that 
an outflow of resources will be required to settle the obligation; 
and the amount can be reliably estimated.  Where material, 
provisions are discounted and recognised at the present value of 
expenditures expected to settle the obligation with the unwind of 
the discount recognised as an interest expense.  

Taxation
The income tax expense represents the sum of tax currently 
payable and movements in deferred tax.

The tax currently payable is based on taxable profit for the period. 
Taxable profit differs from net profit as reported in the income 
statement because it excludes items of income or expense that 
are taxable or deductible in other periods and it further excludes 
items that are never taxable or deductible. The Group’s liability for 
current tax is calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or 
substantively enacted by the statement of financial position date.

Deferred tax is generally accounted for on all temporary differences 
between the carrying amount of assets and liabilities in the 
Financial Statements and the corresponding tax basis used in the 
computation of taxable profit. In principle, deferred tax liabilities 
are recognised for all temporary differences and deferred tax assets 
are recognised to the extent that it is probable that taxable profits 
will be available, against which deductible temporary differences 
may be utilised. Such assets and liabilities are not recognised if the 
temporary difference arises from goodwill (or negative goodwill) or 
from the initial recognition (other than in a business combination) 
of other assets and liabilities in a transaction that affects neither the 
tax profit nor the accounting profit.

Deferred tax liabilities are recognised for taxable temporary 
differences arising on investments in subsidiaries and associates, 
except where the Group is able to control the reversal of the 
temporary difference and it is probable that the temporary 
difference will not reverse in the foreseeable future.

71   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at each 
statement of financial position date and reduced to the extent 
that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profits will be 
available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured on an undiscounted 
basis at the tax rates that are expected to apply when the related 
asset is realised or liability is settled, based on tax rates and laws 
enacted or substantively enacted at the statement of financial 
position date. Deferred tax is charged or credited in the income 
statement, except when it relates to items credited or charged 
directly to equity, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with 
in equity.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when they relate to 
income taxes levied by the same taxation authority and the Group 
intends to settle its current tax assets and liabilities on a net basis.

Classification of shares as debt or equity
When shares are issued, any component that creates a financial 
liability of the Group is presented as a liability in the statement of 
financial position; measured initially at fair value net of transaction 
costs and thereafter at amortised cost until extinguished on 
conversion or redemption. The corresponding dividends relating 
to the liability component are charged as interest expense in the 
income statement. 

Equity instruments issued by the Company are recorded as the 
proceeds received, net of direct issue costs. Equity instruments 
are classified according to the substance of the contractual 
arrangements entered into. An equity instrument is any contract 
that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the Group after 
deducting all of its liabilities.

Own shares held in Employee Benefit Trusts
Shares held in trust by the Company for the purposes of employee 
share schemes are classified as a deduction from shareholders’ 
equity and are recognised at cost. Consideration received for the 
sale of such shares is also recognised in equity, with any difference 
between the proceeds from the sale and the original cost being 
taken to revenue reserves. No gain or loss is recognised in the 
income statement on the purchase, sale, issue or cancellation of 
equity shares.

Revenue recognition
Revenue is recognised when it is probable that economic benefits 
associated with the transaction will flow to the Group and the 
revenue can be reliably measured.

Rendering of services includes gains and losses on the running 
of betting markets and trading in financial markets, net of 
commissions expensed. Open positions are carried at fair market 
value and gains and losses arising on this valuation are recognised 
in revenue as well as gains and losses realised on positions that 
have closed.

2. Accounting policies    
(continued) 

Finance revenue and interest income on segregated client funds is 
accrued on a time basis, by reference to the principal outstanding 
and at the effective interest rate applicable. The effective interest 
rate is the rate which exactly discounts estimated future cash 
receipts over the expected life of the financial asset to that asset’s 
net carrying amount. Interest income on segregated client funds 
is disclosed within revenue and therefore operating profit as this is 
consistent with the nature of the Group’s operations. 

Dividends receivable are recognised when the shareholder’s right 
to receive the payment is established.

Operating profit
Operating profit is the sum of the results of the principal activities 
of the Group after charging depreciation of property, plant and 
equipment, amortisation of intangible assets, operating lease 
rentals on land and buildings, foreign exchange differences, 
profit or loss on sale of property, plant and equipment and other 
administrative expenses. 

Exceptional items
Exceptional items are those items of income and expense 
that the Group considers are material and/or of such a nature 
that they merit separate presentation in order to aid a reader’s 
understanding of the Group’s financial performance. 

Finance costs and interest expense on segregated 
client funds
The interest cost recognised in the income statement is accrued 
on a time basis by reference to the principal amount charged at 
the effective interest rate applicable. The effective interest rate is 
the rate that exactly discounts the future expected cash flows to 
the carrying amount of the liability. Issue costs are included in the 
determination of the effective interest rates.

Interest expense on segregated client funds is disclosed within 
operating profit as this is consistent with the nature of the Group’s 
operations.

Retirement benefit costs
The Group operates defined contribution schemes. Contributions 
are charged to the income statement as and when they become 
payable according to the rules of the schemes.

Share-based payments
The Company operates two employee share plans: a Share 
Incentive Plan (SIP) and a Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) both of 
which are equity-settled. The cost of these awards is measured 
at fair value based on the market price of the Company’s shares 
at the date of the grant and are recognised as an expense in the 
income statement on a straight-line basis over the vesting period 
based on the Company’s estimate of the number of shares that will 
eventually vest.

At each statement of financial position date before vesting, the 
cumulative expense is calculated representing the extent to which 
the vesting period has expired and management’s best estimate 
of the achievement or otherwise of non-market conditions 
determining the number of equity instruments that will ultimately 
vest. The movement in cumulative expense since the previous 
statement of financial position date is recognised in the income 
statement as part of administrative expenses, with a corresponding 
entry in equity.

Changes in accounting policies
The accounting policies adopted in the preparation of Financial 
Statements are consistent with those followed in the preparation 
of the Group’s Annual Report for the year ended 31 May 2009, 
other than as set out below:  

The Group has made presentational changes in order to disclose 
interest income and expense on segregated client funds within 
operating profit as opposed to finance revenue or finance costs.  
This change has been made in order to present operating profit on 
a basis more consistent with the nature of Group’s operations and 
to increase comparability with the Group’s peers. This has resulted 
in an increase in reported operating profit and revenue for the year 
ended 31 May 2010 of £5,470,000 and £5,791,000 respectively and 
of £7,600,000 and £12,888,000 for the year ended 31 May 2009 
respectively. There has been a corresponding decrease in finance 
costs and finance revenue for each year. There is no change to 
profit before taxation or on earnings per share for either of these 
years.

New and amended standards adopted by the Group
The following new or amended standards have been adopted by 
the Group:

   IFRS 7 ‘Financial Instruments – Disclosures (amendment)’: The 
amended standard requires enhanced disclosures about fair 
value measurement and liquidity risk. As a disclosure standard 
the adoption of IFRS 7 has had no impact on the results or the 
financial position of the Group.

   IFRS 8 ‘Operating Segments’: This new standard replaces IAS 14 
‘Segment Reporting’ and requires a “management approach” 
under which segment information is presented on the 
same basis as that used for internal reporting purposes. As a 
disclosure standard, the adoption of IFRS 8 has had no impact 
on the results or the financial position of the Group. A revised 
segmental note along with restated comparative information is 
disclosed in note 4. The adoption of IFRS 8 has also required the 
Group to review the identification of cash-generating units for 
the purposes of the goodwill impairment review exercise - see 
note 17.  

   IAS 1 (revised), ‘Presentation of Financial Statements’: The revised 
standard prohibits the presentation of non-owner items of 
income and expense in the consolidated statement of changes 
in equity, requiring such items to be presented in a statement of 
comprehensive income. As a disclosure standard the adoption of 
IAS 1 (revised) has had no impact on the results or the financial 
position of the Group. 

72

 
 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

2. Accounting policies (continued)

The following new standards and interpretations are also effective for accounting periods beginning 1 June 2009 but have not had a 
material impact on the presentation of, nor the results or financial position of the Group:

   IFRS 2 (Amendment) “Share-based payment”. This amendment clarifies that vesting conditions are service and performance conditions 
only. It also specifies that all cancellations should receive the same accounting treatment whether cancelled by the entity or by other 
parties.

   IAS 32 (Amendment) “Financial Instruments: Presentation” and IAS 1 (Amendment) “Presentation of Financial Statements – Puttable 
Instruments and Instruments with obligations arising on Liquidation”.

   IAS 36 (Amendment) “Impairment of assets”.  The amendment requires that where fair value less costs to sell is calculated based on 
discounted cash flows disclosures equivalent to those for a value-in-use calculation should be made.

   IAS 38 (Amendment) “Intangible Assets”.  The amendment allows the recognition of a prepayment only in the event that payment has 
been made in advance of obtaining right of access to goods or receipt of services. 

   IAS 19 (Amendment) “Employee benefits”.  The amendment clarifies certain accounting and valuation of defined benefit plans and alters 
the distinction of short-term and long-term employee benefits.

   IAS 39 (Amendment) “Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement”.  The amendment clarifies certain definitions and aligns the 
example of a segment with IFRS 8.

   IAS 23 (Amendments) “Borrowing Costs”. The amendments to the standard require an entity to capitalise borrowing costs directly 
attributable to the acquisition, construction or production of a qualifying asset (one that takes a substantial period of time to get ready 
for use or sale) as part of the cost of that asset. 

   IAS 16 (Amendment) “Property plant and equipment” and consequential amendment to IAS 7 “Statement of cash flows”.  The 
amendment relates to entities whose ordinary activities are renting and subsequently selling assets.

   IAS 28 (Amendment) “Investments in Associates”.  The amendment requires that the investment in an associate is treated as a single 
asset for the purposes of impairment testing.

   IAS 29 (Amendment) “Financial reporting in hyperinflationary economies”.  

   IAS 31 (Amendment) “Interests in joint ventures”.  

   IAS 38 (Amendment) “Intangible Assets”.  The amendment deletes wording that states that there is ‘rarely, if ever’ support for use of a 
method of amortisation that results in a lower rate than the straight-line method.

   IAS 40 (Amendment) “Investment Property”.  The amendment brings property that is under construction or development for future use 
as an investment property within the scope of IAS 40. 

   IAS 41 (Amendment) “Agriculture”.  The amendment relates to the valuation methodologies for biological assets.

   IAS 20 (Amendment) “Accounting for government grants and disclosure of government assistance”.  The amendment relates to 
accounting for the benefit of a below market rate government loan.

   IFRIC 15 “Agreements for the Construction of Real Estate”.

   IFRIC 17 “Distributions of Non-cash Assets to Owners”.

The following standards, amendments and interpretations have been published and are mandatory for the Group’s accounting periods 
beginning or after 1 June 2010 or later period, but the Group has not early adopted them:  

   IAS 27 (revised) “Consolidated and separate Financial Statements”.  The revised standard requires the effects of all transactions with non-
controlling interests to be recorded in equity if there is no change in control.  The Group will apply IFRS 3 (revised) prospectively to all 
transactions with non-controlling interests from 1 July 2010. 

   IFRS 3 (revised) “Business combinations”.  The revised standard requires that all acquisition costs be expensed and that all payments 
to purchase a business are to be recorded at fair value at the acquisition date.  Any contingent payments are classified as debt and 
re-measured through the income statement.  Non-controlling interests may be measured either at fair value or at the non-controlling 
interest proportionate share of the acquiree’s net assets. The Group will apply IFRS 3 (revised) prospectively to all business combinations 
from 1 July 2010. 

2. Accounting policies (continued)

   IAS 38 (amendment) “Intangible assets”.  The amendment clarifies guidance in measuring fair value of an intangible asset acquired in 
a business combination and permits grouping of intangible assets as a single asset if each asset has similar useful economic lives.  The 
Group will apply the amendment from the same date as IFRS 3 (revised).  The amendment will not impact the Group’s currently held 
intangible assets. 

   IFRS 5 (amendment) “Measurement of non-current assets (or disposal groups) classified as held for sale”.  The amendment provides 
clarification to the existing standard disclosure requirements and will not result in a material impact to the Group’s Financial Statements.  
The Group will apply IFRS 5 (amendment) from 1 July 2010. 

   IAS 1 (amendment) “Presentation of Financial Statements”.  The amendment provides clarification that the potential settlement of a 
liability by the issue of equity is not relevant to its classification as current or non-current.  The Group will apply IAS1 (amendment) from 
1 July 2010.  It is not expected to have a material impact on the Group’s Financial Statements. 

   IFRS 2 (amendments) “Group cash-settled share-based payment transactions”.  The amendments include IFRIC 8 and 11 and expand the 
guidance in IFRIC 11 to address the classification of group arrangements not previously covered.  The new guidance is not expected to 
have a material impact on the Group’s Financial Statements. 

Critical accounting estimates and judgements

The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported for 
assets and liabilities as at the year-end and the amounts reported for revenues and expenses during the year. The nature of estimates 
means that actual outcomes could differ from those estimates.

In the Directors’ opinion, the accounting estimates or judgements that have the most significant impact on the Financial Statements are the 
impairment of trade receivables (see note 5), the calculation of the Group’s taxation charge (see note 11(c) and 11(f )), the measurement and 
impairment of goodwill (see note 17), the estimation of the onerous lease liability (see note 22), the estimation of share-based payment costs 
(see note 27) and the assessment of net market risk and associated disclosures (see note 34).

3. Revenue

Trading revenue represents the net trading income from financial instruments carried at fair value through profit and loss. Revenue from 
external customers includes interest income on segregated client funds and is analysed as follows:

Trading revenue
Financial
     Spread betting
     Contracts for difference
     Binaries

Total Financial 

Sport

Total trading revenue

Interest income on segregated client funds

Revenue from external customers

In addition to the above finance revenue is disclosed in note 9.

2010
£000

2009
£000

104,605
177,414
10,600

109,396
128,945
10,005

292,619

248,346

5,932

8,743

298,551

257,089

5,791

12,888

304,342

269,977 

73   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

74

 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

4. Segment information

The Group has adopted IFRS 8 ‘Operating Segments’, which replaced IAS 14 ‘Segment Reporting’, from 1 June 2009 and has restated the 
segment results from 31 May 2009 accordingly. There is no effect on the overall results of the Group.  IFRS 8 requires the Group’s segmental 
information to be disclosed consistent with the basis of internal reports regarding components of the Group that are regularly reviewed 
by the Chief Operating Decision Maker (CODM) in order to assess the performance and to allocate resources to those ‘operating segments’.  
The Group considers the Executive Directors of the IG Group Holdings plc Board to be the CODM. The Group has determined its operating 
segments based on the management information received on a regular basis by the CODM.  The Group has offices in the UK, Australia, 
France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, Japan, Singapore and the United States.  Operating segments that do not meet the 
quantitative thresholds required by IFRS 8 have been aggregated within the Europe and ‘Rest of World’ segments as appropriate. 

