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IG Group Holdings

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FY2013 Annual Report · IG Group Holdings
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AnnuAl RepoRt 2013
IG Group Holdings plc | 31 May 2013

coNTENTS

SETTING THE STANDARD

cHAIRmAN’S STATEmENT 

cHIEF EXEcuTIvE’S REvIEw 

BuSINESS REvIEw 
What we do 
Our business model 
Our strategy 
Managing our business risk 
Operating and Financial Review 

coRPoRATE GovERNANcE 
Corporate governance statement  
The Board 
Nomination Committee 
Remuneration Committee 
Directors’ remuneration report 
Audit Committee 
Risk Committee 
Client Money Committee 
Directors’ statutory report  
Corporate Social Responsibility 
Statement of Directors’ responsibilities 
Independent Auditors’ report 

04

08

 12-49
14
16
18
28
36

 50-91 
53
54
59
60
62
77 
80
81
82
85
88
90

FINANcIAl STATEmENTS 
Group income statement  
Group statement of comprehensive income 
Statements of financial position 
Statement of changes in equity 
Cash flow statements  
Index to notes to the Financial Statements  
Notes to the Financial Statements  

 92-153
94
95
96
97
99
100
101

INvESToR RESouRcES  
AND oTHER INFoRmATIoN 
Five-year summary  
Examples:
  Buying a spread bet 
  Selling a CFD 
Global offices  
Shareholder and company information 
Cautionary statement  

 154-167
156

160
162
164
166
167

We have offices in 16 countries, with 
headquarters located in the centre  
of London’s financial district.

ASIA PAcIFIc

uk AND EuRoPE

SouTH AFRIcA

uSA

02  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

A global leader in retail financial trading, we provide active retail traders with access 
to the world’s financial markets.

Our reputation is built on quality of service, transparency 
in dealing and award-winning technology. We are an 
established member of the FTSE 250, with a market 
capitalisation of £2.1 billion (as at 31 May 2013) and almost 
140,000 clients across more than 130 countries.

ADvANcED TEcHNoloGy
Our dealing platforms are the product of extensive,  
ongoing research and development and combine market-
leading features with robust and reliable infrastructure. 

We offer a range of key resources designed to meet our 
clients’ needs, including real-time market pricing, news 
and professional charts. Alongside our own platforms and 
charting solutions, we will soon give our clients access 
to MetaTrader 4 – a third-party online trading platform 
particularly favoured by forex traders for its automated 
trading and technical analysis.

Our dealing technology is available via web-based and 
downloadable platforms, and a range of tailored apps 
for mobile and tablet devices. Our clients benefit from 
seamless deal execution that takes less than 0.1 seconds 
and a trading platform that experiences less than  
0.05% downtime.(1)

FINANcIAl STRENGTH
Building on our long history of profitability we do not 
initiate speculative positions in the market and the 
majority of the risk arising from client positions is either 
offset against opposing client positions or hedged in 
the underlying markets. We maintain capital resources in 
excess of regulatory requirements and a debt-free balance 
sheet. This means we have additional financial capacity that 
enables us to provide a continuous service to clients during 
times of exceptional market volatility. 

Our high profit-to-cash conversion ratio gives us strong 
liquidity, which is central to the robust risk-management 
strategy that underpins our financial strength. It enables us 
to meet the liquidity requirements of hedging client trades 
and therefore limit our exposure to market movements. We 
have consistently paid out around 60% of our earnings as 
ordinary dividends.(2)

(1)  99.51% of trades executed by IG globally in 0.1 seconds, January 2013 – 

May 2013; 99.95% core platform uptime, January 2010 – April 2013

(2)  See our five-year summary on page 156
(3)  Net trading revenue is trading revenue excluding interest on segregated 

client funds and is net of introducing broker commissions

SEGREGATING ouR clIENTS’ moNEy
In all of the jurisdictions where we operate, we fully comply 
with, or exceed, the statutory requirements relating to 
client money segregation.

We only use our own funds for hedging and we never pass 
individual clients’ money to counterparties or to any part of 
the business as working capital.

All retail clients’ money is kept entirely separate from 
our own funds. It is ‘ring-fenced’ and held in segregated 
accounts with a range of major banks. This ensures that the 
money cannot be treated as a recoverable asset by general 
creditors, in the event of default.

NET TRADING REvENuE(3)

-1.4%
£361.9m
£366.8m

PRoFIT BEFoRE TAX

+3.5%
£192.2m
£185.7m

2013

2012

DIluTED EARNINGS PER SHARE (EPS)

+3.4%
38.80P
37.54P

2013

2012

2013

2012

03
3

 
cHAIRmAN’S STATEmENT

Chairman’s statement

I am pleased to report another year of record profitability 
for the Group, a significant achievement given the 
particularly challenging trading environment in the first  
half of the year. 

The Board has adopted a progressive dividend policy that 
reflects the long-term earnings and cash flow potential of 
the Group. Our dividend payout target is in the region of 
60% of profit after tax.

REGulATIoN
As I have mentioned in previous statements, IG operates 
in highly regulated financial markets. Our policy is to 
ensure we remain in compliance with all relevant regulatory 
and legal obligations and to maintain collaborative 
relationships with the relevant authorities.

Client money continues to be one area of particular 
regulatory focus. Our Client Money Committee, under the 
chairmanship of Christopher Hill, has continued to pursue 
best practice, through constant review of processes and 
controls and investment in technology, to ensure we meet 
all the relevant requirements, while reducing the amount of 
human intervention needed in a business of IG’s complexity. 

We will be spending time addressing new Financial 
Conduct Authority (FCA) initiatives, including conduct 
risk, cultural risk and the increasingly widely recognised 
problem of cyber-attacks.

BoARD EvAluATIoN AND comPoSITIoN
The Board undertook a full evaluation under the 
guidance of Dr Tracy Long in our previous financial year; 
consequently it was felt appropriate to conduct an internal 
review this year under the guidance of our Company 
Secretary. I am pleased to say that the outcome of this 
review was satisfactory but also produced some insights  
as to how we can improve our processes.

While our revenue decreased by 1% to £361.9 million  
(2012: £366.8 million), our diluted earnings per share 
increased by 3.4% to 38.80 pence per share (2012: 37.54 
pence per share), thanks primarily to tight expense control 
and materially lower employee variable compensation.

We have continued to develop our business through the 
opening of new offices in Ireland and Norway, together 
with ongoing investment in our brand and technology to 
meet customer demand, particularly in mobile delivery and 
leading-edge platform functionality. Our risk management 
capabilities and strict credit policies have continued 
to perform well, resulting once again in daily revenue 
remaining positive with a very low level of bad debts.  
Your Board remains committed to driving further growth 
in the business and we are presently looking at several 
interesting strategic initiatives to achieve this. 

IG strives to conduct its business with integrity and in a 
way that delivers fair outcomes for its customers. While 
it is always possible to make mistakes, if we are accused 
unjustly of inappropriate practices endangering the strong 
reputation we have worked hard to earn, we will defend 
ourselves vigorously. Our recent victory in the High Court 
in a case which arose from the collapse of Echelon Wealth 
Management a few years ago is testament to this. On 
dismissal of the case the plaintiffs chose not to appeal  
and we also recovered an acceptable amount of our costs. 
We also successfully won other legal victories, including 
the recovery of some substantial historic debts this year. 
I am particularly grateful to our legal team for bringing 
all these matters to a very satisfactory conclusion for our 
business and our shareholders.

DIvIDEND
At the forthcoming AGM your Board will recommend  
a final ordinary dividend of 17.50 pence per share.  
This will bring the total ordinary dividend for the year to 
23.25 pence per share, an increase of 3.3% on the prior 
year. The Board is pleased to be able to recommend  
this level of payout at the end of a challenging year.