The Group has also early adopted the ‘IFRS Improvements Standard’ issued in April 2009 that provides an amendment to IFRS 8 such that 
segment assets are not required to be disclosed as segment assets are not reported to the CODM.   

In contrast the predecessor standard required the Group to identify the primary segments (business segment) and secondary segments 
(geographical) using a risk and rewards approach.  

Under IFRS 8, the significant changes in the information presented are that:

   Revenues are reported by the location of the office whereas previously they were reported by location of the client

   The Australian and Japanese segments that were previously reported within an aggregated Asia Pacific segment are separately reported

   The ‘Rest of World’ segment comprises the Group’s Singapore and US operations

   Segment contribution, being segment trading revenue less directly incurred costs, as the measure of segment profit and loss reported 
to the CODM, has been disclosed

The UK segment derives its revenue from financial spread bets, fixed odd bets on financial markets, Contracts for Difference (CFDs), 
margined forex and binary options. The UK segment also includes the sport business which derives its revenue from spread bets and 
fixed odds bets on sporting and other events and the operation of an online casino. The Australian, Japanese and European segments 
derive their revenue from CFDs, margined forex and binary options. The ‘Rest of World’ segment derives its revenue from the operation of a 
regulated futures and options exchange as well as CFDs, margined forex and binary options.

The Board envisages that the reportable segments may change as overseas businesses move towards operational maturity, breaking 
through the quantitative thresholds of IFRS 8. The segments will be reviewed annually and the comparatives restated to reflect any 
reclassifications within the segmental reporting. 

The Group employs a centralised operating model whereby market risk is managed principally in the UK, switching to Australia outside 
of UK hours.  The costs associated with these operations are included in the Central segment, together with central costs of senior 
management, finance, middle office, IT development, HR, marketing and other support functions. As the Group manages risk and hedges 
on a group-wide portfolio basis, the following segmental revenue analysis involves the use of an attribution methodology. Interest income 
and expense on segregated client funds is managed and reported to the CODM centrally and thus has been reported in the Central 
segment.  In the following analysis, the Central segment costs have been further allocated to the other reportable segments based on 
segment trading revenue, in order to provide segment EBITDA.

 4. Segment information (continued)

Year ended 31 May 2010

Segment trading revenue
Interest income on segregated client funds

Revenue from external customers
Interest expense on segregated client funds
Betting duty

Net operating income

Segment contribution (1)

Allocation of central costs

Segment EBITDA (2)

UK
£000

Australia
£000

168,477
-

168,477
-
(4,298)

45,660
-

45,660
-
-

Europe
£000

47,431
-

47,431
-
-

Japan
£000

23,946
-

23,946
-
-

Rest of
World
£000

13,037
-

13,037
-
-

Central 
£000

-
5,791

5,791
(321)
-

Total
£000

298,551
5,791

304,342
(321)
(4,298)

164,179

45,660

47,431

23,946

13,037

5,470

299,723

135,543

35,226

29,803

10,662

5,761

(51,054)

165,941

(28,810)

(7,808)

(8,111)

(4,095)

(2,230)

51,054

-

106,733

27,418

21,692

6,567

3,531

Depreciation and amortisation

(3,520)

(982)

(855)

(19,237)

(1,309)

Amounts written off, property, plant and equipment

Operating profit
Net finance revenue

Profit before taxation

-

-

165,941

(25,903)

(49)

139,989
352

140,341

(1) Segment contribution includes exceptional items of £4,874,000 disclosed in note 6 which relate to the UK (£2,958,000) and Central (£1,916,000) segments. 

(2)  EBITDA represents operating profit before depreciation, amortisation of intangible assets, amortisation and impairment of intangibles arising on consolidation and amounts written 

off property, plant and equipment and intangible assets. 

75   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

76

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

4. Segment information (continued)

Year ended 31 May 2009

Segment trading revenue
Interest income on segregated client funds

Revenue from external customers
Interest expense on segregated client funds
Betting duty

Net operating income

Segment contribution

UK
£000

Australia
£000

Europe
£000

Japan (2)
£000

159,304
-

159,304
-
(7,223)

27,945
-

27,945
-
-

30,170
-

30,170
-
-

27,926
-

27,926
-
-

Rest of
World
£000

11,744
-

11,744
-
-

Central 
£000

-
12,888

12,888
(5,288)
-

Total
£000

257,089
12,888

269,977
(5,288)
(7,223)

152,081

27,945

30,170

27,926

11,744

7,600

257,466

108,583

20,246

16,232

15,166

3,985

(33,126)

131,086

Allocation of central costs

(20,527)

(3,601)

(3,887)

(3,598)

(1,513)

33,126

-

Segment EBITDA (1)

88,056

16,645

12,345

11,568

2,472

Depreciation and amortisation

(4,374)

(472)

(361)

(15,186)

(606)

Amounts written off property, plant and equipment

Operating profit
Net finance revenue

Profit before taxation

-

-

131,086

(20,999)

(37)

110,050
1,209

111,259

(1)  EBITDA represents operating profit before depreciation, amortisation of intangible assets, amortisation and impairment of intangibles arising on consolidation 

and amounts written off property, plant and equipment and intangible assets.

(2)  Results for the Japanese segment include the results of FXOnline Japan KK from the date of acquisition (2 October 2008).

5. Operating profit

This is stated inclusive of exceptional items and after charging/(crediting):
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment
Amortisation of intangible assets
Amortisation of intangible assets arising on consolidation
Operating lease rentals for land and buildings
(Recovery) / impairment of trade receivables
Foreign exchange differences
Advertising and marketing
Property, plant and equipment written off

             Group
2010
£000

2009
£000

6,175
2,430
17,298
6,738
(1,064)
(522)
27,297
49

5,402
984
14,613
3,385
18,168
735
23,682
36

All of the above, except foreign exchange differences are included in administrative expenses within the Income Statement. Foreign 
exchange differences are included in revenue.

6. Exceptional items

In the year to 31 May 2010, exceptional items have been incurred by the Group and reported within operating profit in relation to the 
pending relocation of the Group’s London headquarters. No exceptional items were reported in the year ended 31 May 2009.

Exceptional items included in operating profit
Onerous lease provision for excess office space (1) 
Double premises costs and dilapidations on London offices (2)
Accelerated depreciation (3)

Total exceptional items

Tax credit on exceptional items 

Total exceptional items after tax

2010
£000

3,156
1,266
452

4,874

(1,365)

3,509

(1)   The excess office space results from the overlap of the lease period for the new London headquarters with that of the Group’s existing London premises. Refer to note 22 for futher 

information. 

(2) Double premises costs including rent, rates and service charges were paid in the year for both the existing and new London offices.

(3) Accelerated depreciation of leasehold improvements and other assets that are obsolete post the Group’s London headquarters move.

77   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

78

9. Finance revenue

Interest receivable from brokers
Interest receivable from clients
Bank interest receivable

10. Finance costs

Interest payable to clients
Interest payable to brokers
Bank interest payable
Dividend on redeemable preference shares
Other charges

             Group
2010
£000

2009
£000 
(restated)

406
509
1,749

2,664

710
1,285
892

2,887

             Group
2010
£000

2009
£000 
(restated)

168
163
68
3
1,910

2,312

-
599
150
3
926

1,678

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

7. Auditors’ remuneration

Audit fees

Group audit 

Other fees to auditors:
Statutory and regulatory audit of subsidiaries of the Company pursuant to legislation
Additional costs in relation to the prior year statutory and regulatory audit of subsidiaries of the Company
Other services supplied pursuant to legislation
All other services

8. Staff costs

The staff costs for the year including Directors were as follows: 

Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs

             Group
2010
£000

311

187
-
11
13

211

2009
£000

352

173
21
17
61

272

             Group
2010
£000

2009
£000

61,662
6,629
3,763

46,015
5,008
3,059

72,054

54,082

Staff costs include the following amounts in respect of performance-related bonuses, inclusive of National Insurance and share-based 
payments charged to the Income Statement: 

Performance-related bonuses
Equity-settled share-based payment schemes

             Group
2010
£000

2009
£000

22,333
4,782

10,661
3,256

27,115

13,917

The Directors’ emoluments for the year ended 31 May 2010 and the comparative year can be found in the Directors’ Remuneration Report 
on page 48.

The average monthly number of employees was made up as follows: 

Dealing, sales and client support
Management and administration including IT

             Group
2010
Number

2009
Number

529
299

828

464
297

761

79   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

80

 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

11. taxation

(a) Tax on profit on ordinary activities
Tax charged in the Income Statement:

Current income tax:
UK Corporation Tax
Foreign tax
Adjustment in respect of prior years

Total current income tax
Deferred tax:
Origination and reversal of temporary differences

Tax expense in the Income Statement (note 11(b))

11. taxation (continued)

(c) Deferred income tax assets
The deferred income tax assets included in the Statement of Financial Position are as follows: 

Decelerated capital allowances
Tax losses available for offset against future tax
Doubtful debt provision
Share-based payments
Other

             Group
2010
£000

1,693
6,401
600
4,282
 1,288

14,264 

2009
£000

1,345
2,699
675
2,388
455

7,562

The tax losses available for offset against future tax relate to operating losses arising in overseas subsidiary companies, the recoverability 
of which is dependent on sufficient future operating profits in those entities. A deferred tax asset is recognised where it is considered to 
be probable that future operating profits will exceed the losses that have arisen to date. Where it is not anticipated that future operating 
profits will exceed the losses that have arisen to date a deferred tax asset is not recognised.

Share-based payment awards have been charged to the Income Statement but are not allowable as a tax expense until the awards vest. 
The excess of tax relief in future periods over the amount charged to the Income Statement is recognised as a credit directly to equity.

The gross movement in the deferred income tax assets included in the Statement of Financial Position is as follows:

             Group
2010
£000

2009
£000

46,797
2,175
 916

30,895
4,578
2,391

49,888

37,864

 (11,033)

(5,257)

38,855 

32,607

(b) Reconciliation of the total tax charge 
The tax expense in the Income Statement for the year is marginally lower than the standard rate of corporation tax in the UK of 28% (2009: 28%). 

The differences are reconciled below:

Accounting profit before income tax

Accounting profit multiplied by the UK standard rate of corporation tax of 28% (2009: 28%)
Expenses not deductible for tax purposes
Lower taxes on overseas earnings
Adjustment in respect of prior years

Total tax expense reported in the Income Statement

The effective tax rate is 27.7% (2009: 29.3%).

2010
£000

2009
£000 

 140,341

111,259

39,295
1,844
(3,200)
916 

31,153
309
(1,246)
2,391

38,855 

32,607

At the beginning of the year
Income Statement credit / (charge)
Tax credited / (debited) directly to equity
Acquired on acquisition
Foreign currency adjustment

At the end of the year

             Group
2010
£000

7,562
3,768
2,861
-
73

2009
£000 

8,053
(880)
(1,730)
1,719
400

14,264

7,562

81   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

82

 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

11. taxation (continued)

(d) Deferred income tax liabilities
The deferred income tax liabilities included in the Statement of Financial Position are as follows: 

At the beginning of the year
Acquisition of a subsidiary
Foreign currency adjustment
Income Statement charge

At the end of the year

             Group
2010
£000

2009
£000

16,740
-
1,988
 (7,265)

-
18,257
4,620
(6,137)

11,463 

16,740

A deferred tax liability of £18.3 million was recognised in the year ended 31 May 2009 in respect of separately identifiable intangible assets 
arising on the acquisition of FXOnline. This decreased by £1.5 million to 31 May 2009 (£6.1 million reduction as a result of the amortisation 
of the underlying intangibles less £4.6 million foreign currency translation gain). This decreased by a further £5.3 million to 31 May 2010 
(£7.3 million reduction as a result of the amortisation of the underlying intangibles less £2.0 million foreign currency translation gain).  

(e) Deferred income tax – Income Statement charge
The deferred income tax credit / (charge) included in the Income Statement is made up as follows:

Decelerated capital allowances
Tax losses available for offset against future tax
Share-based payments
Doubtful debt provision
Other
Amortisation of intangibles arising on acquisition

The deferred tax credited/(debited) to equity during the year is as follows:
Share-based payments

             Group
2010
£000

2009
£000

348
3,702
(967)
(75)
760
7,265 

528
1,940
(2,359)
675
(1,664)
6,137

11,033 

5,257

2,861 

(1,730)

The deferred tax asset recognised in equity relates to a deductible temporary excess of the estimated future taxation benefit and the 
amounts charged to date in the Income Statement.

11. taxation (continued)

(f ) Factors affecting the tax charge in future years
Factors that may affect the Group’s future tax charge include the geographic location of the Group’s earnings, the transfer pricing policies, 
the tax rates in those locations, changes in tax legislation, future planning opportunities, the use of brought forward tax losses and the 
resolution of open tax issues. 

The calculation of the Group’s total tax charge involves a degree of estimation and judgement with respect of the recognition of deferred 
tax assets (refer to note 11(c)) and of certain items whose tax treatment cannot be finally determined until resolution has been reached 
with the relevant tax authority. The Group holds tax provisions in respect of the potential tax liability that may arise on these unresolved 
items, however, the amount ultimately paid may be materially lower than the amount accrued and could therefore improve the overall 
profitability and cash flows of the Group in future periods.  

12. Earnings per ordinary share

The Income Statement may only disclose basic and diluted EPS. The Group has also calculated an adjusted EPS measurement ratio as the 
Directors consider it is the most appropriate measurement, since it better reflects the business’s underlying cash earnings.

Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the profit for the year attributable to ordinary equity holders of the parent by the 
weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the year, excluding ordinary shares purchased by the Company and held as 
own shares in Employee Benefit Trusts. Diluted earnings per share is calculated using the same profit figure as that used in basic earnings 
per share and by adjusting the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding to assume conversion of all dilutive ordinary 
shares arising from share schemes. Adjusted earnings is based on earnings before amortisation and impairment of intangibles arising on 
consolidation.

The following reflects the income and share data used in the earnings per share computations: 

Earnings attributable to equity shareholders of parent
Amortisation and impairment of intangibles arising on consolidation net of tax and minority interests

Adjusted earnings 

Weighted average number of shares
Basic and adjusted 
Dilutive effect of share-based payments

Diluted

Earnings per share
Basic
Diluted

Basic adjusted
Diluted adjusted

             Group
2010
£000

2009
£000

101,281
10,033

77,986
8,476

111,314

86,462

359,256,823 347,904,665

2,489,555

1,627,469

361,746,378 349,532,134

28.19p
28.00p

30.98p
30.77p

22.42p
22.31p

24.85p
24.74p

83   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

84

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

13. dividends

Declared and paid during the year:
Final dividend for 2009 at 11.00p per share (2008: 9.00p)
Interim dividend for 2010 at 5.00p per share (2009: 4.00p)

Proposed for approval by shareholders at the AGM:
Final dividend for 2010 at 13.50p per share (2009: 11.00p)

        Company and Group
2009
£000

2010
£000

39,611
18,046

29,636
14,380

57,657

44,016

 48,750

39,554

14. Property, plant and equipment

Group

Cost:
At 1 June 2008
Foreign currency adjustment
Additions
Acquisition of subsidiary
Written off

At 31 May 2009
Foreign currency adjustment
Additions
Written off

At 31 May 2010

Depreciation:
At 1 June 2008
Foreign currency adjustment
Provided during the year
Written off

At 31 May 2009
Foreign currency adjustment
Provided during the year
Written off

At 31 May 2010

Net book value - 31 May 2010

Net book value - 31 May 2009

Net book value - 1 June 2008

Leasehold
improvements
£000

Office
equipment, 
fixtures 
& fittings
£000

Computer
and other
equipment
£000

Assets in
the course of 
construction
£000

5,905
166
2,102
204
(2)

8,375
179
624
(949)

8,229

1,742
24
1,390
-

3,156
128
2,245
(946)

4,583

3,646

5,219

4,163

706
53
469
127
(3)

1,352
(33)
304
(160)

1,463

107
7
233
(3)

344
141
293
(144)

634

829

1,008

599

12,927
565
2,549
1,158
(3,104)

14,095
550
1,569
(4,047)

12,167

7,865
116
3,779
(3,070)

8,690
323
3,637
(4,017)

8,633

3,534

5,405

5,062

Total
£000

19,538
784
5,120
1,489
(3,109)

23,822
696
4,120
(5,156)

23,482

9,714
147
5,402
(3,073)

12,190
592
6,175
(5,107)

13,850

-
-
-
-
-

-
-
1,623
-

1,623

-
-
-
-

-
-
-
-

-

1,623

9,632

-

-

11,632

9,824

Assets in the course of construction (AICC) represent the costs associated with the fit out of the Group’s new London headquarters.  AICC 
will be transferred to the appropriate asset class and depreciation commenced once the fit out is complete and the office available for use.  

85   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

86

 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

15. Intangible assets

                                                                   Intangible assets arising on 
                                                                  consolidation

Cost:
At 1 June 2008
Foreign currency adjustment
External purchases
Acquisition of subsidiary
Written off

At 31 May 2009
Foreign currency adjustment
External purchases
Written off

At 31 May 2010

Amortisation:
At 1 June 2008
Foreign currency adjustment
Provided during the year
Written off

At 31 May 2009
Foreign currency adjustment
Provided during the year
Written off

At 31 May 2010

Net book value - 31 May 2010

Net book value - 31 May 2009

Net book value - 1 June 2008

Client lists and 
customer
relationships
£000

Trade
name
£000

Goodwill
£000

110,025
19,819
-
87,121
-

216,965
17,193
-
-

234,158

-
-
-
-

-
-
-
-

-

234,158

216,965

110,025

850
9,666
-
42,691
-

53,207
8,471
-
-

-
176
-
778
-

954
154
-
-

61,678

1,108

850
(1,114)
14,046
-

13,782
3,762
16,879
-

-
(47)
567
-

520
130
419
-

34,423

1,069

27,255

39,425

-

39

434

-

Intangible assets arising 
from software  
and licences

Development
costs
£000

Software
and
licences
£000

3,160
(5)
99
-
(2,357)

897
13
821
(843)

888

3,114
(1)
38
(2,357)

794
2
87
(841)

42

846

103

46

3,677
176
2,041
429
(436)

5,887
285
1,567
(1,142)

6,597

1,692
5
946
(436)

2,207
161
2,343
(1,144)

3,567

3,030

3,680

1,985

Total
£000

117,712
29,832
2,140
131,019
(2,793)

277,910
26,116
2,388
(1,985)

304,429

5,656
(1,157)
15,597
(2,793)

17,303
4,055
19,728
(1,985)

39,101

265,328

260,607

112,056

Customer relationships and trade name, acquired with FXOnline on 2 October 2008, are amortised on a sum of digits basis over five and 
two years respectively.

16. Investment in subsidiaries

At cost:
At the beginning of the year
Investment relating to equity-settled share-based payments for subsidiary employees
Increase in investment in IG Group Limited

At the end of the year

The following companies are all owned directly or indirectly by IG Group Holdings plc:

            Company

2010
£000

2009
£000

424,071
4,782
-

309,581
3,256
111,234

428,853

424,071

Name of Company

Subsidiary undertakings held directly:
IG Finance 
IG Group Limited
IG Jersey Cashbox Limited
Subsidiary undertakings held indirectly:
IG Index Limited
IG Markets Limited
extrabet Limited
extrabet Financial Limited
IG Markets South Africa Limited
IG Australia Pty Limited
IG Asia Pte Limited
IG Markets Inc
North American Derivatives Exchange, Inc 
FXOnline Japan KK
Market Data Limited
Market Risk Management Inc
IG Infotech (India) Private Limited
IG Nominees Limited

Country of 
incorporation

Holding

Voting rights

Nature of business

UK
UK
Jersey

Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares

UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
Australia
Singapore
USA

USA
Japan
UK
USA
India
UK

Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares

Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares

100%
100% (1)
100%

100%
100%
100%
100%
100% (2)
100%
100%
100%

100%
87.5%
100%
100%
100%
100%

Financing
Holding company
Dormant

Spread betting
Margin trading and foreign exchange
Spread betting and fixed odds bookmaker
Fixed odds bookmaker
Margin trading
Australia sales and marketing office
Margin trading and foreign exchange
Futures broker and USA sales office   

Exchange
Margin trading and foreign exchange
Data distribution
Market maker
Software development
Nominee company

(1) IG Group Limited’s preference shares are 100% held within the IG Group of companies.

(2) On completion of the acquisition of the business of Ideal CFD Financial Services Pty Limited (see note 16(b)) the Group’s ownership interest will reduce to 80%.

87   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

88

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

16. Investment in subsidiaries (continued)

Subsidiary undertakings held indirectly (continued):

Name of Company

IG Finance Two
IG Finance Three
IG Finance Four
IG Finance Five Limited
IG Finance Six Limited
IG Finance Seven Limited
IG Finance Eight Limited

Fox Sub Limited
Fox Sub Two Limited
Fox Japan Holdings Limited

IG US Holdings Inc
Market Data Japan KK
IG Markets Japan KK
Blackfriars AG

Country of 
incorporation

Holding

Voting rights

Nature of business

UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK

Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar

USA
Japan
Japan
Germany

Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares

Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares (1)

Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares
Ordinary Shares
Ordinary Shares

100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%

100%
100%
100%

100%
100%
100%
100%

Financing
Financing
Financing
Financing
Financing
Financing 
Financing

Financing
Financing
Holding company

Holding company
Holding company
Non-trading
Dormant

(1) Fox Japan Holdings Limited’s preference shares are 100% held within the IG Group of companies.

Employee Benefit Trusts:

IG Group Holdings plc Inland Revenue Approved Share Incentive Plan (UK Trust)

IG Group Limited Employee Benefit Trust (Jersey Trust)

16(a) Acquisition of FXOnline Japan KK
On 2 October 2008, the Group acquired 87.5% of the issued share capital of FXOnline Japan KK (FXOnline), a leading privately owned 
Japanese online retail FX provider, for a total consideration of ¥22.2 billion (£117.6 million). The Group also has a call option to acquire the 
remaining 12.5% of the issued share capital exercisable from January 2011 according to a pre-agreed formula that is linked to the future 
performance of FXOnline. 

Goodwill of £87.1 million arose on the acquisition of FXOnline relating to certain intangible assets that cannot be individually separated 
and reliably measured and includes the future growth potential of the business. There has not been an amendment to the fair value of the 
acquired assets in the year ended 31 May 2010 in relation to this acquisition. 

16(b) Acquisition of the client list and business of Ideal CFD Financial Services Pty Limited
On 19 July 2010, IG Markets South Africa Limited (IGSA), a subsidiary of the Group, reached agreement to acquire the client list and 
business of Ideal CFD Financial Services Pty Limited (Ideal), a South African based introducing broker of the Group for £1.6 million, 
payable in cash. The Group has a call option, and the vendor a put option over the 20% of IGSA that transferred to the vendor of Ideal on 
completion, exercisable in January 2013, based on a multiple of eight times average pro forma annual post-tax profits of IGSA over the 
period from completion to 30 November 2012, subject to a cap.

17. Impairment of goodwill 

Goodwill has been allocated for impairment testing purposes to the cash-generating units (CGUs), as follows:

Cash-generating unit

UK - Financial
UK - Sport
Australia - Financial 
US - Nadex
Japan - FXOnline 

             Group
2010
£000

2009
£000 
(restated)

100,012
5,250
934
5,226
122,736

100,012
5,250
934
4,690
106,079

234,158

216,965

Goodwill arising on the purchase of IG Group plc by IG Group Holdings plc on 5 September 2003 of £105,262,000 was previously 
allocated according to the profitability of the Financial and Sport CGUs at that date.  On adoption of IFRS 8, the Group has reviewed 
the identification of the CGUs.  The Financial CGU previously identified with goodwill of £100,946,000 is considered to relate to the UK - 
Financial and Australia - Financial segments identified under IFRS 8 and had been restated accordingly.  Goodwill disclosed as Australia 
– Financial arose on the acquisition of the minority interest in IG Australia in the year ended 31 May 2006.  Goodwill arising on the 
acquisitions of each of Nadex (formerly HedgeStreet) and FXOnline has been allocated to the separate US and Japanese CGUs respectively, 
as these businesses generate largely independent cash flows. 

For the purposes of impairment testing of goodwill, the carrying amount of each CGU (including goodwill) is compared to the recoverable 
amount of each CGU and any deficits are provided. The carrying amount of a CGU includes only those assets that can be attributed 
directly, or allocated on a reasonable and consistent basis.

The estimated recoverable amount of each CGU is based on value-in-use calculated as the total of the present value of projected five-year 
future cash flows and a terminal value.

89   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

90

 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

17. Impairment of goodwill (continued)

Key assumptions used in value-in-use calculations
The calculation of value-in-use for the CGUs is most sensitive to the following assumptions:

    Growth rates used to extrapolate cash flows beyond the four-year plan period (2009: three-year period)

   The discount rate

    The long-term growth rate used for the terminal value calculation 

   Client recruitment rates

   Average revenue per client

Projected future cash flows for each CGU were based on the Board approved four-year plan (2009: three-year period) comprising a one-year 
budget and three-year forecast (2009: two-year forecast) which reflect past experience as well as future expected trends.  Cash flows beyond 
the relevant plan period were estimated using a range of Board approved subsequent growth rates in order to allow for differing growth 
scenarios.  This methodology is consistent with that used for the 31 May 2009 year-end impairment review. These ranges are disclosed in the 
table below and are consistent with the long-term growth rates of the Group’s businesses measured over a five-year period.

The cash flows for the US and Japanese CGUs were translated into sterling using period end exchange rates.

The cash flows were discounted using pre-tax discount rates as disclosed in the table below.  These were derived using region specific, 
market-based cost of equity and debt assumptions in order to reflect both the financing cost and risk associated with each CGU.  The long-
term growth rates (g) used in the terminal value calculations are disclosed below and are equivalent to, or lower than the respective long-term 
growth rate for the economy in which the CGU operates.  

Cash-generating unit

Financial (UK and Australia)
Sport
US
Japan

2010

2009

Discount 
rate

Discount 
rate

2010
Years 4-5
growth 
rate

2009
Years 3-5
growth 
rate

12.3%
12.3%
17.7%
16.6%

15.0%
15.0%
19.8%
17.5%

4%
2%
20%
12%

4-8%
0-5%
15-30%
5-10%

2010

2009

g

2.0%
2.0%
2.5%
1.5%

g

2.0%
2.0%
3.0%
1.5%

Client recruitment rates and average revenue per client were based upon actual amounts measured in prior periods which were projected 
forward in accordance with expected trends. 

On the basis of the results of the above analysis there was no impairment of goodwill during the year.

Sensitivity to changes in assumptions
The Directors have performed a sensitivity analysis around the cash flow assumptions and have concluded that no reasonably possible 
change in key assumptions would cause the carrying amount of any CGU to exceed its recoverable amount.

 18. trade receivables

Amounts due from brokers
Amounts due from clients

19. Cash and cash equivalents

Cash at bank and in hand
Short-term deposits

Own cash and title transfer funds (1)

Segregated client funds (2)

Total cash and cash equivalents

             Group
2010
£000

2009
£000

203,714
2,529

178,261
4,824

206,243

183,085

             Group
2010
£000

2009
£000

123,674
4,423

95,560
3,847

128,097

99,407

550,467

421,014

678,564

520,421

             Company

2010
£000

8
-

8

-

8

2009
£000

122
-

122

-

122

(1)  Title transfer funds are held by the Group under a Title Transfer Collateral Arrangement (TTCA) by which a client agrees that full ownership of such monies is unconditionally 

transferred to the Group.

(2)   Segregated client funds comprise retail client funds held in segregated client money accounts or money market facilities established under the UK’s Financial Services 

Authority (FSA) ‘CASS’ rules and similar rules of other regulators in whose jurisdiction the Group operates.

Cash and cash equivalents are deposited for varying periods of between one day and three months depending on the immediate cash 
requirements of the Group, and earn interest at the respective short-term deposit rates. 

Net interest income on segregated client funds amounted to £5,470,000 (2009: £7,600,000).

Undrawn committed borrowing facilities amounted to £160 million (2009: £120 million) at the year-end.

20. trade payables

Amounts due to clients

             Group
2010
£000

2009
£000

608,140

511,656

91   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

92

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

21. Other payables

Accruals
Other taxes and social security
Amounts due to group companies (note 32)
Dividends on redeemable preference shares

22. Provisions

At the beginning of the year
Income Statement charge

At the end of the year
Current
Non-current

Total

             Group
2010
£000

2009
£000

43,450
1,372
-
3

26,131
1,192
-
3

             Company

2010
£000

2,492
-
570,781
3

2009
£000

962
-
119,077
3

44,825

27,326

573,276

120,042

Group
2010
£000

-
3,156

3,156
1,377
1,779

3,156

The provision held as at 31 May 2010 represents the Group’s obligations for onerous lease commitments arising from the move of the 
Group’s London headquarters less amounts considered recoverable by management through potential sublet income. The actual cost of 
the onerous leases could differ from the estimates made.  The provision will be utilised over the remaining term of the Group’s existing 
London office leases. 