04  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

05

cHAIRmAN’S STATEmENT (continued)

Chairman’s statement

I am pleased to welcome Sam Tymms to our Board to 
replace Lord David Currie, who had to retire from the Board 
last October to take on his new role as Chairman of the 
Competition and Markets Authority. Sam is a Managing 
Director at Promontory, a leading strategy, risk management 
and regulatory compliance consulting firm, focusing 
primarily on the financial services industry. Her expertise is 
already proving extremely helpful to the Board, particularly 
during a period of increasing regulatory focus. The Board 
wishes to thank David Currie for his contribution to the 
business and to wish him every success in his new role. 

Martin Jackson, our Chairman of the Audit Committee, and 
I will have completed our nine years of service with IG next 
year; consequently we will be stepping down from the IG 
Board at the AGM in October 2014. We are presently at an 
advanced stage of finding a successor to Martin, who will 
join the Board as soon as possible to build up the relevant 
knowledge of IG and the workings of the Audit Committee 
and Board prior to Martin’s retirement. The Board has 
agreed that our Senior Independent Director, Roger Yates, 
will commence a search for a new Chairman in September 
with the objective of having the candidate on our Board by 
March 2014 to ensure a smooth handover by our AGM.

It is again our intention this year to put every Board 
Director up for re-election at the AGM, in compliance  
with paragraph B.7.1 of the UK Corporate Governance 
Code. In the case of Sam Tymms, this will be the first 
opportunity for election following her appointment as  
a Director in May 2013. All other Directors are being  
put forward for re-election.

REmuNERATIoN
The Remuneration Committee, under the Chairmanship of 
Roger Yates, the Senior Independent Director, has reviewed the 
remuneration for senior management during the past year.

The Committee has decided to undertake a complete 
review of our executive compensation, including changing 
our external advisors. This decision was taken to reflect 
a realistic view of the medium-term growth prospects of 
IG and the need to retain and motivate our management 
team, who have produced outstanding results for 
shareholders in the past few years. To this end Roger and 
I have spent time with our leading shareholders to seek 
their views on the design of a remuneration package 
which aligns management with shareholders’ interests and 
incentivises them competitively for the long term. 

This resulted in the proposal that we are putting before 
shareholders at our forthcoming AGM and which we 
believe achieves our objectives and reflect the Financial 
Conduct Authority’s remuneration principles.

coNcluSIoN
This has been a challenging year for IG. Given the 
extremely difficult trading environment in the first half of 
the year, I believe management responded rapidly and 
appropriately with actions to reduce operating costs, while 
still managing to reap the benefits of a more supportive 
second half and ultimately delivering earnings growth.

We remain committed to delivering superior technology, 
innovative products and the best trading experience, putting 
the needs of our customers at the forefront of everything we 
do. If we continue to do this successfully, I strongly believe 
IG will prosper in a world where constant changes in the 
economic backdrop on the road to recovery, both positive 
and negative, will continue to create opportunities for our 
clients to participate in financial markets.

As always, none of this could have been achieved without 
the commitment of all our employees. This has been 
particularly the case this year, with a disappointing first 
half-year creating the need to manage costs carefully, and 
the strong second half when the external backdrop was 
much more supportive. Our colleagues have been resolute 
throughout the year and responded extremely well to 
the challenges that the markets and competition have 
presented. My fellow Directors and I would like to express 
our sincere thanks to them for their personal contributions 
to the Group’s success this year.

Jonathan Davie 
Chairman 

23 July 2013

06  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

07

 
cHIEF EXEcuTIvE’S REvIEw

Chief exeCutive’s review

The year was characterised by two extremely different 
six-month periods. In the first half financial markets were 
very dull, presenting our clients with fewer opportunities 
to trade than normal. In the second half, while volatility 
remained low, a succession of significant news events 
produced more trading opportunities for our clients. These 
included the US fiscal cliff negotiations, a sustained period 
of rising equity markets, a crash in the price of gold, the 
Cyprus bail-in and a shift in monetary policy in Japan.  
I am pleased with how the business responded in both 
periods. In the first half our cost base flexed downwards 
naturally, particularly as a result of reduced employee 
variable compensation, and we chose to slow down our 
planned investment and trim our cost base. In the second 
half we captured the upside from the increased trading 
levels through our extremely robust trading platform and 
high-quality execution. As a result, despite the challenging 
conditions and a fall in revenue for the year as a whole, we 
were able to deliver modest growth in profit and earnings. 
Our profit before tax grew by 3.5% to £192.2 million and 
our diluted EPS increased by 3.4% to 38.80 pence.

A full review of the financial performance of the business during 
the year is set out in the ‘Operating and Financial Review’.

BuSINESS DEvEloPmENTS
Over the last couple of years we have increasingly focused 
IG on active retail traders – individuals who have the 
knowledge and desire to trade the financial markets on 
a regular basis. During this year we undertook a major 
project to relaunch our main brands as IG. This ensures that 
our websites, platforms, advertising and all of our other 
manifestations are consistent worldwide, and represent 
more accurately the scale of our business and its stature  
as the standard bearer for our industry. As part of this  
we acquired a number of domain names, including  
IG.com and a wide range of local IG domains, such as 
IG.co.uk and IG.de. Shortly after the year-end we launched 
IG.com for our UK clients. This website has a number of 
new features for both current and prospective clients. We 
have consolidated spread betting and CFDs into a single 
website, and for the first time our clients are now able to 
access multiple accounts, and hence multiple products  
and platforms, from a single login. IG.com also makes our  
market insight research content available to non-clients. 
Over the next few months we will be migrating all of 
our websites to IG.com, consolidating our online traffic 
worldwide on a single domain. We believe that this 

will deliver significant benefits to our ranking on search 
engines, as well as improving our buying power for paid 
search, thereby enhancing our client acquisition rates.

Technology is a key competitive differentiator and we 
continue to invest heavily in this area, further developing 
our core platforms, both web-based and mobile. The 
proportion of client transactions placed using our mobile 
apps is increasing steadily, and in the last few weeks of 
the year approached 30% of all client trades. We expect 
ongoing growth in the use of mobile platforms, and we 
continue to develop our apps to ensure that they remain  
at the forefront of mobile trading and provide our clients 
with all the features and tools necessary to trade with us. 

Alongside our core platforms we also offer a number 
of platforms which cater for clients with specific trading 
requirements. For some time we have had a direct market 
access (DMA) platform, L2, for our most advanced share-
trading clients. During the coming year we will pilot the 
ability for clients to trade and hold cash equities alongside 
equity CFDs within this platform. If this pilot is successful 
we would expect to add this functionality to our core 
platforms in the following financial year. 

We are already the largest retail forex provider in a number 
of our markets, but our market lead is not as decisive as 
it is for some other products. This may in part reflect that 
until recently we have not had a specialist forex trading 
platform. One of the most popular trading platforms for 
retail forex traders is MetaTrader 4 and we have recently 
completed the necessary development work to connect 
this to our pricing, execution and back office systems. 
We are currently offering MetaTrader 4 to a pilot group 
of clients before making it generally available in the 
coming months. This platform has a large and loyal user 
base around the world, who we believe will welcome the 
opportunity to trade forex with IG using this platform.  
I am optimistic that we will see incremental client gains 
over the coming years as a result of offering MetaTrader 4. 

Early in the financial year we received the unwelcome news 
that PFG Best, the only broker connected to Nadex, our US 
regulated exchange, was going into bankruptcy. Towards 
the end of the year we purchased PFG’s software from the 
Trustee in Bankruptcy. This software includes a full suite of 
front, middle and back office components.