23. Redeemable preference shares

Authorised:
Preference shares of £1 each

Allotted, called up and fully paid:
Preference shares of £1 each

        Company and Group
2009
£000

2010
£000

40

40

40

40

The preference shares are entitled to a fixed non-cumulative dividend of 8% paid in preference to any other dividend. Redemption is only 
permissible in accordance with capital distribution rules or on the winding up of the Company where the holders are entitled to £1 per 
share plus, if the Company has sufficient distributable reserves, any accrued or unpaid dividends. The preference shares have no voting 
rights, except that they are entitled to vote should the Company fail to pay any amount due on redemption of the shares. The effective 
interest rate on these shares is 8% (2009: 8%).

93   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

94

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

24. Equity share capital

Authorised:
500,000,000 ordinary shares of 0.005p each
65,000 B shares of 0.001p each

Allotted, called up and fully paid:
(i) Ordinary shares (0.005p)

At 1 June 2008
Issued during year (net of issue costs)

At 31 May 2009
Issued during year (net of issue costs)

At 31 May 2010

(ii) B shares (0.001p)

At 31 May 2009 and 31 May 2010

        Company and Group
2009
£000

2010
£000

25
-

25

25
-

25

Number of
shares

Ordinary
share
capital
£000

Share
premium
£000

327,500,959

32,083,377

359,584,336

1,524,127

361,108,463

65,000

16
2

18
-

18

-

125,235
81,011

206,246
-

206,246

-

During the year to 31 May 2010, 1,524,127 ordinary shares with an aggregate nominal value of £76 were issued following the exercise of 
Long-Term Incentive Plan awards for a consideration of £76. 

Except as the ordinary shareholders have agreed or may otherwise agree, on a winding up of the Company, the balance of assets available 
for distribution after the payment of all of the Company’s creditors and subject to any special rights attaching to other classes of shares are 
distributed among the shareholders according to the amounts paid up on shares by them.

B shares
The B shares carry no entitlement to dividends and no voting rights. To the extent not already received by them, the B shareholders shall, 
on a winding up of the Company be entitled to receive, from the trustee, a consideration equal to the amount realised by the sale by the 
trustee of approximately 122 ordinary shares for every B share held. 

25. Own shares held in Employee Benefit Trusts

The movements in own shares held in Employee Benefit Trusts in respect of employee share plans during the year were as follows: 

At the beginning of the year:
1,217,574 (2009: 1,172,840) ordinary shares of 0.005p each

Purchased during the year:
59,682 (2009: 79,345) ordinary shares of 0.005p each

Exercised during the year:
142,815  (2009: 34,611) ordinary shares of 0.005p each

At the end of the year:
1,134,441 (2009: 1,217,574) ordinary shares of 0.005p each

        Company and Group
2009
£000

2010
£000

962

704

175

258

 (164)

-

973

962

The Group has a UK-resident Employee Benefit Trust in order to hold shares in the Company in respect of awards under the Group’s HM 
Revenue and Customs approved share incentive plan (SIP). At 31 May 2010, 614,560 ordinary shares (2009: 702,333) were held in the trust 
and at the year-end have reduced shareholders’ equity by £946,952 (2009: £952,699). These include 221,019 ordinary shares (2009: 201,719) 
which were not allocated to employees and are available for future SIP awards. The market value of the shares held conditionally at the 
statement of financial position date was £2,335,942 (2009: £1,587,273).

The Group has a Jersey resident Employee Benefit Trust which holds shares in the Company. At the statement of financial position date, 
the trust held 512,075 (2009: 512,075) ordinary shares which are available to satisfy awards under the SIP and LTIP schemes. The shares 
held at the statement of financial position date have reduced shareholders’ equity by £26 (2009: £26). The market value of the shares held 
conditionally at the statement of financial position date was £1,946,397 (2009: £1,157,290).

The Group has an Australian resident Employee Equity Plan Trust in order to hold shares in the Company in respect of awards under a share 
incentive plan (SIP). At 31 May 2010, 7,806 ordinary shares (2009: 3,166) were held in the trust and at the statement of financial position 
date have reduced shareholders’ equity by £26,052 (2009: £9,004). These include nil ordinary shares (2009: nil) which were not allocated to 
employees and are available for future SIP awards. The market value of the shares held conditionally at the statement of financial position 
date was £29,671 (2009: £7,155).

Upon flotation of the Company on 4 May 2005, 5,861,497 ordinary shares and cash of £2.4 million were transferred to the Jersey Employee 
Benefit Trust by institutional shareholders in order to satisfy their obligations to holders of 48,059 B shares and 16,941 B shares respectively. 
During the year ended 31 May 2010, 2,994 (2009: 777) B shares were sold by B shareholders to the Trust. The Trust sold 365,162 (2009: 
94,767) ordinary shares in order to realise the funds necessary to purchase these B shares. The Trust unconditionally held 62,605 (2009: 
59,611) B shares at the statement of financial position date. The Trust also held 2,395 (2009: 5,389) B shares and 292,105 (2009: 657,267) 
ordinary shares which it may sell in order to satisfy its obligations to B shareholders, all of whom are current or former employees.

95   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

96

 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

26. Other reserves

The share-based payment reserve relates to the estimated cost of equity-settled employee share plans based on a straight-line basis over 
the vesting period and the associated credit for the excess of the tax deduction for employee share-based payments over the amounts 
charged to the Income Statement. The foreign currency translation reserve includes amounts in relation to the translation of overseas 
subsidiaries.  

Group

At 1 June 2008
Equity-settled employee share-based payments
Excess of tax deduction benefit on share-based payments recognised directly in 
    equity (note 11(c))
Foreign currency translation on overseas subsidiaries
Purchase of treasury shares

At 31 May 2009
Equity-settled employee share-based payments
Excess of tax deduction benefit on share-based  payments recognised directly in 
    equity (note 11(c))
Foreign currency translation on overseas subsidiaries
Exercise of UK share incentive plans
Exercise of US share incentive plans
Purchase of treasury shares

At 31 May 2010

Share-
based
payments
Note 27 
£000

12,280
3,256

(1,730)
-
-

13,806
4,782

2,861
-
(164)
(16)
-

21,269

Foreign
currency
translation

£000

-
-

-
32,437
-

32,437
-

-
27,009
-
-
-

59,446

Own shares
held in
Employee
Benefit
Trusts
Note 25
£000

(704)
-

-
-
(258)

(962)
-

-
-
164
-
(175)

(973)

Total
other
reserves

£000

11,576
3,256

(1,730)
32,437
(258)

45,281
4,782

2,861
27,009
-
(16)
(175)

79,742

26. Other reserves (continued)

Company

At 1 June 2008
Equity-settled employee share-based payments
Purchase of treasury shares

At 31 May 2009

Equity-settled employee share-based payments
Exercise of UK share incentive plans 
Exercise of US share incentive plans
Purchase of treasury shares

At 31 May 2010

Share-
based
payments

Note 27
£000

Own shares
held in
Employee
Benefit
Trusts
Note 25
£000

8,106
3,256
-

11,362

4,782
(164)
(16)
-

15,964

(704)
-
(258)

(962)

-
164
-
(175)

(973)

Total
other
reserves

£000

7,402
3,256
(258)

10,400

4,782
-
(16)
(175)

14,991

97   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

98

 
 
 
 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

27. Employee share plans

The Company operates two employee share plans: a Share Incentive Plan (SIP) and a Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP), both of which are 
equity-settled. The expense recognised in the Income Statement in respect of share-based payments was as follows:

Equity-settled share-based payment schemes

             Group
2010
£000

4,782

4,782

2009
£000

3,256

3,256

SIP awards made to UK staff 
SIP awards are made available to all UK staff, except Executive Directors and are equity-settled. There are no further performance 
conditions other than remaining in employment with the Group for the term of each award. Shares awarded under the scheme are held in 
a UK trust in accordance with HM Revenue and Customs rules. Employees are entitled to receive dividends on the shares held in trust for 
as long as they remain employees. 

All UK employees, except Executive Directors, are invited to participate in the SIP. The award made in May 2005 awarded a total of 
94,267 free shares which vested immediately, and a further 470,758 additional free shares which vested after three years. Awards made 
subsequent to this date invited all UK employees to subscribe for up to £1,500 of partnership shares, which the Company offered to 
match on a one-for-one basis up to a maximum of £1,500, except for the award in August 2006, which was on a two-for-one basis, up to a 
maximum of £3,000. All matching shares vest after three years.  

On 22 July 2009, the Company invited all UK employees to subscribe for up to £1,500 of partnership shares when the share price was 
£2.88. The Group offered to match every partnership share with one matching share up to a maximum of £1,500. The matching shares vest 
after three years.

SIP awards made to non-UK staff  
On 27 January 2009, the Company invited all Australian employees to subscribe for up to A$3,000 of partnership shares when the share 
price was £2.84. The Group offered to match every partnership share with one matching share up to a maximum of A$3,000. The matching 
shares vest after three years.

On 9 February 2010, the Company invited all Australian employees to subscribe for up to A$3,000 of partnership shares when the share 
price was £3.67. The Group offered to match every partnership share with one matching share up to a maximum of A$3,000. The matching 
shares vest after three years.

A SIP for USA employees was implemented during the year. Each scheme runs for six months, with the employees investing a maximum of 
5% of salary into the plan. At the end of each scheme, the employees are invited to purchase shares in IG Group Holdings plc at a discount 
of 15% to the scheme price, which is the lower of the opening price of the period and the closing price. The schemes in the year ran from 
1 June 2009 to 30 November 2009 and from 1 December 2009 to 31 May 2010.

LTIP awards 
LTIPs allow the award of nil cost or nominal cost shares which are legally classified as options. LTIPs vest if specific performance targets 
are achieved and are conditional upon continued employment at the vesting date. Performance is measured as the compound annual 
growth rate in diluted adjusted earnings per share over the three-year vesting period and also for awards granted after 1 June 2007, share 
price growth over a defined six week period. For each award a minimum performance target must be achieved before any shares vest 
and the awards vest fully once the maximum performance target is achieved. Further information on the Company’s LTIPs is given in the 
Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 48 to 56.

On 16 May 2005 awards were made to staff, conditional upon growth in normalised earnings per share in the three years to 31 May 2008. 
These awards vested on 21 July 2008.

27. Employee share plans (continued)

On 7 August 2006, awards were made to staff, conditional upon growth in diluted adjusted earnings per share in the three years to  
31 May 2009. A further award was made on 4 October 2006. These awards vested on 21 July 2009.

On 23 July 2007, awards were made to staff, conditional upon growth in diluted adjusted earnings per share in the three years to  
31 May 2010 and upon growth in the IG Group Holdings plc share price between the average over the six weeks ending 31 May 2007 and 
the average over the six weeks ending 31 May 2010. The share price growth over this period was 27.8%, resulting in 6.9% of awards vesting. 
Further awards were made on 14 August 2007, 21 August 2007, and 31 January 2008. Awards vest three years from the date of grant.

On 30 September 2008, awards were made to staff, conditional upon growth in diluted adjusted earnings per share in the three years to  
31 May 2011 and upon growth in the IG Group Holdings plc share price between the average over the six weeks ending 21 October 2008 
and the average over the six weeks ending 31 May 2011. These awards will vest on 30 September 2011, subject to performance conditions.

On 25 September 2009, when the share price was 318.80p, awards were made to staff, conditional upon growth in diluted adjusted 
earnings per share in the three years to 31 May 2012 and upon growth in the IG Group Holdings plc share price between the average over 
the six weeks ending 31 May 2009 and the average over the six weeks ending 31 May 2012. The awards will vest on 25 September 2012, 
subject to performance conditions.

The maximum numbers of shares that vest based on the awards made are as follows:

Type of award

SIP
LTIP
LTIP
SIP
LTIP
SIP
LTIP
LTIP
LTIP
LTIP
SIP
LTIP
SIP
SIP
LTIP
SIP

Share 
price at 
award

Expected 
vesting date

At the start 
of the year
No.

Awarded 
during the 
year
No.

Lapsed 
during the 
year
No.

Exercised 
during the 
year
No.

At the end 
of the year
No.

120.0p
112.25p
217.0p
237.61p
261.75p
336.09p
312.25p
311.0p
304.0p
364.0p
328.0p
313.75p
284.0p
288.0p
318.80p
367.0p

04 May 2008
21 Jul 2008
07 Aug 2009
24 Aug 2009
04 Oct 2009
23 Jul 2010
23 Jul 2010
14 Aug 2010
21 Aug 2010
31 Jan 2011
22 Jul 2011
30 Sep 2011
27 Jan 2012
22 Jul 2012
25 Sep 2012
09 Feb 2013

199,051
763,418
1,036,730
172,832
427,143
53,966
2,337,342
30,547
100,428
45,610
75,265
3,132,290
3,166
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
55,042
3,871,154
4,640

–
–
(374,968)
(1,262)
(215,855)
(4,391)
(197,758)
–
–
–
(7,913)
(129,890)
–
(5,734)
(90,182)
–

(79,237)
(722,752)
(657,725)
(49,296)
(143,649)
(6,690)
–
–
–
–
(6,550)
–
–
(1,042)
–
–

119,814
40,666
4,037
122,274
67,639
42,885
2,139,584
30,547
100,428
45,610
60,802
3,002,400
3,166
48,266
3,780,972
4,640

Award date

04 May 2005
16 May 2005
07 Aug 2006
24 Aug 2006
04 Oct 2006
23 Jul 2007
23 Jul 2007
14 Aug 2007
21 Aug 2007
31 Jan 2008
22 Jul 2008
30 Sep 2008
27 Jan 2009
22 Jul 2009
25 Sep 2009
09 Feb 2010

Year ended 31 May 2010

Year ended 31 May 2009

8,377,788

3,930,836

(1,027,953)

(1,666,941)

9,613,730

10,245,447

3,211,635

(788,214)

(4,291,080)

8,377,788

The weighted average fair values of the awards made were as follows:

Year ended 31 May 2010

Year ended 31 May 2009

At the beginning 
of the year

Awarded 
during the 
year

Lapsed 
during the 
year

Exercised 
during the 
year

At the end 
of the year

212.24p

221.97p

227.07p

158.79p

223.90p

167.94p

182.36p

123.14p

100.47p

212.24p

99   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

100

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

27. Employee share plans (continued)

Liability for cash-settled awards 
The carrying amount of the liability for the cash-settled Shadow SIP scheme at 31 May 2010 is £nil (2009: £nil). The amount of cash-settled 
awards which were exercised in the year to 31 May 2010 was £nil (2009: £143,344). No awards were granted in the year (2009: nil). 

Fair value of equity-settled awards 
The fair value of equity-settled share-based payments to employees is determined at the grant date. The weighted average fair value 
of the equity-settled awards granted during the year was £8,725,451 (2009: £5,856,709) at the grant date. For SIP awards, the fair value 
is determined to be the share price at the grant date without making an adjustment for expected dividends as awardees are entitled 
to dividends over the vesting period. For LTIP awards made to UK staff in the years ended 31 May 2005 and 31 May 2007, the fair value 
is determined to be the share price at the grant date after a deduction for the expected present value of future dividends over the 
vesting period. LTIP awards made to Australian staff for these periods and for awards granted in the year ended 31 May 2008, were legally 
categorised as options and the fair value was calculated using a Black-Scholes option pricing model using the inputs below.

LTIP awards made in the year ended 31 May 2009 and 2010 are under two performance conditions. For those awards under earnings 
per share, the fair value is determined to be the share price at the grant date after a deduction for the expected present value of future 
dividends over the vesting period. For those awards under the share price criteria, the fair value was calculated using a Monte-Carlo pricing 
model using the inputs below.

Grant date

Share price at grant date (pence)
Expected life of awards (years)
Risk-free Sterling interest rate (%)
Expected volatility (%)
Expected dividend yield (%)

16 May 
2005

112.25p
3.18
5.00
34
3.73

7 Aug 
2006

217.00p
2.97
5.00
32
3.04

23 July 
2007

312.25p
3.00
5.75
32
3.42

30 Sept 
2008

25 Sept
2009

313.75p
3.00
4.06
40
5.50

318.80p
3.00
1.91
56
4.71

28. Capital commitments

Capital expenditure contracted for at the year-end but not yet incurred is as follows:

Property, plant and equipment
Intangible assets 

             Group
2010
£000

2009
£000

6,611
220

6,831

347
299

646

Capital commitments for property, plant and equipment at 31 May 2010 primarily relate to the costs associated with the fit out of the 
Group’s new London headquarters.

The Company had no capital commitments at 31 May 2010 (2009: £nil).

29. Obligations under leases 

Operating lease agreements  
The Group and Company have entered into commercial leases on certain properties. The lessee has options of renewal on each of these 
leases with a notice period of three months. There were no restrictions placed upon the lessee by entering into these leases. Future 
minimum rentals payable under non-cancellable operating leases are as follows: 

Group

Future minimum payments due:
Not later than one year
After one year but not more than five years
After more than five years

Company

Future minimum payments due:
Not later than one year
After one year but not more than five years
After more than five years

2010
£000

3,003
10,636
14,770

2009
£000

2,739
8,168
5,653

28,409

16,560

2010
£000

2009
£000

-
2,343
10,353

12,696

-
-
-

-

101   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

102

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

30. Contingent liabilities

At 31 May 2010, the Group or Company had no contingent liabilities (2009: nil). 

31. transactions with directors

The Group had no transactions with its Directors other than those disclosed in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 48 to 56.

32. Related party transactions

32(a) Group
During the year, fees amounting to £30,000 (2009: £30,000) were paid to CVC Capital Partners Limited relating to the services of Robert 
Lucas as a Director of IG Group Holdings plc. Funds managed or advised by CVC Capital Partners Limited or its affiliates held 3.86% of the 
ordinary share capital of the Company at 31 May 2010 (2009: 8.40% of the ordinary share capital).

The Directors are considered to be the key management personnel of the Group in accordance with IAS 24. The Directors’ Remuneration 
Report on pages 48 to 56 discloses all benefits and share-based payments made during the year and the preceding year to the 
Directors. The total compensation for key management personnel was as follows:

Salaries and other short-term employee benefits
Post-employment benefits
Share-based payments

2010
£000

2,966
210
1,671

4,847

2009
£000

1,551
188
940

2,679

There were no further related party transactions during the year or the preceding year.

32(b) Company
The Company pays for certain expenses incurred by subsidiaries and received preference dividends from IG Group Limited of £83 million 
(2009: £54 million).

The Company had the following amounts outstanding with subsidiaries at the year-end:

Loans to related parties
Loans from related parties

All amounts remain outstanding at the statement of financial position date and are repayable on demand.   

2010
£000

2009
£000

575,823
570,781

96,569
119,077

33. Financial instruments 

Accounting classifications and fair values - Group
The table below sets out the classification of each class of financial assets and liabilities and their fair values (excluding accrued interest). 
The Group considers the carrying value of all financial assets and liabilities to be a reasonable approximation of fair value and represents 
the Group’s maximum credit exposure without taking account of any collateral held or other credit enhancements.

  ‘Cash and cash equivalents’ represent cash held on demand and on deposit with financial institutions.

   ‘Trade receivables - due from brokers’ represent balances with brokers where the combination of cash held on account (disclosed 
as loans and receivables) and the valuation of financial derivative open positions (disclosed as held for trading) results in an amount 
due to the Group. These positions are held to hedge client market exposures and hence are considered to be held for trading and are 
accordingly accounted for at fair value through profit and loss (FVTPL).  These transactions are conducted under terms that are usual and 
customary to standard margin trading activities and are reported net in the consolidated statement of financial position as the Group 
has both the legal right and intention to settle on a net basis.  

   ‘Trade receivables - due from clients’ represent balances owed to the Group by clients. Open client positions that are neither past 
due nor impaired are disclosed as held for trading, while receivables in respect of closed client positions are disclosed as loans and 
receivables. 

   ‘Trade payables - due to clients’ represent balances where the combination of client cash held on account (disclosed as loans and 
receivables) and the valuation of financial derivative open positions (disclosed as held for trading) results in an amount payable by the 
Group.  Trade payables – due to clients are reported net in the consolidated statement of financial position as the Group has both the 
legal right and intention to settle on a net basis.

  ‘Redeemable preference shares’ are disclosed in note 23.

Classification of financial instruments: 

Group

As at 31 May 2010
Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Trade receivables – due from brokers
    Non-exchange traded instruments
    Exchange-traded instruments

Total trade receivables – due from brokers
Trade receivables – due from clients

Financial liabilities
Trade payables – due to clients
Redeemable preference shares

FVTPL - 
Held for 
trading
£000

Loans and 
receivables
£000

Other 
amortised 
cost
£000

Total 
carrying 
amount
£000

Fair value
£000

-

678,564

(21,647)
1,263

(20,384)
1,143

199,694
24,404

224,098
1,386

(19,241)

904,048

(170,010)
-

778,150
-

(170,010)

778,150

-

-
-

-
-

-

-
40

40

678,564

678,564

178,047
25,667

203,714
2,529

178,047
25,667

203,714
2,529

884,807

884,807

608,140
40

608,140
40

608,180

608,180

103   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

104

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

33. Financial instruments (continued)

Accounting classifications and fair values - Group (continued)

33. Financial instruments (continued)

Accounting classifications and fair values - Group (continued)

Financial instrument valuation hierarchy 
The fair value of cash and cash equivalents held by the Group and the cash element of the trade receivables and trade payables 
approximates to the book value due to the short-term maturity of these balances and is therefore excluded from the following table.  

The hierarchy of the Group’s financial instruments carried at fair value is as follows:

Group

As at 31 May 2009
Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Trade receivables – due from brokers
    Non-exchange traded instruments
    Exchange-traded instruments

Total trade receivables – due from brokers
Trade receivables – due from clients

Financial liabilities
Trade payables – due to clients
Redeemable preference shares

FVTPL - 
Held for 
trading
£000

Loans and 
receivables
£000

Other 
amortised 
cost
£000

Total 
carrying 
amount
£000

Fair value
£000

-

520,421

(18,720)
634

(18,086)
1,466

124,973
71,374

196,347
3,358

(16,620)

720,126

(121,800)
-

633,456
-

(121,800)

633,456

-

-
-

-
-

-

-
40

40

520,421

520,421

106,253
72,008

178,261
4,824

106,253
72,008

178,261
4,824

703,506

703,506

511,656
40

511,656
40

511,696

511,696

Group

As at 31 May 2010
Financial assets
Trade receivables – due from brokers
Trade receivables – due from clients

Financial liabilities
Trade payables – due to clients

Level 1 (1)
£000

Level 2 (2)
£000

Level 3 (3)
£000

1,263
-

(21,647)
1,143

1,263

(20,504)

-

-

(170,019)

(170,019)

-
-

-

9

9

Total fair 
value
£000

(20,384)
1,143

(19,241)

(170,010)

(170,010)

(1)  Valued using unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical financial instruments.  This category includes the Group’s exchange-traded open hedging positions.  

(2)  Valued using techniques where a price is derived based significantly on observable market data.  For example, where an active market for an identical financial instrument to 

the product offered by the Group to its clients or used by the Group to hedge its market risk does not exist.  This category includes all open financial client positions (excluding 
binaries) and the Group’s open non-exchange traded instrument hedging positions. 

(3)   Valued using techniques that incorporate information other than observable market data that is significant to the overall valuation.  This category includes the Group’s sport 

and leisure bets and binary bets which are valued using a combination of inputs including historical data. 

The amounts due from brokers disclosed in the table above represent the fair value of the Group’s open hedging positions.  The fair 
value of the Group’s open hedging position varies significantly from the fair value of the related client positions as a result of the Group’s 
settlement terms with its brokers, whereby hedging positions are settled and re-opened on a more frequent basis than the underlying 
client position. 

There have been no changes in the valuation techniques for any of the Group’s financial instruments held at fair value in the period.  
During the year ended 31 May 2010, there were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 fair value measurements, and no transfers into or 
out of Level 3 fair value measurements.

105   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

106

  
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

33. Financial instruments (continued)

Accounting classifications and fair values - Group (continued)

Reconciliation of the movement in Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy

Group

Financial liabilities
Trade payables – due to clients

At 1 June 
2009
£000

Gains or 
losses in 
revenue (1)
£000

Closed 
positions (2)
£000

Transfers
£000

At 31 May 
2010 (3)
£000

13

13

16,532

(16,536)

16,532

(16,536)

-

-

9

9

(1)  Disclosed in trading revenue in the Income Statement.  This represents client positions that have closed in the period as well those open at the period end.

(2) Value of client positions that have settled in the period. 

(3) Value of open client positions at the period end disclosed in trading revenue in the Income Statement. 

The impact of a reasonably possible alternative valuation assumption on the valuation of trade payables – due to clients reported within 
Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy is not significant. 

Accounting classifications and fair values - Company
The table below sets out the classification of each class of financial assets and liabilities and their fair values (excluding accrued interest):

Company

As at 31 May 2010
Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents

Financial liabilities
Redeemable preference shares

Held for 
trading
£000

Loans and 
receivables
£000

Other 
amortised 
cost
£000

Total 
carrying 
amount
£000

Fair value
£000

-

-

8

-

-

40

8

40

8

40

33. Financial instruments (continued)

Accounting classifications and fair values - Company (continued)

Company

As at 31 May 2009
Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents

Financial liabilities
Redeemable preference shares

Held for 
trading
£000

Loans and 
receivables
£000

Other 
amortised 
cost
£000

Total 
carrying 
amount
£000

Fair value
£000

-

-

122

-

-

40

122

122

40

40

Items of income, expense, gains or losses 
Gains and losses arising from financial assets and liabilities classified as held for trading amounted to net gains of £298,551,000 (2009: 
£257,089,000).

Finance revenue (see note 9) totalled £2,664,000 (2009: £2,887,000). The entire amount represents interest income on financial assets not 
at fair value through profit or loss and includes interest receivable in respect of non-segregated client balances, part of which is held with 
brokers.

Finance costs (see note 10) totalled £2,312,000 (2009: £1,678,000). An amount of £1,399,000 represents interest expense on financial 
liabilities not at fair value through profit or loss (2009: £751,000). The remainder, £913,000 (2009: £927,000) represents fee expense arising 
from maintaining the Group’s committed bank facilities.  

34. Financial risk management

The Group’s Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process (ICAAP) provides an ongoing assessment of the risks the Group believes have 
the potential to have a significant detrimental impact on its financial performance and future prospects and describes how the Group 
mitigates these risks subject to the Group’s risk appetite.

The Board sets the strategy and policies for the management of these risks and delegates the management and monitoring of these risks 
to the Risk and Audit Committees.

Financial risks arising from financial instruments are analysed into market, credit, concentration and liquidity risks, and these are discussed 
below. 

(i) Market risk
Market risk is the risk that changes in market prices will affect the Group’s income or the value of its holdings of financial instruments. This 
is analysed into market price, currency and interest rate risk components.

The Group’s market risk is managed on a group-wide basis and exposure to market risk at any point in time depends primarily on short-
term market conditions and the levels of client activity. The Group does not take proprietary positions based on an expectation of market 
movements. However, not all net client exposures are hedged and, as a result, the Group may have a residual net position in any of the 
financial or sport markets in which it offers products. 

The Group’s market risk policy incorporates a methodology for setting market position limits, consistent with the Group’s risk appetite, for 
each financial market in which the Group’s clients can trade, as well as certain markets which the Board consider to be correlated. These 
limits are determined based on the Group’s clients’  trading levels, volatilities and the market liquidity of the underlying financial product or 
asset class and represent the maximum long and short client exposure that the Group will hold without hedging the net client exposure.

The Group’s real-time market position monitoring system allows it to continually monitor its market exposure against these limits. If 
exposures exceed these limits, the Group’s market risk policy requires that sufficient hedging is undertaken to bring the exposure back 
within the defined limit.

There is a significant level of ‘natural’ hedging arising from the Group’s global client base pursuing varying trading strategies which results 
in a significant ‘portfolio hedging effect’.  This effect reduces the Group’s net market exposure prior to the Group hedging any residual net 
client exposures, as well as minimising concentration risk within the market risk portfolio. 

107   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

108

 
  
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

34. Financial risk management (continued)

34. Financial risk management (continued)

The exposure to interest rate derivatives and commodities at the year-end is as follows:

Where the Group has positions in markets for which it has not been possible or cost-effective to hedge, the Risk Committee determines 
the appropriate action and reviews these exposures regularly, subject to the risk management framework approved by the Board.

Interest rate derivatives
Commodities

2010
£000

8,381
4,999

2009
£000

2,805
5,509

Sport spread bets and binary bets (sport and financial) are typically difficult or not cost-effective to hedge and there is often no direct 
underlying market which can be utilised in setting the price which the Group quotes.  The Group normally undertakes no hedging for 
these markets, but can hedge specific positions if considered necessary. The Directors aim to reduce the volatility of revenue from these 
markets by offering a large number of different betting opportunities, the results of which should, to some extent, offset each other 
irrespective of the underlying market outcome. The overwhelmingly short-term nature of these bets means that risk on these markets at 
any point in time is not considered to be significant.

The Board is responsible for reviewing the Group’s system of internal control and risk management and approving any changes to the 
Group’s risk management policy which materially increases the risk profile of the Group. Limits as to the acceptable level of risk are 
established and regularly reviewed by the Board. 