08  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

09

cHIEF EXEcuTIvE’S REvIEw (continued)

Chief exeCutive’s review

We are currently developing this into Nadex Connect, an 
‘out of the box’ offering, providing a complete software 
solution for brokers to offer Nadex products. This technology 
constraint was a significant barrier to opening up this 
intermediated distribution channel. Meanwhile, we have 
seen promising growth in the number of members trading 
on the Nadex exchange, albeit from a low base, as a result 
of focusing on direct retail marketing. Over the last few 
weeks we have also seen increasing regulatory action 
against over-the-counter (OTC) binary option providers 
who have been offering these products illegally in the US. 
Both the US Commodities Futures Trading Commission 
(CFTC) and the US Securities and Exchange Commission 
(SEC) have made it clear that it is only legal for a US 
resident to trade binaries on a regulated exchange such as 
Nadex. Nadex remains a long-term project, and I do not 
underestimate the challenges of developing a substantial 
business in a market as large and competitive as the United 
States. However, we have made good progress over the 
last year and I am increasingly optimistic that Nadex can 
reach profitability within a reasonable timeframe. This will 
be an important milestone in establishing the long-term 
prospects of our US business.

INTERNATIoNAl GRowTH
International expansion remains a key part of our strategy. 
There are several parts to this. 

Firstly, we continue to seek to establish new offices in 
countries where we do not currently have a presence, 
and during the year we opened new offices in Ireland and 
Norway. This is a driver of longer-term growth and does, of 
course, require expenditure in advance of any new office 
beginning to generate revenue. It can also take several years 
for new offices to reach the profitability levels of our existing 
offices. We are currently at varying stages of discussion with 
regulators in three new jurisdictions that have the potential 
to contribute to our growth outside the UK and Europe. 
These discussions may or may not ultimately result in us 
being able to operate in all these countries. 

Secondly, I believe that there remains very significant 
growth potential from the offices we have established 
over the last seven years. Many of the markets in which we 
operate are still at an early stage in their development, are 
small relative to our established businesses in the UK and 
Australia, and have spent most of their early years battling 
poor macro-economic conditions. We continue to see 
strong growth rates from our German and Singaporean 

(1) All market share data has been provided by Investment Trends Limited 

(refer to the Investor Resources section for details)

10  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

offices, with revenue in the second half up 36% and 29% 
respectively. Together these two offices now generate 
almost the same level of revenue as Australia, which grew at 
a more modest 12% in the second half of the year.  
Given these relative growth rates, Germany and Singapore, 
and the regions in which they sit, are likely to become 
increasingly important drivers of overall revenue growth for 
the Group over the coming years. Both of these offices were 
established approximately seven years ago and the fact that 
they continue to grow strongly is promising for the long-
term prospects of our more recently established offices.

Finally, we are being increasingly successful at recruiting 
clients from countries in the world where we do not 
have a local office, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. 
Although our ability to undertake targeted marketing is 
limited, a growing number of clients are finding us online 
and the IG.com domain will further help this. We are also 
introducing a number of changes which will make it easier 
for clients in these countries to open accounts with us and 
then to fund and trade through those accounts.

A FocuSED APPRoAcH To  
clIENT SERvIcE
Our aim is to deliver the best possible trading experience 
for active traders and to provide the best possible range of 
tools to support their trading activities. We give our largest 
and most valuable clients a very personalised service, while 
ensuring that all of our clients enjoy the highest standards 
of pricing, execution and client service. Our focus on active 
retail traders means that we expect to recruit fewer new 
clients than we have in the past, but we also expect these 
clients will be on average of higher value. We believe this 
is already one of the drivers of the increase in revenue per 
client of 6% for the year within our established markets. 

We have introduced a rolling survey of our clients in all of 
our markets to enable us to continually monitor satisfaction 
levels. In addition, independent market research gives 
us annual data on satisfaction levels and Net Promoter 
Scores (NPS) for us and our competitors across our five 
largest markets. We saw significant improvements in our 
already strong NPS in most of these markets and in all 
cases we enjoy a score substantially above the industry 
average. NPS is a widely recognised measure of customer 
loyalty, with a high score normally associated with strong, 
sustainable long-term revenue growth. Word of mouth 
recommendation remains a major source of new clients, 
and independent research(1) indicates that we are the 

largest beneficiary of switching between providers within 
our industry. All of this, I believe, bodes well for continued 
gains in market share in our main markets.

REGulATIoN
There remains uncertainty about the impact that a 
European Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) might have on 
our business. Over the last couple of months it has become 
increasingly clear that progress on introducing this tax 
is likely to be quite slow, and that there is no consensus 
among the participating member states on the form any 
tax should take. It appears increasingly likely that any tax 
eventually introduced could be of a more limited scope, 
perhaps only applying to cash equities in a similar way to 
the current unilateral French FTT. The tax in France has 
no adverse impact on our business as it does not apply to 
our transactions with our clients or those we carry out to 
hedge our residual risk. In Italy, a complex FTT was due 
to be introduced in two stages, with the second stage on 
1 July. The first stage, which applies only to cash equities, 
came into force in March. Introduction of the second stage, 
applicable to derivatives, has been deferred. The first stage 
necessitated some changes to our pricing, but it is not yet 
clear what impact the second stage may have, if and when 
it is eventually introduced. 

In Japan, new rules are being introduced on binaries, which 
accounted for approximately 25% of the revenue from our 
Japanese office in the year. On the one hand these new 
regulations provide a beneficial shift in the competitive 
landscape, because they outlaw forms of binary which are 
offered by the majority of our competitors in Japan, but 
not by us. On the other hand, the new rules are likely to 
make it significantly harder to sign up new binary clients, 
as they introduce a detailed test which new clients must 
pass before being permitted to trade the products. Further 
clarity is still required around the implementation of these 
rules, but we currently anticipate they will come into force 
towards the end of this calendar year.

THE EcoNomIc BAckDRoP
There is considerable economic stress in the majority of 
the countries in which we operate and the global economic 
outlook remains uncertain. This undoubtedly has an impact 
on our industry and has impacted our ability to recruit new 
clients. More positively, the flow of economic news has 
provided a wealth of trading opportunities for our installed 
client base. In the short to medium term I believe that 

we will continue to see a flow of mixed economic data, 
providing continuing trading opportunities for our clients.

Over the longer term, the Group should benefit as 
economic conditions improve, providing an easier 
backdrop against which to recruit new clients. Additionally, 
when interest rates eventually start to rise again, the 
interest that we earn on client money, which is currently in 
decline, has the potential to once again become a more 
significant contributor to our profitability.

ouTlook
In the coming year we face relatively benign comparatives 
for the first two quarters, and then increasingly challenging 
comparatives for the final two quarters of the year. 
Trading to this point in the 2014 year has been in line with 
expectations, with a strong June followed by a quieter 
July as we head into holiday season in the Northern 
Hemisphere. Following the reduction in our operating 
costs in 2013, we plan for these to rise in 2014. The primary 
drivers of this increase are the resetting of employee 
variable compensation into the new financial year, the 
impact of inflation on overall remuneration, an assumed 
increase in regulatory fees and additional investment in 
growing the business.

We have made considerable progress over the last year with 
our rebranding, the launch of IG.com and the development 
of our platform offering. Our additional investment in the 
next financial year will focus on specific initiatives aimed at 
further enhancing the Group’s offerings for active traders, 
including introducing MetaTrader 4, development of our 
mobile platforms, and further geographic expansion.

This is a business in which we need to continue to invest 
for the longer term. Our business is highly cash generative 
and has a strong balance sheet, giving us significant 
competitive advantage and a high level of resilience. The 
investments we will make in the coming year should leave 
us well placed for future growth. I am confident in the 
prospects for the business going forward.

Tim Howkins 
Chief Executive 

23 July 2013

11

 
Business review

14
16
18
20
22
24
26
28
36

13
13

BuSINESS 
REvIEw

What We Do 
our business moDel 
our strategy 

Maintaining our market leadership 
Sustaining our leadership in technology 
Strengthening our global presence 
Delivering quality service 

managing our business risk 
operating anD Financial revieW 

12  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT
12  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

Section: TiTlewHAT wE Do

We provide active retail traders with fast and flexible access to the financial markets. 

Using our award-winning dealing platform, our clients take 
positions on financial market movements without needing 
to own the underlying asset. Clients are able to capitalise 
on both rising and falling markets, taking advantage of 
leverage with our competitive margin rates.

coNTRAcTS FoR DIFFERENcE (cFDs)
CFDs are derivatives that enable clients to take advantage of 
changes in an asset’s price, without owning the asset itself. 

•	 We	are	the	world’s	No.1	CFD	provider
•	 We	offer	global	CFD	trading,	including	direct	market	

Our range of over 10,000 global financial markets includes:

access (DMA) to shares and forex markets

•	 Forex – the value of one currency in relation to another, 

See page 162 for an example of a CFD trade.

such as the pound versus the dollar

•	 Indices – the movements of global stock indices such  

as the DAX, the Dow Jones and the FTSE 100

•	 Shares – the performance of thousands of  

individual companies

•	 Commodities – the prices of key resources such as gold, 

oil and wheat

We also offer trading opportunities on interest rates, 
government bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and  
a number of other markets.

Our clients can deal 24 hours a day and access their 
accounts on the move using our range of customised  
apps for mobile devices.

ouR PRoDucTS
We offer a variety of products in line with the differing 
regulatory environments in the territories where we operate. 

SPREAD BETTING
Financial spread betting in the UK is a tax-free(1) way to deal 
by betting on the price movement of an asset. The size of  
a client’s win or loss depends on the degree and direction 
of the price movement.

•	 We	are	the	UK’s	largest	and	longest-running	spread	

betting provider(2)

•	 We	are	the	UK’s	No.1	financial	spread	betting	provider

See page 160 for an example of a spread bet.

BINARIES
Our pioneering binary markets are based on a single 
question: ‘Will the underlying market behave in a specific 
way before the binary expires?’ Clients predict whether the 
answer will be yes or no.

•	 Binaries	are	unrestricted	by	volatility,	remaining	attractive	

to clients when markets are stable

•	 Our	binaries	enable	clients	to	trade	with	limited	risk

NoRTH AmERIcAN DERIvATIvES EXcHANGE (NADEX)
Nadex is our US derivatives exchange, enabling US 
investors to trade global financial markets in  
retail-sized contracts.

•	 Nadex	is	the	first	US-based	retail-oriented	exchange
•	 We	provide	a	flexible	way	for	our	clients	to	trade	with	

limited risk

How wE GENERATE REvENuE  
AND PRoFIT
Our principal revenue sources are the dealing spreads 
or commission charges we apply to each transaction, 
according to the asset and product type being traded.  
We also charge funding for positions held overnight.

We derive our earnings from the volume of our clients’ 
dealing transactions, which can be influenced by the level 
of activity in the underlying financial markets. Since our 
clients can choose to ‘buy’ or ‘sell’, dealing volumes can 
be maintained and we are able to profit irrespective of the 
direction in which markets are moving.

A centralised operating model enables us to maintain 
low-cost and capital-efficient processes, while robust risk 
management procedures help us monitor and control the 
impact of market and credit risk.

(1)  Tax laws are subject to change and depend on individual circumstances
(2)  All market share data presented in this report is provided by Investment 
Trends Limited (please refer to ‘Investor resources’ section for details)

14  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

ouR AcHIEvEmENTS
THE NumBER oNE
In 1974 we founded the world’s first financial spread betting 
company, Investors Gold Index. Our goal was to give retail 
investors a new opportunity to access financial markets 
without the need to own the underlying asset, beginning 
with gold. Nearly 40 years later, we remain committed  
to creating opportunity for our clients.

In 1982 we were the first to offer spread betting on the 
FT30. Our other firsts have included spread betting on 
individual shares (1995), the first online dealing platform  
for financial spread betting (1998) and the UK’s first 
browser-based direct market access (DMA) CFD trading 
service (2009).

DRIvING TEcHNoloGy FoRwARD
Our recent developments include a Chrome browser 
extension enabling clients to deal from almost any page 
on the web, push alerts to mobile devices, an interactive 
preview allowing prospective clients to explore our  
web-based platform and mobile app with no login.

A GloBAl BuSINESS
We began our international expansion in 2002, when we 
became Australia’s first CFD provider. We opened offices  
in Germany and Singapore in 2006, and more territories 
have followed regularly. 

We currently have operations based in 16 countries, 
providing clients from over 130 countries with access  
to the financial markets. This year we opened two  
offices, in Ireland and Norway.

BUSINESS REvIEW : what we DO

15

ouR BuSINESS moDEl

We have developed our commercial model to harness the demand from active
retail traders for fast, flexible and secure online trading services.

Our superior technology gives our clients rapid and 
reliable access to thousands of global financial markets 
through a variety of routes. We offer a selection of 
products, complemented by efficient execution and  
a range of other advantages which enable our clients  
to trade with confidence.

We optimise our earnings through careful management 
of our processes and operational risks. We reinvest 
in technology, product development and marketing, 
improving our offering and attracting new clients.

BUSINESS REvIEW: Our Business mODeL

ouR clIENTS
Our international network of offices and high-quality 
partners, supported by targeted advertising campaigns, 
enables us to attract clients globally.

•	 Almost	56,000	new	clients	opened	accounts	in	the	 

2013 financial year

•	 Almost	140,000	clients	traded	in	the	year
•	 16	international	sales	offices
•	 Online	presence	in	20	countries
•	 282	global	business	partners

ouR EARNINGS
Our systems and processes are designed to manage market 
and credit risk and enable us to consistently generate 
earnings based on the volume of our clients’ trades.

SouRcES oF TRADING REvENuE
Across multiple asset classes, we receive:

•	 Spread	or	commission	for	each	trade
•	 Overnight	funding	charges	to	reflect	leverage

RISk mANAGEmENT
•	 Scale	of	operations	creates	natural	hedging,	with	client	

positions often offsetting each other

•	 Our	liquidity	enables	funding	of	large	hedging	positions	

ouR
EARNINGS

with brokers

•	 Clients	must	provide	margin	up-front,	and	positions

are closed out if margin is significantly eroded

•	 Real-time	mark-to-market	trading	platform	calculates	
client profit and loss continuously, enabling us to 
manage risk

coNSISTENT PERFoRmANcE
•	 Award-winning	performance	and	proven	resilience

ouR
clIENTS

ouR ADvANTAGES
We grow and retain our client base by offering  
a superior trading experience, peerless service,  
and the assurance only a market leader can provide.

ouR TEcHNoloGy
We provide a range of in-house platforms and  
third-party solutions equipped with features to  
support our clients’ individual dealing preferences.

ouR
TEcHNoloGy

ouR
ADvANTAGES

ouR
PRoDucTS

FINANcIAl
mARkETS

•	 Award-winning	dealing	platforms	deliver	 

high-speed execution

•	 Tailored	apps	for	all	mobile	devices	enable	clients	to	

manage their accounts on the move

•	 Third-party	software	provides	capabilities	for	analysis	

and automated trading 

ouR PRoDucTS
Our clients can capitalise on both rising and falling 
markets and take advantage of leverage with our 
derivative products.

•	 Contracts	for	difference	(CFDs)
•	 Financial	spread	betting
•	 Binaries

STRENGTH AND STABIlITy
•	 Established	FTSE	250	member	with	surplus	liquid	

regulatory capital

•	 Consistent	profitability	enables	investment	in	

technology, product development and marketing

AuTHoRITy AND EXPERTISE
•	 Market	leader	for	almost	40	years
•	 Multiple	awards	won	every	year

clIENT FocuS
•	 24-hour	customer	support	Monday	to	Friday
•	 Comprehensive	range	of	educational	resources
•	 Committed	to	the	treating	customers	fairly	(TCF)	

initiative upheld by the FCA

HIGH cAlIBRE STAFF
•	 One	of	the	UK’s	top	employers,	consistently	attracting	

top people

•	 Continually	growing	and	developing	our	skill	set	 

to meet business needs and support our  
technology investment

FINANcIAl mARkETS
Our retail clients can trade across a wide variety of 
markets, geographies and asset classes.