The Group’s exposure to market risk at any point in time depends primarily on short-term market conditions and client activities during 
the trading day. The exposure at each statement of financial position date may therefore not be representative of the market risk exposure 
faced by the Group over the year. The Group’s exposure to market risk is determined by the exposure limits described above which change 
from time to time.

a) Market price risk
This is the risk that the fair value of a financial instrument fluctuates as a result of changes in market prices other than due to the effect of 
currency or interest rate risks.

Equity market price risk:
The most significant market risk faced by the Group is on equity positions including shares and indices which are highly correlated and 
managed on a portfolio basis. The equity exposure at the year-end and details of the exposure limit at the year-end and for the year then 
ended is as follows:

Equity exposure at year-end
Equity exposure limit at year-end
Average equity exposure limit for the year 

2010
£000

8,781*
16,500
15,813

2009
£000

8,868
15,000
15,000

*  The average equity exposure for the year has been disclosed as this is considered more representative of the Group’s typical exposure than the year-end equity exposure of 

£473,000.  

The Group has no significant concentration of market risk. 

No sensitivity analysis is presented for equity market price risk as the impact of reasonably possible market movements on the Group’s 
revenue and equity are not significant being below the Group’s average daily revenue from financial instruments (2010: £1,148,000; 2009: 
£989,000).  Changes in risk variables have no direct impact on the Group’s equity as the Group has no financial instruments classified as 
available for sale, or designated in hedging relationships.

Other market price risk:
The Group also has market price risk as result of its trading activities (offering bets and contracts for difference (CFDs) on interest rate 
derivatives and commodities) which is hedged as part of the overall market risk management. The exposure is monitored on a Group-wide 
basis and is hedged using exchange-traded futures and options.  Exposure limits are set by the Risk Committee for each product, and also 
for groups of products where it is considered that their price movements are likely to be positively correlated.  

No sensitivity analysis is presented for other market price risk as the impact of reasonably possible market movements on the Group’s 
revenue are not significant. Changes in risk variables have no direct impact on the Group’s equity as the Group has no financial 
instruments designated in hedging relationships.

b) Foreign currency risk
The Group is exposed to two sources of foreign currency risk.

i) Translational foreign currency risk
Translation exposures arise from financial and non-financial items held by an entity with a functional currency different from the Group’s 
presentation currency.  The functional currency of each company in the Group is that denominated by the country of incorporation as 
disclosed in note 16. The Group does not hedge translational exposures as they do not have a significant impact on the Group’s capital 
resources. 

ii) Transactional foreign currency risk
Transactional foreign currency exposures represent financial assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the functional 
currency of the transacting entity.  Transaction exposures arise in the normal course of business and the management of this risk 
forms part of the risk policies outlined above.  Limits on the exposures which the Group will accept in each currency are set by the Risk 
Committee and the Group hedges its exposures as necessary with market counterparties.  Foreign currency risk is managed on a group-
wide basis, while the Company’s exposure to foreign currency risk is not considered by the Directors to be significant.

The Group monitors transactional foreign currency risks including currency statement of financial position exposures, equity, commodity, 
interest and other positions denominated in foreign currencies and bets and trades on foreign currencies. The Group’s net exposure to 
foreign exchange risk based on notional amounts at each year-end was as follows: 

US Dollar
Euro
Australian Dollar
Yen
Other

2010
£000

(1,778)
(1,596)
862
6,826
(3,859)

2009
£000

(2,095)
(98)
237
(209)
1,068

No sensitivity analysis is presented for foreign exchange risk as the impact of reasonably possible market movements on the Group’s 
revenue are not significant. Changes in risk variables have no direct impact on the Group’s equity as the Group has no financial 
instruments designated in hedging relationships.

109   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

110

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

34. Financial risk management (continued)

c) Non-trading interest rate risk
The Group also has interest rate risk relating to financial instruments not held at fair value through profit and loss. These exposures are not 
hedged.

The interest rate risk profile of the Group’s financial assets and liabilities as at each year-end was as follows:

Group

Fixed rate
Redeemable preference shares (8%)

Floating rate
Cash and cash equivalents
Trade receivables
Trade payables

            Within 1 year

2010
£000

2009
£000

             More than 5 years
2009
£000

2010
£000

             Total
2010
£000

2009
£000

-

-

(40)

(40)

(40)

(40)

678,564
206,243
(608,140)

520,421
183,085
(511,656)

-
-
-

-
-
-

678,564
206,243
(608,140)

520,421
183,085
(511,656)

276,667

191,850

(40)

(40)

276,627

191,810

Interest on financial instruments classified as fixed rate is fixed until the maturity of the instrument. 

Interest on financial instruments classified as floating rate is re-priced at intervals of less than one year. Trade receivables and payables 
include client and broker balances upon which interest is paid or received based upon market rates. Cash and cash equivalents includes 
client money equivalent to the amount included within trade payables. 

Interest rate risk sensitivity analysis 
A non-traded interest rate risk sensitivity analysis has been performed on net interest income on segregated client funds on the basis of a 
0.25% per annum fall and a 1.25% rise in interest rates at the beginning of the year. The impact of such a fall in interest rates would reduce 
net interest income on segregated client funds by approximately £0.5 million per annum.  The impact of such a rise in interest rates would 
increase net interest income on segregated client funds by approximately £5.0 million per annum. 

(ii) Credit risk
Credit risk is the risk that one party to a financial instrument will cause a financial loss for the other party by failing to discharge an 
obligation. The Group’s credit risk is managed on a group-wide basis.

The Group’s principal sources of credit risk are financial institution and client credit risk.

a) Financial institution credit risk

Financial institution credit risk is managed in accordance with the Group’s ‘Counterparty Credit Management Policy’. 
Financial institutional counterparties are subject to a credit review when a new relationship is entered into and this is updated semi-
annually (or more frequently as required e.g. on change in the financial institution’s corporate structure or a downgrading of its credit 
rating).  Proposed maximum exposure limits for these financial institutions are then reviewed and approved by the Risk Committee and 
exposures are reported against these limits on a daily basis.

As part of its management of concentration risk, the Group is also committed to maintaining multiple brokers for each asset class. Where 
possible, the Group negotiates for its funds to receive client money protection which can reduce credit exposure. 

In respect of financial institution credit risk, the following key metrics are monitored on a daily basis:

   balances held with financial institution counterparties are reported against concentration limits approved by the Group’s Risk 
Committee

   any change in short- and long-term credit rating of financial institutions

   any change in credit default swap (CDS) basis points spread specific to the financial institution

34. Financial risk management (continued)

It is the Group’s policy that all financial institutional counterparties holding client money accounts must have minimum Standard and 
Poor’s short- and long-term ratings of A-2 and A- respectively. This is also the target minimum ratings for the Group’s bank accounts held 
with financial institutions but not subject to ‘client money protection’, although, in some operating jurisdictions, it can be problematic to 
find a banking counterparty satisfying these minimum ratings requirements. This risk is mitigated by ensuring balances held with these 
counterparties are minimised.

The Group also actively manages the credit exposure to each of its broking counterparties by only keeping minimum required balances at 
each broker. 

In addition, deposits are typically made on an overnight basis only which enables the Group to react immediately to any downgrading of 
credit rating or material widening of CDS spreads. 

b) Client credit risk

The Group operates a real-time mark-to-market trading platform with client profits and losses being credited and debited automatically to 
their account.

Client credit risk principally arises when a client’s total funds deposited with the Group (margin and free equity) are insufficient to cover 
any trading losses incurred.  In addition, a small number of clients are granted credit limits to cover open losses and margin requirements 
as described below.

In particular, client credit risk can arise where there are significant, sudden movements in the market i.e. due to high general market 
volatility or specific volatility relating to an individual financial instrument the client has an open position in.

The principal types of client credit risk exposure are managed under the Group’s ‘Client Credit Management Policy’ and depend on the 
type of account and any credit offered to clients as follows: 

Limited risk accounts
The Group’s products are margin-traded. If the market moves adversely by more than the client’s initial margin deposit, the Group is 
exposed to client credit risk. 

The Group mitigates this risk on some account and trade types by designating them as limited risk accounts. This involves setting a level in 
advance at which the deal will be ‘closed-out’, meaning a maximum client loss can be calculated at the opening of the trade.

The maximum loss is then the amount the client is required to deposit to open the trade, meaning the client can never lose more than 
their initial margin deposit.  In further mitigation, a significant portion of the client base is managed on the Group’s ‘close-out monitor’ (see 
below) and the client position will be closed-out if the initial margin is eroded by a specified percentage and the account is not re-funded 
by the client.

Credit accounts
Clients holding other types of accounts are permitted to deal in circumstances where they may be capable of suffering losses greater than 
the funds they have deposited on their account, or in limited circumstances are allowed credit. The Group has a formal credit policy which 
determines the financial and experience criteria which a client must satisfy before being given an account which exposes the Group to 
credit risk, including trading limits for each client and strict margining rules. 

The Group can offer credit limits with the result any ‘open loss’ can be paid subject to agreed credit terms. These accounts typically only 
create a credit exposure when the client’s loss exceeds their initial margin deposit. A client has to deposit an initial margin when opening 
the trade so the Group is not exposed to credit risk if the client closes the trade before any loss exceeds the initial margin deposit.

In addition to clients waiving paying some or all of any ‘open losses’ on a trade, the Group can also offer clients credit in respect of their 
initial margin.  This is a permanent waiving of initial margin requirements while the limit is active on the account subject to the credit limit.

Credit limits are only granted following provision by the client of evidence of their available financial resources and credit accounts limits 
are continuously reviewed by the Group’s Credit Department.

The ‘close-out monitor’
The Group’s management of client credit risk is supported by a significantly automated liquidation process, the ‘close-out monitor’ (COM), 
whereby accounts which have broken the liquidation threshold are automatically identified. This has resulted in significantly improved 
client liquidation times and reduced credit risk exposure for the Group.  

The majority of client positions are monitored on the Group’s real-time COM system or are limited risk accounts with guaranteed ‘stop-
losses’. As at 31 May 2010, 95.7% (2009: 93.7%) of financial client accounts are subject to the automatic COM procedure or are ‘limited risk’ 
accounts. 

111   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

112

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

34. Financial risk management (continued)

(ii) Credit risk (continued) 
The Group has an extensive training program for clients (‘TradeSense’) which aims to educate clients in all aspects of trading and risk 
management and encourage them to collateralise their accounts at an appropriate level. 

If the margin of a client who is not subject to COM liquidation process is eroded, the client is requested to deposit additional funds up to 
at least the required margin level and may also be restricted from increasing their market positions. If subsequently, the client’s intra-day 
losses increase such that their total equity falls below the specified liquidation level, the position is subject to same-day liquidation. 

Introduction of risk-based tiered margins
The Group has introduced a tiered-margin requirement for equities and other instruments (tiered deposits) with risk-adjusted margin 
requirements dependent on several factors including for example financial instrument volatility and average daily turnover of the 
underlying instrument. 

This has resulted in potential margin requirement of up to 90% of the value of the notional client position for large client positions but a 
reduced margin requirement for smaller client positions.

These tiered deposits have, in addition to the COM discussed above, contributed to the further mitigation of the Group’s client 
counterparty credit risk exposure.

Management of client collateral
The Group also accepts collateral from clients in the form of shares or other securities which mitigate the Group’s credit risk. Clients retain 
title to the securities lodged whilst their trading account is operating normally, but are required to sign a collateral agreement which will 
allow the Group to take title and sell the securities in the event of the client defaulting on any margin obligations.

Securities accepted as collateral are normally restricted to FTSE 100 stocks (although some FTSE 250 stocks may be accepted) and UK Gilts.  
The collateral value assigned to the client account is updated daily, and each security is assigned a ‘haircut’ value e.g. a client is typically 
allowed to use 80% of a FTSE 100 share’s current market value and 90% of a UK Gilt market value.

Clients are only permitted to use non-cash collateral value to cover initial margin requirements, and losses in excess of cash held are due 
and payable as part of the normal margining process.

The fair value of collateral held at 31 May 2010 against amounts due from clients was £2,823,000 (2009: £595,000). 

113   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

34. Financial risk management (continued)

The following tables present further detail on the Group’s and the Company’s exposure to credit risk. External credit ratings (Standard and 
Poor’s long-term ratings or equivalent) are available for exposures to brokers and banks, and these are shown. No external credit rating of 
clients and certain of the Group’s sport related brokers is available and therefore the balances are classified as unrated.  

Amounts due from clients are considered past due from the date that positions are closed and are aged from that date. If debtors arise on 
open positions the amounts due from clients are considered neither past due nor impaired unless impairment is provided. The analysis of 
neither past due nor impaired credit exposures in the following table excludes retail client funds held in segregated client money accounts 
or money market facilities established under the UK’s Financial Services Authority (FSA) ‘CASS’ rules and similar rules of other regulators 
in whose jurisdiction the Group operates. Under these rules, client money funds held with trust status are protected in the event of the 
insolvency of the Group.

              Cash and cash 
              equivalents

2010
£000

2009
£000

            Trade receivables – 
             due from brokers
2009
£000

2010
£000

            Trade receivables – 
            due from clients

            Collateral held at 
             fair value

2010
£000

2009
£000

2010
£000

2009
£000

Group

Individually impaired
Gross exposure
Allowance for impairment

Past due but not impaired
Ageing profile:
0-3 months
4-6 months
7-9 months
10-12 months
> 12 months

Neither past due nor impaired
Credit rating:
AA+
AA to AA-
A+ to A-
BBB+ to BBB-
Unrated

-
-

-

-
-
-
-
-

-

-
-

-

-
-
-
-
-

-

-
-

-

-
-
-
-
-

-

-
-

-

-
-
-
-
-

-

-
13,447
114,091
348
211

-
11,823
86,953
182
449

-
119,507
80,538
871
2,798

-
87,264
88,054
1,078
1,865

128,097

99,407

203,714

178,261

Total carrying amount

128,097

99,407

203,714

178,261

22,240
(21,461)

26,458
(23,897)

779

2,561

535
-
-
-
72

607

-
-
-
-
1,143

1,143

2,529

695
7
65
-
30

797

-
-
-
-
1,466

1,466

4,824

-
-

-

-
-
-
-
-

-

-
-
-
-
2,823

2,823

2,823

12
-

12

-
-
-
-
-

-

-
-
-
-
583

583

595

114

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

34. Financial risk management (continued)

(ii) Credit risk (continued)

Company

Neither past due nor impaired
Credit rating:
AA- to A+

           Cash and cash 
            equivalents

2010
£000

2009
£000

8

8

122

122

Impairment of trade receivables due from clients
The Group records specific impairments of trade receivables due from clients in a separate allowance account. Impairments are recorded 
where the Group determines that it is probable that it will be unable to collect all amounts owing according to the contractual terms 
of the agreement. There are no collective impairments taken, and no other assets are considered impaired. Below is a reconciliation of 
changes in the separate allowance account during the period:

Group

Balance at 1 June
Impairment loss for the year
- gross charge for the year
- recoveries
Write-offs
Foreign exchange

Balance at 31 May

2010
£000

23,897

2,441
(3,505)
(1,367)
(5)

2009
£000

5,864

22,544
(4,376)
(438)
303

21,461

23,897

34. Financial risk management (continued)

(iii) Concentration risk
Concentration risk is defined as all risk exposures with a loss potential which is large enough to threaten the solvency or the financial 
position of the Group. In respect of financial risk, such exposures may be caused by credit risk, market risk, liquidity risk or a combination or 
interaction of those risks.