•	 Forex
•	 Indices
•	 Shares
•	 Commodities

•	 Interest	rates
•	 Bonds
•	 ETFs
•	 Industry	sectors

16  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

17

 
 
 
 
 
 
ouR STRATEGy

BUSINESS REvIEW : Our strategy

Leveraging the strengths of our established reputation and unified global brand,  
we are focusing on four strategic objectives to drive our continued growth and 
maximise returns for our shareholders.

mAINTAINING ouR 
mARkET lEADERSHIP

We aspire to be the market leader in online trading for 
active retail traders, and we are currently the No.1 global 
provider of CFDs and financial spread betting.

We have achieved our position at the forefront of the 
industry by recruiting talented people, developing 
superior technology and building on our financial 
strength. We continue to leverage this combination of 
key advantages to grow the lead we have established  
in the major markets where we operate.

See page 20

SuSTAINING ouR 
lEADERSHIP IN 
TEcHNoloGy

Our financial strength has enabled us to invest in IT 
development and build superior platform technology, 
tools and resources for our clients.

Our market-leading position is underpinned by 
our platform’s award-winning performance and 
proven resilience. We work continually to introduce 
enhancements and create a flexible trading environment 
that supports our clients’ individual needs.

DElIvERING quAlITy 
SERvIcE

We maintain absolute integrity in our relationship with 
clients, and our responsive approach has won us top 
ratings for customer satisfaction in independent research.

By combining fast and reliable execution with transparent 
pricing and segregation of retail client funds in 
accordance with FCA rules, we help our clients to feel 
secure and confident in trading with us. We also support 
our clients with educational programmes, market insight 
resources and 24-hour technical help.

See page 22

See page 26

18  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

19

StrengthenIng our global preSenceWe have offices in 16 countries, serving clients in over  130 countries, and we continue to seek opportunities  to grow our client base in both established and  new territories.Our new single global identity – IG – will help us to develop our brand reach, increase our market penetration and target regional markets from the countries in which we already operate.See page 24ouR STRATEGy (continued)

mAINTAINING ouR mARkET lEADERSHIP

ESTABlISHED GloBAl lEADER
We hold a market-leading position in many countries 
including the UK, Australia, Singapore and France. Since 
1974 we’ve helped people from over 130 countries deal  
on the financial markets. In the last year alone, nearly 
140,000 clients traded with us. 

We are the No.1 global provider of CFDs and financial 
spread betting. Independent research by Investment 
Trends has confirmed our market share of primary accounts 
for CFDs at 32% in the UK, 37% in Australia, and 22% in 
France. We hold a 44% market share of primary accounts 
for spread betting in the UK. 

We maintain our position by focussing on quality service 
and continued development of our product offering. 
Globally, 81% of new clients who have traded with us said 
they’re likely to continue doing business with us. 

AwARD-wINNING BuSINESS
Feedback from satisfied clients about our service, our range 
of products and superior technology is the most important 
measure of our success, but we’re proud to have been 
recognised and endorsed with recent industry awards:

  2012 MoneyAM Awards (UK) 
  Best online CFD Provider

  2012 UK Forex Awards  
  Best Forex Trading Tools

  2012 Shares Magazine Awards (UK)  

 Best Spread Betting Service and Best Online  
Trading Platform 

 2012 Investors Chronicle/Financial Times  
Investment Awards (UK) 
Best Spread Betting Service and Best Online  
Trading Platform 

 TheBull ‘Stockies’ Awards (Australia) 
2013 Best Forex Provider 
2012 Best CFD Provider – awarded for the fourth 
consecutive year

kEy PERFoRmANcE INDIcAToRS (kPIs)
We analyse a suite of metrics to ensure we are achieving our objectives. 

GRouP REvENuE 2009-2013

)

m
£

(

e
u
n
e
v
e
R

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

H1

H2

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

20  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

BUSINESS REvIEW : Our strategy

comPETITIvE ADvANTAGE
The scale of our operations and the strength of our 
balance sheet enable us to invest continuously in 
technological development and high-quality marketing. 
This, in turn, helps us maintain and increase our lead, 
driving sustainable competitive advantage and stronger 
financial results.

SuPERIoR TEcHNoloGy
We understand that the performance and resilience 
of our technology is essential to maintain high levels 
of client satisfaction and retention and keep us at the 
forefront of the industry. That’s why we’re continuing 
to innovate, invest in new technology, and improve our 
trading platforms. 

cAPITAlISING oN ouR STRENGTHS
Our strengths lie in our size and stability, our heritage 
and our reputation. Here are some of the ways we 
continue to build on these strengths to drive revenue:

SEcuRITy AND INTEGRITy
Our clients look to us to provide a secure and  
trusted way to trade, and we respond by taking  
an industry-leading stance towards segregating  
client money.

In the UK we are regulated by the Financial Conduct 
Authority (FCA). We offer full segregation of all individual 
client funds, even in those territories where regulations 
don’t require this level of protection – our clients can rest 
assured we only ever use our own funds for hedging.

TAlENTED PEoPlE
Listed as one of Britain’s Top Employers for six 
consecutive years, we are able to attract and recruit  
high-calibre staff who bring specialist skills, knowledge 
and expertise to our business.

Recent developments include our Chrome browser 
extension, enabling clients to open deals from almost 
any page on the web, and our platform preview which 
allows prospective clients to experience our technology 
before opening an account.

mARkETING EXPERTISE
By targeting the right people at the right time and 
through the right channels, we aim to increase the 
average revenue per client and quality of our new 
accounts. Our in-house marketing team creates high-
profile campaigns and tailored messages to address 
individuals already familiar with derivative trading 
products, as well as materials that support and educate 
those who are new to CFDs and spread betting.

We’ve recently rebranded and merged our spread 
betting and CFD websites into one easy, memorable 
domain – IG.com. This helps us to improve the efficiency 
of our international online marketing and maximise our 
resources, as well as supporting our stronger, unified 
global brand.

uk mARkET SHARE PERcENTAGE 
We use independent research to evaluate our market 
share performance.

NumBER oF AcTIvE clIENTS 
We continuously monitor the number of active clients and 
revenue per client, as our Group revenue is a product of 
these factors.

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

3
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

%
4
4

%
1
4

%
2
3

%
4
2

Spread betting

CFDs

-5%
136,063
143,304

AvERAGE REvENuE PER clIENT

+4%
£2,659
£2,560

2013

2012

2013

2012

21
21

 
 
 
 
ouR sTRaTEGy (continued)

susTaiNiNG ouR lEadERship iN TEChNoloGy

awaRd-wiNNiNG plaTfoRms
In the last year almost 140,000 clients used our online 
dealing platforms and tailored mobile apps to make over  
two million transactions per month.

oNGoiNG iT iNvEsTmENT
we have an in-house team of developers who work  
on multiple IT projects simultaneously and deliver  
a continuous stream of new features to our clients.

we have won multiple awards for our trading technology, 
recognising its security, reliability and speed. Recent 
accolades in the UK include best Online Trading Platform 
2012 (Shares Magazine) and best Spread betting App 
2012 (Financial Times/Investors Chronicle). we have been 
ranked as Australia’s No.1 forex provider in terms of our 
mobile app, and Singapore’s leading CFD provider  
for platform efficiency, reliability and ease of use.

we currently execute 99.51% of deals in under 
0.1 seconds, and our core platform uptime is 99.95%.(1)

The efficiency and resilience of our systems help us to 
achieve consistent platform performance in volatile market 
conditions and peak periods of trading activity.

we have also created a robust back-office infrastructure 
to streamline and expedite processes such as account 
opening, and to monitor and control our own exposure  
to risk with greater precision.

we recognise the increasing significance of mobile 
technology and continue to develop and invest in our 
range of tailored apps. This year 25% of transactions were 
placed on mobile devices. In all, 28% of our revenue is 
now generated from mobile, and giving clients the ability 
to access their accounts and trade all our markets securely 
while on the move is key in driving this growth.