The following table analyses the Group’s credit exposures, at their carrying amounts, by geographical region and excludes retail client 
funds held in segregated client money accounts or money market facilities established under the UK’s Financial Services Authority (FSA) 
‘CASS’ rules and similar rules of other regulators in whose jurisdiction the Group operates. 

Analysis of credit exposures at carrying amount by geographical segment:  

Group

As at 31 May 2010
Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Trade receivables – due from brokers
Trade receivables – due from clients

UK
£000

Europe
£000

Australia
£000

Japan
£000

Rest of 
World
£000

Total
£000

83,699
80,027
2,298

3,054
89,197
66

1,790
23,004
165

17,656
-
-

21,898
11,486
-

128,097
203,714
2,529

Total financial assets

166,024

92,317

24,959

17,656

33,384

334,340

Group

As at 31 May 2009
Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Trade receivables – due from brokers
Trade receivables – due from clients

UK
£000

Europe
£000

Australia
£000

Japan
£000

Rest of 
World
£000

Total
£000

62,565
59,874
4,618

14,183
88,514
18

348
16,036
111

13,880
147
-

8,431
13,690
77

99,407
178,261
4,824

Total financial assets

125,057

102,715

16,495

14,027

22,198

282,492

The Group’s largest credit exposure to any one individual broker at 31 May 2010 was £44,170,000 or 22% of the exposure to all brokers 
(2009: £49,529,000, 27%). Included in cash and cash equivalents, the Group’s largest credit exposure to any bank at 31 May 2010 was 
£43,302,000 or 34% of the exposure to all banks (2009: £50,602,000, 51%). The Group has no significant exposure to any one particular 
client or group of connected clients. 

All of the Company’s credit exposures arise in the UK at both 31 May 2010 and 31 May 2009. 

115   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

116

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

34. Financial risk management (continued)

(iv) Liquidity risk 
Liquidity risk is the risk that the Group will encounter difficulty in meeting obligations arising from its financial liabilities that are settled by 
delivering cash or other financial assets.

Management of liquidity risk 
Liquidity risk is managed centrally and on a group-wide basis. The Group’s approach to managing liquidity is to ensure it will have 
sufficient liquidity to meet its broker margin requirements and other financial liabilities when due, under both normal circumstances and 
stressed conditions. 

The Group does not have any material liquidity mismatches with regard to liquidity maturity profiles due to the very short-term nature of 
its financial assets and liabilities. Liquidity risk can, however, arise as a result of the Group adopting what it considers to be best industry 
practice in placing all retail client funds in segregated client money accounts or money market facilities (as previously discussed). A result 
of this policy is that short-term liquidity ‘gaps’ can potentially arise in periods of very high client activity or significant increases in global 
financial market levels. 

During these periods, the Group is required to fund higher margin payments to brokers to hedge increased underlying client positions. 
This additional requirement is funded from the Group’s own available cash resources while these retail client positions are open, as retail 
client funds remain in segregated client money bank accounts.

In order to mitigate this and other liquidity risks, the Group regularly stress and scenario tests its three-year liquidity forecast to validate the 
correct level of committed bank facilities held. At the year end, these amounted to £160.0 million (2009: £120.0 million) provided by Lloyds 
Banking Group plc (£100.0 million (2009: £100.0 million)) and The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (£60.0 million (2009: £20.0 million)). 

These committed bank facilities were not drawn down during the financial year (2009: drawn down for 24 days with an average drawdown 
of £37.2 million and a maximum drawdown of £88.0 million).

The key measure used by the Group for managing liquidity risk is the level of total available liquidity. For this purpose total available 
liquidity is defined as working capital, being the net of cash and cash equivalents, all trade receivables, trade payables and other net 
current liabilities, plus undrawn committed facilities.

Total available liquidity at each year-end was as follows:

Cash and cash equivalents
Amounts due from brokers
Amounts due from clients
Trade payables

Other net current liabilities

Net working capital

Undrawn committed facilities
Total available liquidity

2010
£000

678,564
203,714
2,529
(608,140)
276,667

2009
£000

520,421
178,261
4,824
(511,656)
191,850

(77,981)

(58,958)

198,686

132,892

160,000
358,686

120,000
252,892

In the Directors’ opinion the Group has sufficient liquid funds available to meet all operational requirements in the event of a large market 
movement. Liquidity management is also dependent on credit risk management previously described.

34. Financial risk management (continued)

(iv) Liquidity risk (continued)
Derivative and non-derivative cash flows by remaining contractual maturity - Group 
The following tables present the undiscounted cash flows receivable and payable (excluding interest payments) by the Group under 
derivative and non-derivative financial assets and liabilities allocated to the earliest period in which the Group can be required to pay 
although the remaining contractual maturities maybe longer. 

Amounts payable on demand:

As at 31 May 2010
Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Trade receivables – due from brokers
Trade receivables – due from clients

Financial liabilities
Trade payables – due to clients

Derivative
£000

Non-
derivative
£000

Total
£000

-
(20,384)
1,143

678,564
224,098
1,386

678,564
203,714
2,529

(19,241)

904,048

884,807

170,010

(778,150)

(608,140)

170,010

(778,150)

(608,140)

150,769

125,898

276,667

Derivative trade receivables and payables disclosed in the table above represent the Group’s open positions with brokers and clients 
respectively. Non-derivative trade receivables and payables disclosed in the table above represent cash margin held at brokers, closed 
client debtors, and client trading margin held on deposit respectively.  Derivative and non-derivative cash flows are presented alongside 
each other in the table above as they result from the same underlying trading relationship and as the Group has both the legal right and 
intention to settle on a net basis.

Trade receivables are disclosed as repayable on demand as when client positions are closed the corresponding positions relating to the 
hedged position are closed with brokers. Accordingly the Group releases cash margin, which is repaid by brokers to the Group on demand. 

Trade payables are disclosed in the table above as repayable on demand as positions can be closed at any time by clients and can also 
be closed by the Group, in accordance with the Group’s margining rules. If after closing a position a client is in surplus, then the amount 
owing is repayable on demand by the Group.

117   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

118

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOtES tO thE FINANCIAL StAtEMENtS

Notes to the Financial Statements
(continued)

34. Financial risk management (continued)

(iv) Liquidity risk (continued) 
Derivative and non-derivative cash flows by remaining contractual maturity - Group (continued)

Amounts payable on demand:

As at 31 May 2009
Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Trade receivables – due from brokers
Trade receivables – due from clients

Financial liabilities
Trade payables – due to clients

Amounts payable over 5 years:

Derivative
£000

Non-
derivative
£000

Total
£000

-
(18,086)
1,466

520,421
196,347
3,358

520,421
178,261
4,824

(16,620)

720,126

703,506

121,800

(633,456)

(511,656)

121,800

(633,456)

(511,656)

105,180

86,670

191,850

35. Capital management and resources

Capital management 
The Group is supervised on a consolidated basis by the UK’s Financial Services Authority (FSA).  The Group’s subsidiaries in the United 
States, Singapore, Australia and Japan are also regulated. Individual capital requirements in these jurisdictions are taken into account when 
managing the Group’s capital resources.

The Group’s regulatory capital resources management objective is to ensure that the Group complies with the regulatory capital resources 
requirement set by the FSA and other global regulators in jurisdictions in which the Group’s entities operate.  

The Group’s capital management policy aims to maximise returns on equity while maintaining a strong capital position to enable the 
Group to take advantage of growth opportunities, whether organic or by acquisition. The Group does not seek to generate higher returns 
on equity by introducing leverage through, for example, the use of long-term debt finance.

The Group’s 2009 ICAAP was approved by the Board in December 2009. There have been no capital requirement breaches during the 
financial year.  The Group also regularly undertakes three-year stress and scenario testing of its main financial and operational risks to 
project its future capital and liquidity adequacy requirements. 

The Group’s ‘Pillar 3 Disclosures’ are published on its website www.iggroup.com and these provide additional information on the Group’s 
enterprise-wide risk management framework and its management of regulatory capital on a consolidated and solo entity basis.

Capital resources 
The Group had significant surplus regulatory capital resources over the regulatory capital resources requirement throughout the year.  In 
calculating the capital requirement, the Group has adopted the standardised approach to credit risk and the basic indicator approach to 
operational risk. 

At the year-end, under FSA rules, consolidated capital resources calculated as a percentage of our Pillar 1 consolidated capital resources 
requirement represented 338.1% (2009: 253.3%). Total regulatory capital resources as at 31 May 2010 were £222.1 million (2009: £152.0 
million). An analysis of the Group’s consolidated capital resources and capital resources requirement is provided in the Operating and 
Financial Review. 

The Group has non-derivative cash flows payable over 5 years in relation to the redeemable preference shares at 31 May 2009 and 2010, as 
disclosed in note 23.

Derivative and non-derivative cash flows by remaining contractual maturity - Company 
The maturity of the Company’s non-derivative cash flows is shown in the following table.  There were no Company derivative cash flows as 
at 31 May 2010 (2009: £nil).

36. Subsequent events

On 19 July 2010, IG Markets South Africa Limited, a subsidiary of the Group, reached agreement to acquire the client list and business of 
Ideal CFD Financial Services Pty Limited (Ideal), a South African based introducing broker of the Group.  Refer to note 16(b) for more detail. 

Company

As at 31 May
Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents

Financial liabilities
Redeemable preference shares

             On demand

             Over 5 years

             Total

2010
£000

2009
£000

2010
£000

2009
£000

2010
£000

2009
£000

8

8

-

-

122

122

-

-

-

-

(40)

(40)

-

-

(40)

(40)

8

8

(40)

(40)

122

122

(40)

(40)

119   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

120

OTHER INFORMATION: GLOSSARY OF tERMS USEd

Glossary of terms Used

AGM 

APB 

ASIC 

Binary options 

Annual General Meeting

Auditing Practices Board

Australian Securities and Investment Commission

A special form of spread bet with only two outcomes at expiry – if a specific result is achieved, the bet  
is closed at a level of 100. If the result is not achieved, the bet closes at 0. Binary bets therefore have    
 something in common with a traditional fixed-odds bet, except that the Group makes a continuous price 
for the binary, between 0 and 100, allowing closure of the bet before the final settlement to crystallise any 
running profits or losses before expiry.

CFTC 

US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

‘Close-out’ monitor   

Combined Code 

The Group’s automated client liquidation system (see also the Our Business Risks section in the Business  
Review and note 34 – Financial Instruments).

  The Combined Code on Corporate Governance (Combined Code) sets out standards of good practice in 
relation to board leadership and effectiveness, remuneration, accountability and relations with shareholders.

Provision A.3.2 - at least half the board, excluding the chairman, should comprise non-executive directors  
determined by the board to be independent. 

 Principle A.6 - Performance Management - The board should undertake a formal and rigorous annual 
evaluation of its own performance and that of its committees and individual directors.

Company   

IG Group Holdings plc

Consolidated regulatory 
capital resources 

Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 capital are calculated under the GENPRU rules of the UK’s Financial Services Authority. 

Contract for Difference  
(CFD) 

A CFD is an agreement to exchange the difference in value of a financial instrument at the time in which the    
contract is opened, and the time at which it is closed. Examples on pages 123 to 126 illustrate buying and selling CFDs.

DMA 

FIX 

FSA 

IAS 

Direct Market Access allows clients to send orders directly into the order book of a stock exchange.

 The Financial Information eXchange (“FIX”) Protocol is a series of messaging specifications for the electronic 
communication of trade-related messages. It has been developed through the collaboration of various 
financial institutions.

The UK’s Financial Services Authority

International Accounting Standard

ICAAP 

ICSA 

IFRIC 

IFRS 

IIC 

LIBOR 

LTIP 

MTF 

OTC 

Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process

Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators

International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee

International Financial Reporting Standards (as adopted by the EU)

The Group’s ICAAP and Individual Liquidity Adequacy Committee.

London inter-bank offered rate

Long-term incentive plan

Multilateral trading facility

‘Over the counter’ means non-exchange traded financial instruments.

Pillar 1 – Capital resources  Minimum FSA specified rule-based capital requirements for credit, market and operational risk under FSA’s  
requirement 

BIPRU Rulebook.

Pillar 3 Disclosures 

 Public disclosure of capital adequacy to facilitate the wider market’s role in ensuring regulated firms hold 
appropriate levels of capital - disclosed on the Group’s corporate website (www.iggroup.com).

Pip 

A ‘percentage in point’ is generally, though not always, the fourth decimal place, i.e. 0.0001. 

Risk appetite statement 

Approved by the Group’s Board of Directors and sets out the level of risk that the Group is willing to take in  
pursuit of its business objectives.

Spread bet 

SIP 

Systemic risk 

Tiered-margining 

TSR 

Variation margin 

 A bet on the outcome of an event. The ‘spread’ is a range of outcomes, and the ‘bet’ is on whether the 
outcome of the event will be above or below the spread. The pay out is based on the accuracy of the bet.

Share Incentive Plan

 The risk of collapse of an entire financial system, as opposed to specific risk associated with any one 
individual company.

 Four margin tiers ranging from 5% in Tier 1 (small trade sizes) to potentially 90% under Tier 4. The margin 
calculations are dependent on various factors including specific financial instrument volatility.

Total Shareholder Return

 Initial margin is collateral that the holder of a financial instrument has to deposit to cover some or all of the 
credit risk of his counterparty. The variation margin is not collateral, but a daily payment of running profits 
and losses on the open position.

121   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

122

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
OTHER INFORMATION: GLOSSARY OF tERMS USEd

Glossary of terms Used
(continued)

Example - buying a CFd

Step 1

Step 3

Step 5

Introduction
In this example, you buy 10,000 CFDs in A plc (assumed to be 
a FTSE 100 share) on Day 1 (on 25 May 2010), as you expect 
that A plc’s share price will rise. On Day 2, however, the share 
price has actually fallen, and you decide to sell 10,000 A plc 
CFDs to close your position and minimise your losses, as you 
now believe the share price will continue to fall. Your loss is 
the difference between the selling and buying prices, plus 
transaction and other costs (illustrated opposite). 

As long as your contract is open, your account will show any 
‘running’ loss or any ‘running’ profit on your open CFD position, 
but this is not illustrated. You must also have deposited 
sufficient funds to cover any running losses.

You are also required to have funds deposited on your 
account before you can begin to trade. In this example, we 
assume you have deposited £1,000.

It is important to note that you can make losses in excess of 
your initial deposit, if the market moves against you.

Day 1 - opening the position 
The quoted bid/offer price for A plc is 126.85p/126.95p.

Trade details

Buy 10,000 A plc CFDs at 126.95p (the 
offer price)

Your initial margin 
requirement (i)

£634.75 (calculated as 10,000 x 
126.95p x 5%)

Commission (ii) 

£12.70 (calculated as 10,000 x 
126.95p x 0.10%)

(i)   the margin level depends on the size of your CFD position and other factors such as 

the volatility and liquidity of the underlying share. 

(ii)   commissions are variable, but for UK FTSE 100 CFDs (as assumed for A plc), this was 

0.1% on the 25 May 2010. 

In addition, financing is charged on bought CFD positions held 
open overnight, which for UK FTSE 100 CFDs, means those open at 
10pm UK time. In this example, the financing charge is the current 
one-month sterling LIBOR rate of 0.57%, plus a 2.5% additional 
margin (both correct as at 25 May 2010), which results in a total 
financing charge of 3.07% being applied to your CFD contract 
value. This is re-calculated daily.

Day 2 - closing the position 
On Day 2, you decide to close the position as you believe the 
share price may fall further. The bid/offer price at that point is 
122.30p/122.40p.

Trade

Sell 10,000 CFDs at 122.30p (the bid price)

Closing Price (Day 1)

127.35p

Commission

£12.23 (calculated as 10,000 x 
122.30p x 0.10%)

Daily interest 
charged

£1.07 (calculated as (10,000 X 

127.35p X 3.07%)/365 days)

Loss per individual 
CFD contract

4.65p (the difference between the 

selling and buying price = 
122.30p - 126.95p)

Gross loss on the 
trade (£)

£465.00

(calculated as 10,000 x 4.65p)

Step 2

Step 4

Calculating your profit or loss

On Day 1 when you open the trade, you are required to have 
the initial margin for this trade in your account which equals 
£634.75 in this example (calculated in Step 1). The available 
funds in your account therefore fall from £1,000 to £352.55  
(i.e. £1,000 - £634.75 - £12.70).

We will also reflect the impact of any corporate action on 
the underlying share, such as a dividend. In this example, we 
assume that A plc goes ex-dividend on 26 May 2010, paying a 
net dividend of 7p on the same day.

Your account is therefore credited (with this dividend 
adjustment) to reflect the underlying market price of the 
share.

Buying commission (Step 1)

Financing charge (Step 3)

Dividend adjustment (Step 4)

Selling commission (Step 5)

Dividend per underlying A plc share

Net 7p

Dividend adjustment on 10,000 A plc CFDs

£700.00

Gross loss (Step 5)

Net Profit (£)

(12.70)

(1.07)

700.00

(12.23)

(465.00)

209.00

123   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

124

 
 
 
 
OTHER INFORMATION: GLOSSARY OF tERMS USEd

Glossary of terms Used
(continued)

Example - selling a CFd
Introduction
In this example, you sell 10,000 CFDs in A plc (assumed to be a 
FTSE 100 share) on Day 1 (on 25 May 2010), as you expect that A 
plc’s share price will fall. On Day 2, the share price has fallen, and 
you decide to buy 10,000 A plc CFDs to close your position as you 
now believe that A plc’s share price will rise. 

As long as your contract is open, your account will show any 
‘running’ loss or any ‘running’ profit on your open CFD position, but 
this is not illustrated. You must also have deposited sufficient funds 
to cover any running losses.

You are also required to have funds deposited on your account 
before you can begin to trade. In this example, we assume you 
have deposited £1,000.

It is important to note that you can make losses in excess of your 
initial deposit, if the market moves against you.

Step 1

Step 3

Step 5

Day 1 - opening the position 
The quoted bid/offer price for A plc is 126.85p/126.95p.

Trade details

Sell 10,000 A plc CFDs at 126.85p (the 
bid price)

Your initial margin 
requirement (i)

£634.25 (calculated as 10,000 x 
126.85p x 5%)

Commission (ii) 

£12.69 (calculated as 10,000 x 
126.85p x 0.10%)

(i)   the margin level depends on the size of your CFD position and other factors such as 

the volatility and liquidity of the underlying share. 

(ii)   commissions are variable, but for UK FTSE 100 CFDs (as assumed for A plc), this was 

0.1% on the 25 May 2010. 

In addition, financing is paid in respect of sold CFD positions held 
open overnight, which for UK FTSE 100 CFDs, means those open 
at 10pm UK time. In this example, the financing charge is the net 
of the current one-month sterling LIBOR rate of 0.57% less a 2.5% 
additional margin (both correct as at 25 May 2010), which results 
in a net financing charge of 1.93% being applied to your CFD 
contract value - this is re-calculated daily.

Day 2 - closing the position 
On Day 2, you decide to close the position as you believe the 
share will now continue to rise. The bid/offer price at that 
point is 122.30p/122.40p.

Trade

Buy 10,000 CFDs at 122.40p (the offer 
price)

Closing Price (Day 1)

127.35p

Commission

£12.24 (calculated as 10,000 x 
122.40p x 0.10%)

Daily interest 
charged

£0.67 (calculated as (10,000 X 

127.35p X 1.93%)/365 days)

Profit per individual 
CFD contract

4.45p (the difference between the 

selling and buying price = 
126.85p - 122.40p)

Gross profit on the 
trade (£)

£445.00 (calculated as 10,000 x 

4.45p)

Step 2

Step 4

Calculating your profit or loss

On Day 1 when you open the trade, you are required to have 
the initial margin for this trade in your account which equals 
£634.25 in this example (calculated in Step 1). The available 
funds in your account therefore fall from £1,000 to £353.06  
(i.e. £1,000 - £634.25 - £12.69).

We will also reflect the impact of any corporate action on 
the underlying share, such as a dividend. In this example, we 
assume that A plc goes ex-dividend on 26 May 2010, paying a 
net dividend of 7p on the same day.

When you sell a CFD and the share goes ex-dividend, the 
dividend value (here £700.00) is debited from your account. 
This reflects the fall in the underlying market price of the 
share.

Dividend per underlying A plc share

Net 7p

Dividend adjustment on 10,000 A plc CFDs

£700.00

Buying commission (Step 1)

Financing charge (Step 3)

Dividend adjustment (Step 4)

Selling commission (Step 5)

Gross profit (Step 5)

Net Loss (£)

(12.69)

(0.67)

(700.00)

(12.24)

445.00

(280.60)

125   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

126

 
 
 
 
 
telephone 

Contact 

Website

Asia Pacific 

telephone 

Contact 

Website

OTHER INFORMATION: GLOBAL OFFICES

Global Offices

UK 

London (headquarters) 
IG Index Limited 
Cannon Bridge House 
25 Dowgate Hill 
LONDON 
EC4R 2YA  

IG Markets Limited                        
Cannon Bridge House 
25 Dowgate Hill 
LONDON 
EC4R 2YA

Extrabet Limited                                         
Friars House 
157-168 Blackfriars Road 
LONDON 
SE1 8EZ

+44 (0)20 7896 0011  

helpdesk@igindex.co.uk 

www.igindex.co.uk                                                  

+44 (0)20 7896 0011 

helpdesk@igmarkets.com 

www.igmarkets.co.uk                   

+44 (0)20 7896 0011      

helpdesk@extrabet.com 

www.extrabet.com                                    

Europe (excluding UK)   

Düsseldorf 
IG Markets Limited         
Zweigniederlassung Deutschland 
Berliner Allee 10 
40212 Düsseldorf 
GERMANY

+49 (0) 211 88 23 70 00             

info@igmarkets.de             

www.igmarkets.de         

Lisbon 
IG Markets Limited    
Av. Eng. Duarte Pacheco                                          
Amoreiras, Torre 1                                                                        
60 andar, Escritório 5/6 
1070-101 Lisboa 
PORTUGAL

+351 800 814 763 

info@igmarkets.pt 

www.igmarkets.pt                                                                              

Luxembourg
IG Markets Limited 
15, rue du fort Bourbon 
L1249  
LUXEMBOURG

Madrid 
IG Markets Limited 
Marqués de la Ensenada, Nª16 
1ª planta, Oficina 18 
28004 Madrid 
SPAIN

Milan 
IG Markets Limited  
Via Cesare Correnti, 12  
20123 Milano  
ITALY

Paris 
IG Markets Limited 
17 avenue George V 
75008 Paris 
FRANCE

Stockholm 
IG Markets Limited 
Stureplan 2 
114 35 Stockholm 
SWEDEN

+352 24 87 11 17 

info@igmarkets.lu 

www.igmarkets.lu 

+34 91 414 15 15 

atencionalcliente@igmarkets.es 

www.igmarkets.es 

+39 800 897 582 

italiandesk@igmarkets.it 

www.igmarkets.it 

+33 (0)1 70 70 81 18 

info@igmarkets.fr 

www.igmarkets.fr 

+46 (0)8 5051 5000  

kundservice@igmarkets.se 

www.igmarkets.se 

Beijing 
IG Markets Limited Beijing Representative Office    
St Regis Hotel Office Building                                           
Room 901                                                                                      
9th Floor                                                                                         
No 21 Jian Guo Men Wai Avenue                                    
Chao Yang District  
Beijing 
P.R. CHINA 100020

 +86 10 8532 3886  

Melbourne 
IG Markets Limited                 
Level 7                                                                                                
417 St Kilda Road 
Melbourne VIC 3004 
AUSTRALIA

+61 (3) 9860 1711 

Singapore 
IG Markets Limited     
22-03 Chevron House                                                             
30 Raffles Place 
SINGAPORE 048622

+65 6390 5118 

RepOffice@igmarkets.com.cn 

www.igmarkets.com.cn/en                                                                       

helpdesk@igmarkets.com.au 

www.igmarkets.com.au                                                           

helpdesk@igmarkets.com.sg 

www.igmarkets.com.sg                                                                       

Tokyo 
FX Online              
Shiodome  
City Center 10F                                                               
1-5-2 Higashi-shinbashi 
Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-7110 
JAPAN 

North America 

Chicago 
Nadex, Inc. 
311 South Wacker Drive 
Suite 2675 
Chicago, IL 60606  
USA

IG Markets Inc. 
311 South Wacker Drive 
Suite 2650 
Chicago  
IL 60606 
USA 

Africa 

South Africa 
IG Markets South Africa Limited             
Royal Melbourne 
Fourways Golf Park 
Roos Street 
Fourways 
Johannesburg 
SOUTH AFRICA 

+81 3 6704 8500 

info@fxonline.co.jp 

www.fxonline.co.jp/en                                                              

+1 312 884 0100 

customerservice@nadex.com  

www.nadex.com 

+1 312 981 8040  

clientservices@igmarkets.com 

www.igmarkets.com/fx 

+27 (0)11 467 8500 

helpdesk@igmarkets.co.za 

www.igmarkets.co.za                                   

127   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

128

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
oTher InForMATIon: SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

oTher InForMATIon: COMPANY INFORMATION AND CAUTIONARY STATEMENT

Shareholder Information

Company Information

Receiving shareholder 
information by email

You may supply the Company with an email address for the 
purpose of receiving shareholder information, as an alternative 
to posting whenever shareholder communications are added to 
the Company website by visiting www.capitashareportal.com and 
registering online for electronic communications (‘e-coms’). 

If you subsequently wish to change your election, or receive 
documents or information by post, you can do so by contacting 
the Company’s registrars at:

Annual shareholder calendar

(a) Company reporting

Final results announced  

Annual Report published  

20 July 2010

August 2010

1st Interim Management Statement 

6 September 2010

Annual General Meeting  

Interim results announced  

7 October 2010

18 January 2011

2nd Interim Management Statement 

7 March 2011

(b) Dividend  payment

Interim  

Final  

Interim report

March

October

As part of our e-coms programme, we have decided not to 
produce a printed copy of our Interim Report. Instead the Interim 
Report will be published on our website and will be available 
around mid January each year. 

  Capita Registrars
  Shareholder Administration Support
  34 Beckenham Road
  Beckenham
  Kent BR3 9ZA

Receiving shareholder 
information by means of  
our corporate website

For many shareholders, it will be convenient to access shareholder 
information on our corporate website at www.iggroup.com. We 
will notify you by post, or by email if you have elected for e-coms, 
when shareholder information has been placed on the website 
and indicate where on the site you can access it.

2010 Final Dividend Dates

   Ex dividend date 

  Record date 

  Last day to elect for DRIP 

  AGM  

  Payment date  

8 September 2010

10 September 2010

17 September 2010

7 October 2010

12 October 2010

129   |   IG Group Holdings plc   |   Annual Report 2010

Directors

Executive directors
T A Howkins (Chief Executive)
S Clutton
P G Hetherington 
A R MacKay

Non-executive directors
J R Davie (Chairman)
D Currie
D M Jackson
R R Lucas
N B le Roux (Deputy Chairman)
R P Yates (Senior Independent Director)

Company Secretary
G Abbi

Auditors
Ernst & Young LLP
1 More London Place
London SE1 2AF

Bankers
Lloyds Banking Group plc
10 Gresham Street
London EC2V 7AE

Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc
280 Bishopsgate
London EC2M 4RB

Solicitors
Linklaters
1 Silk Street
London EC2Y 8HQ

Registrars
Capita Registrars
The Registry
34 Beckenham Road
Beckenham
Kent BR3 4TU

Brokers
UBS Limited
1 Finsbury Avenue
London EC2M 2PP

Numis Securities Limited
10 Paternoster Square
London EC4M 7LT

Registered Office
Cannon Bridge House
25 Dowgate Hill
London EC4R 2YA

Registered Number
04677092

Cautionary Statement

Certain statements included in our 2010 Annual Report, or 
incorporated by reference to it, may constitute ‘forward-looking 
statements’ in respect of the Group’s operations, performance, 
prospects and/or financial condition. 

This report does not constitute or form part of any offer or 
invitation to sell, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase any 
shares or other securities in the Company and nothing in this 
report should be construed as a profit forecast.

By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve 
uncertainties because they relate to events, and depend 
on circumstances, that will or may occur in the future. If the 
assumptions on which the Group bases its forward-looking 
statements change, actual results may differ from those expressed 
in such statements. The forward-looking statements contained 
herein reflect knowledge and information available at the date 
of this presentation and the Group undertakes no obligation to 
update these forward-looking statements. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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IG Group Holdings plc  |  31 May 2010

IG Group Holdings plc

Cannon Bridge House
25 Dowgate Hill
London
EC4R 2YA

Tel:  + 44 (0)20 7896 0011 
Fax: + 44 (0)20 7896 0010

www.iggroup.com

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