 (1) 99.51% of trades executed by IG globally in 0.1 seconds, January 2013 – 

May 2013; 99.95% core platform uptime, January 2010 – April 2013

RECENT iNiTiaTivEs
Our latest developments focus on creating a flexible 
trading environment that supports our clients’ individual 
dealing styles. we have also enhanced our websites to 
make it easier for visitors to explore the services we offer 
and quickly gain access to the financial markets. 

iNTERaCTivE plaTfoRm pREviEw
Prospective clients can experience a simulation of our  
web-based platform and mobile app, and try a selection of 
tools and features, without the need to create an account.

CoNTExTual plaTfoRm hElp
Our new tips provide an instantly accessible guide within 
our platform. As well as explaining functionality, they 
encourage clients to try new features and engage further 
with our technology. 

alTERNaTivE aCCEss RouTEs
Our clients will soon be able to trade our products through 
MetaTrader 4, a third-party online trading platform 
particularly favoured by forex traders for its automated 
trading and technical analysis, as well as via bloomberg 
terminals and the Financial Information eXchange (FIX) API.

EasiER aCCEss To iG aCCouNTs
Clients holding multiple accounts with us can now manage 
them all together from one login. In addition, we have 
created a single app for both spread betting and CFD 
trading on mobile devices.

KEy pERfoRmaNCE iNdiCaToRs (Kpis)
we analyse a suite of metrics to ensure we are achieving 
our objectives.

with clients increasingly moving towards trading on mobile 
devices, mobile usage metrics are key drivers for our 
decision-making. 

CliENTs usiNG mobilE dEviCEs 

ComposiTioN of mobilE REvENuE 

60

50

40

30

20

10

)

%

(

i

s
e
c
v
e
d
e

l
i

b
o
m
g
n
i
s
u

s
t
n
e

i
l

C

0

Jan-10

M ay-10

Se p-10

Jan-11

M ay-11

Se p-11

Jan-12

M ay-12

Se p-12

Jan-13

M ay-13

iPhone app

Other mobile

Android app

iPad app

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

e
u
n
e
v
e
r

l

a
t
o
t

f
o
e
g
a
t
n
e
c
r
e
P

0

Jan-11

M ar-11

M ay-11
Jul-11

Se p-11

N ov-11

Jan-12

M ar-12

Jul-12
M ay-12

Se p-12

N ov-12

Jan-13

M ar-13

M ay-13

bUSINESS REvIEw: Our strategy

push alERTs
Clients can choose to receive immediate notifications via 
their mobile device or by email, alerting them to potential 
dealing opportunities or confirming when we have 
executed automated trades. 

ChRomE bRowsER ExTENsioN
Our browser extension helps clients to identify dealing 
opportunities via financial news and other websites and 
react instantly, enabling them to open positions with us 
from almost any page on the web.

we constantly upgrade and monitor the performance of 
our operating systems to ensure we can maintain service 
when trading volumes peak.

auTomaTEd TRadEs ExECuTEd iN lEss

ThaN 0.1 sECoNds

99.51%
99.39%

CoRE plaTfoRm upTimE

99.95%
99.94%

2013

2012

2013

2012

22  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

The bloomberg name and logo are registered trademarks of bloomberg Finance L.P. bloomberg is not responsible for and has no connection 
with the services offered by IG

23
23

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BUSINESS REvIEW : Our strategy

NADEX
We continue to develop our US subsidiary, Nadex, and 
produce integrated marketing campaigns across multiple 
channels to promote our unique product range. As a result, 
the number of active Nadex clients has almost doubled 
over the past year.

While Nadex remains an ongoing project and is still a small 
part of our operations, we are optimistic our exchange has 
long-term prospects in the US.

cENTRAlISED oPERATIoNS
Our centralised operating model promotes the effective 
management of our global businesses. It supports  
organic growth and ensures that our commercial  
activities are both low-cost and capital-efficient.

ouR STRATEGy (continued)

STRENGTHENING ouR GloBAl PRESENcE

INcREASED mARkET PENETRATIoN
Over the past six years we have opened 13 new offices 
around the world. This year has seen two new additions, 
Norway and Ireland, giving us a physical presence in eight 
countries in and around the European Economic Area. We 
are excited about the opportunities presented by Norway 
and Ireland, as these regions have an established trading 
market and competition has weakened recently.

The larger European economies have established online 
trading communities, which are a natural target audience 
for our product set. We expect to see continued growth 
from these sources. We are also actively exploring other 
new territories, where regulatory conditions are favourable 
or are expected to become favourable.

We have recently moved to new premises in Australia, 
Singapore and South Africa and extended our premises 
in France, as we now have a clearer sense of the size 
of the longer-term opportunity in these countries and 
neighbouring areas.

While we continue to grow our client base in markets 
where we already have an established commercial 
presence, our network of global offices enables us to drive 
further growth by targeting additional regional markets 
from the countries where we already operate. This is 
already particularly relevant in the Asia Pacific region.

A uNIFIED GloBAl BRAND
In 2012 we initiated a major business development:  
we consolidated our spread betting and CFD brands,  
IG Index and IG Markets, into a simple and memorable 
single identity – IG. 

Our new name recognises and leverages the strength of 
the IG brand, positioning us as a unified global business 
that delivers consistently high service across all territories. 
Our new identity is powerful in its clarity, and will help us to 
develop our brand reach further worldwide.

Our single identity, outside the US, is supported by our 
investment in a suite of domain names centred around 
IG.com. This reflects our new brand name and provides 
users with a straightforward route to our network of 
websites, as well as significantly increasing the efficiency 
of our online marketing. We have recently merged our UK 
spread betting and CFD sites and created a consistent 
structure and style across all sites, and this has enabled us 
to optimise our use of resources.

kEy PERFoRmANcE INDIcAToRS (kPIs)
We analyse a suite of metrics to ensure we are achieving our objectives.

GEoGRAPHIc NET TRADING REvENuE
We monitor net trading revenue by region and compare against other regions at a similar stage of maturity.

GEoGRAPHIc oPERATING PRoFIT
We assess operating profit by geographical area.

2012

2013

2012

2013

£191.8m  UK
£58.0m 
£72.2m 
£16.4m 
£28.4m 

 Australia
 Europe
 Japan
 Rest of World

£186.5m  UK
£56.3m 
£71.0m 
£15.9m 
£32.2m 

 Australia
 Europe
 Japan
 Rest of World

£107.1m  UK
£36.1m 
£26.1m 
£6.2m 
£10.0m 

 Australia
 Europe
 Japan
 Rest of World

£110.2m  UK
£36.6m 
£26.6m 
£7.2m 
£11.3m 

 Australia
 Europe
 Japan
 Rest of World

24  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

25

ouR STRATEGy (continued)

DElIvERING quAlITy SERvIcE

clIENT moNEy SEGREGATIoN
We adopt a best-practice approach to holding client 
money. In all of the jurisdictions where we operate, we fully 
comply with the statutory requirements relating to client 
money segregation. We segregate all individual clients’ 
funds into client money bank accounts.

In the UK we follow the client-asset rules set by the 
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and in other jurisdictions 
we adhere to similar rules set by local regulators, including 
the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the Australian 
Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the 
Japanese Financial Services Authority (JFSA). 

We also commissioned an independent assurance 
assessment of our client money processes, which was 
completed to the International Standard on Assurance 
Engagements (ISAE) 3000 standard. We believe we are  
the first firm in our industry to do so.

We are regulated by the FCA in the UK, as well as 
other major regulators in our overseas locations

We hold all retail client money in segregated  
accounts with a range of major banks

We only use our own funds for hedging

We do not pass individual clients’ money through  
to hedging counterparties

comPETITIvE cHARGES,  
TRANSPARENT PRIcING
We offer competitive prices, such as our spreads starting 
from just 0.8 pips on major currency pairs, without 
compromising on the quality of our service.

Where available, we source equity prices from multilateral 
trading facilities (MTFs) as well as primary exchanges,  
for greater liquidity and better prices for our clients. 

RESPoNDING To clIENT FEEDBAck
We always listen carefully to comments from clients, and often 
ask for their input through tailored surveys and focus groups 
linked to marketing campaigns or trials of new technology. 

We create new functionality to meet clients’ needs and 
requests. Recent examples include the ability to withdraw 
funds using mobile apps, push alerts to mobile devices, 
and the integration of popular third-party charting 
packages. We have brought together our CFD and spread 
betting websites at IG.com and created a single client 
login – making it easy for clients to access, manage and 
trade from multiple accounts.

TREATING cuSTomERS FAIRly
We are proud of our reputation for excellent customer service 
and client support, and continually seek ways to improve. We 
have developed our own unique set of measures to help us  
monitor our treatment of clients, demonstrating our commitment 
to the FCA’s Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) initiative.

kEy PERFoRmANcE INDIcAToRS (kPIs)
We analyse a suite of metrics to ensure we are achieving our objectives.

NET PRomoTER ScoRE

BUSINESS REvIEW : Our strategy

We offer high-speed execution, our own dealing 
technology never requotes prices(1), and we only fill orders 
at the price the client requested or better (within our set 
margin of tolerance).

These are just some of the reasons why over 50% of our 
clients rate us as ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’, and we receive 
a very low level of complaints.

clIENT SuPPoRT AND EDucATIoN
We recognise the importance of educating and supporting 
our clients, so our extensive range of resources includes:

•	 An	introductory	education	programme	promoting	

responsible trading

•	 A	wide	range	of	client	seminars	and	webinars,	available	

online and in person

•	 Daily	research	bulletins	on	major	financial	markets,	 
plus regular technical analysis from in-house and  
third-party sources

•	 A	dedicated	market	insight	section	on	our	website
•	 A	comprehensive	online	help	portal	
•	 24-hour	support	Monday	to	Friday	–	over	the	phone,	 

by email, live chat and Twitter

 (1) Excludes MT4, a third-party platform offered by IG

NET PRomoTER ScoRE
Our Net Promoter Score (NPS) is one of the Key 
Performance Indicators (KPIs) that we use to gauge how 
successfully we are achieving our strategic objectives. This 
is a widely recognised measure of customer loyalty, with 
a high score normally associated with strong, sustainable 
long-term revenue growth.

Independent research company Investment Trends used 
the NPS method to survey spread betting and CFD 
trading clients in various countries, asking if they would 
recommend their provider to a friend or colleague. We 
were among the highest ranking companies in all the 
regions they studied. Word of mouth recommendation 
remains a major source of new clients and independent 
research indicated that we are the largest beneficiary in  
our industry of traders switching between providers.

We achieved the top score of all providers in Australia,  
and in the UK we ranked second for spread betting and 
third for CFDs. In the UK we scored 25 for spread betting 
and 20 for CFD trading, against industry averages of 6 and 
3 respectively. 

NPS is calculated by asking respondents: ‘How likely 
are you to recommend this company to a friend or 
colleague?’ Respondents reply on a 0-10 scale, with the 
final NPS calculated as the percentage of promoters (those 
answering 9 or 10) minus the percentage of detractors 
(those answering 0-6).

UK spread betting  

UK CFDs  

Australia

Singapore 

France  

Germany

IG

Nearest competitor

Industry average

IG

Nearest competitor

Industry average

IG

Nearest competitor

Industry average

IG

Nearest competitor

Industry average

IG

Nearest competitor

Industry average

IG

Nearest competitor

Industry average

-6

+25

+6

+21

+20

+3

+18

-16

-7

-12

-20

-34

+12

+7

-5

+14

-8

-9

-40

-20

0

20

40

-40

-20

0

20

40

-40

-20

0

20

40

-40

-20

0

20

40

-40

-20

0

20

40

-40

-20

0

20

26  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

40

27

 
 
 
 
mANAGING ouR BuSINESS RISk

Effective management of our business risks is critical to the successful delivery of our 
strategy. It is imperative that we identify the nature and potential impact of these risks, 
in order to maintain a risk-controlled environment throughout the business.

In this section we explain how we manage risk in accordance with our Risk Appetite Statement and Risk Management 
Framework. We also explain in detail the key risks we face, our governance structure for risk, and the reporting cycle that  
we use to monitor and report on risk.

ouR RISk mANAGEmENT FRAmEwoRk
In order to establish an effective risk-management environment, we have developed a Risk Management Framework  
to identify, measure, manage and monitor risks faced by the business. Our Risk Management Framework provides the  
Board with assurance that our risks are understood and managed within appropriate boundaries, and comprises both  
our Risk Governance Framework and Risk Reporting Cycle.

RISk cATEGoRIES
We have identified three main categories of risk affecting our business, and we explain these in more detail later in this section.

1.  BuSINESS moDEl RISkS
  These are risks we actively manage and are able to measure, control and assign limits and parameters to: 

•	Credit	risk 
•	 Market	risk 
•	 Liquidity	risk

2.  INDuSTRy RISkS 

 These are risks we accept as arising from operating in the financial services sector. For these risks we set a risk  
tolerance rather than a risk appetite. They include (but are not limited to): 
•	 Financial	institution	credit	risk 
•	 Operational	risk 
•	 Regulatory	risk

3. ENvIRoNmENTAl RISkS 

 These are risks over which we have minimal control. They include (but are not limited to):  
•	 Natural	disasters	such	as	floods,	earthquakes	and	disease	epidemics 
•	 Strikes	and	civil	unrest

ouR RISk GovERNANcE FRAmEwoRk
The following Risk Governance Framework diagram sets out the framework for the Board and executive committees,  
Non-Executive Director (NED) review, independent control functions and ongoing business operations that exercise 
governance over risk.

THE BOARD

AUDIT
COMMITTEE

REMUNERATION
COMMITTEE

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES

Board
committees

Risk Committee 
(1 Non-Executive Director)

ICAAP & ILAA 
Committee

Client Money 
Committee

Finance

Risk

Compliance

Legal

Internal Audit

CONTROL FUNCTIONS

Senior Accounting 
Officer Committee

Review by Internal Audit 
of risk management 
and internal controls

BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Internal controls implemented by management

BUSINESS REvIEW: managing Our Business risK

ouR RISk APPETITE STATEmENT
Our Risk Appetite Statement establishes guidelines for 
risk management throughout the business. We aim to 
maintain a conservative risk-reward profile, and the Board 
has developed our Risk Appetite Statement based on the 
following four key principles: 

RESPoNSIBIlITIES oF THE  
BoARD commITTEES
The Board is supported in its monitoring of the Risk 
Framework by the Audit and Remuneration Committees. 
The Audit Committee’s responsibilities in relation to risk 
management are to:

•	 	The	Board	will	adopt	measures	to	ensure	a	low	level	 

•	 Review	the	design	and	effectiveness	of	the	Group’s	

of volatility in revenues and earnings

internal control and risk management system

•	 	The	Board	will	promote	orderly	business	operations	

•	 Approve	the	Key	Risk	Indicators	in	conjunction	with	 

to guard against a loss of confidence by shareholders, 
clients, employees and business partners

•	 The	Board	will	adopt	measures	to	minimise	regulatory	risk
•	 	The	Board	will	review	the	risk	profile	of	strategic	projects	

against the risk profile of the core business

To report our performance against the Risk Appetite 
Statement, the Board has implemented a set of Key Risk 
Indicators (KRIs). The Board reviews the KRIs in conjunction 
with the Risk Appetite Statement twice a year. Taken 
together, the KRIs are a balanced mix of quantitative and 
qualitative measures that provide an important indication 
of increasing or decreasing levels of risk.

the Board 

•	 Approve	the	internal	audit	programme
•	 Review	internal	and	external	audit	reports	and	 

monitor recommendations

The Remuneration Committee’s responsibility in relation 
to risk management is to review the structure and level 
of remuneration throughout the business and assess the 
impact of remuneration on risk.

An overview of both the Audit and Remuneration 
Committees’ main duties and activity during the financial 
year is set out in the Corporate Governance Report.

RESPoNSIBIlITIES oF THE BoARD
The responsibilities of the Board in relation to risk 
management are to:

•	 Set	and	review	the	Risk	Appetite	Statement
•	 Approve	the	Key	Risk	Indicators
•	 Review	and	challenge	biannual	updates	from	the	 

risk department

•	 Review	and	challenge	the	system	of	internal	control	and	

risk management

•	 Review	and	challenge	capital	and	liquidity	stress	

testing, including the ICAAP (Internal Capital Adequacy 
Assessment Process) and ILAA (Individual Liquidity 
Adequacy Assessment) required by the FCA 

•	 Approve	the	Corporate	Governance	Report	in	the	

Annual Report

28  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

29

	
	
	
 
 
mANAGING ouR BuSINESS RISk (continued)

BUSINESS REvIEW: managing Our Business risK

EXEcuTIvE commITTEES AND 
INDEPENDENT REvIEw
RISk commITTEE
The Risk Committee generally meets on a weekly basis, 
and may meet more often if required. The committee  
is chaired by the Chief Risk Officer and made up of  
the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, 
Chief Financial Officer, Head of Dealing and the Head of 
Legal and Compliance. Roger Yates, Senior Independent 
Director, attends the committee on a periodic basis.  
If any material risks are identified it will inform the Board. 
Members of the Risk Committee receive a monthly risk 
report from the risk department.

An overview of the Risk Committee’s main responsibilities 
and activity during the financial year is set out in the 
Corporate Governance Report.

clIENT moNEy commITTEE
Regulatory authorities continue to emphasise the 
importance of client money segregation. The FCA in 
particular now requires that all firms designate a named 
individual, the CF10a, who is responsible for overseeing 
processes and controls over the segregation of client funds 
and the FCA’s CASS operational oversight function. 

The Chief Financial Officer is the CF10a and Chairman 
of the committee. The committee meets monthly and 
receives periodic reports from a number of control functions, 
enabling it to monitor the effectiveness of our global 
processes and controls for segregating client money.  
The committee also assesses risks in relation to client money 
by reviewing our client money policy, monitoring regulatory 
changes that impact client money treatment and reviewing 
the implementation of these changes.

An overview of the Client Money Committee’s main duties 
and activity during the financial year is set out in the 
Corporate Governance Report.

IcAAP AND IlAA commITTEE
In addition to the management of individual risks, the 
ICAAP (Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process) 
and ILAA (Individual Liquidity Adequacy Assessment) 
Committee undertakes stress and scenario testing as  
part of the capital adequacy and liquidity review process. 
These assessments stress-test the potential impact on 
capital and liquidity of a series of combined risk events,  
to ensure that the business is prepared for any major 
changes in our operating environment or strategy.

The ICAAP and ILAA are prepared according to FCA 
requirements and are subject to independent review by 
a subgroup of the Non-Executive Directors (NEDs). The 
ICAAP and ILAA Committee is chaired by the Chief Risk 
Officer and is made up of the Chief Executive Officer,  
Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer,  
Head of Dealing and the Head of Legal and Compliance.

NoN-EXEcuTIvE RISk REvIEw
Twice a year, a sub-group of the Non-Executive Directors 
conducts a risk review, in discussion with the Chief Risk 
Officer and control functions. As the Non-Executive 
Directors are a step removed from the daily operations  
of the business, this enables them to assess and  
challenge the risk management processes from an 
independent standpoint.

SENIoR AccouNTING oFFIcER commITTEE
The Senior Accounting Officer (SAO) Committee is 
responsible for reviewing and challenging processes and 
controls put in place to ensure we comply with HMRC 
requirements in certifying that each of our UK subsidiaries 
‘had appropriate tax arrangements throughout the financial 
year’. The committee reports to the Chief Financial Officer, 
who is the designated SAO.

BuSINESS oPERATIoNS
We have embedded risk management into underlying 
business operations. Heads of department are responsible 
for the maintenance of risk registers and, where necessary, 
taking action to mitigate risks and enhance the control 
environment. The risk and compliance control functions 
use these registers in co-ordinating the identification, 
measurement and monitoring of risk across the business. 

coNTRol FuNcTIoNS
Additional levels of assurance are provided by control 
functions which are independent of the business, namely 
finance, risk, compliance and legal. The control functions 
provide periodic reporting to the Board and executive 
committees as appropriate.

INTERNAl AuDIT
The final level of assurance is provided by Internal Audit, 
who report to the Audit Committee.

ouR RISk REPoRTING cyclE
This diagram represents the flow of information and feedback that supports the Risk Governance Framework.

OUR KEY RISKS

CREDIT

BOARD REVIEW 

BOARD AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES 

Remuneration  |  Risk  |  Client Money  |  ICAAP & ILAA   

Senior Accounting Officer  

MARKET

REPORTS

ACTIONS

Periodic reporting 

Monthly risk reporting
(including Key Risk Indicators)

LIQUIDITY

Internal Audit

Risk registers

Control
actions

AUDIT
COMMITTEE

Most significant risks

External audit control report

ICAAP & ILAA

Monitored by
Internal Audit

OPERATIONAL

CONTROL FUNCTIONS

Finance  |  Risk  |  Compliance  |  Legal  |  Internal Audit

REGULATORY

BUSINESS CONTROLS

30  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

31

mANAGING ouR BuSINESS RISk (continued)

ouR kEy RISkS
The following section describes the key risks that we face 
and the steps that we take in order to manage these risks.

cREDIT RISk
Credit risk is the risk that a counterparty fails to perform 
its obligations, resulting in financial loss. Our credit risk is 
managed on a Group-wide basis. The principal sources  
of credit risk to our business are from financial institutions 
and individual clients.

Financial institution credit risk
All financial institutions with whom the Group has a 
relationship are subject to a credit review. Exposure  
limits are set and approved by the Risk Committee. 

We monitor a number of key metrics on a daily basis 
in respect of financial institution credit risk, including: 
balances held, change in short- and long-term credit rating 
and any change in credit default swap (CDS) price.

The Group is responsible, under various regulatory 
regimes, for the stewardship of client monies. These 
responsibilities include the appointment and periodic 
review of institutions where we deposit client money. Our 
aim is that all financial institutions holding client money  
and the Group’s own cash and assets should have 
strong short- and long-term ratings from the credit 
rating agencies. In some operating jurisdictions it can 
be problematic to find a counterparty satisfying these 
requirements, and in these cases we set low exposure 
limits and seek to use the best available counterparty – 
preferably one that is considered locally systemic and 
therefore likely to be supported in the event of failure.  
We also maintain multiple brokers for each asset class.

Client credit risk
Client credit risk principally arises when a client’s total 
funds deposited are insufficient to cover any trading losses 
incurred. In particular, client credit risk can arise where there 
are significant and sudden movements in the market, due 
to high general market volatility or specific volatility relating 
to an instrument in which the client has an open position.

We mitigate client credit risk in a number of ways. We only 
accept clients that pass certain suitability criteria, and our 
training programme aims to educate clients in all aspects 
of trading and risk management and encourages them to 
collateralise their accounts to an appropriate level.

We offer a number of risk management tools that enable 
clients to manage their exposures including: guaranteed 
and non-guaranteed stops, stop and order limits, the 
ability to hedge positions, the availability of liquid, tradable 
contracts when underlying markets are closed (eg 24-hour 
quoted indices) and full trading capability on a wide range 
of mobile devices.

In addition, we manage our overall credit risk exposure 
through real-time monitoring of client positions via our 
close-out monitor and through the use of tiered margining. 

For a small number of generally long-standing clients, we 
grant credit against unrealised losses, with credit terms 
stipulating that any losses arising are payable immediately 
when transactions are closed. The total credit of this type 
utilised at 31 May 2013 was £0.7 million, representing 0.1% 
of net assets (31 May 2012: £1.4 million, 0.2% of net assets).

For more information refer to note 37 to the  
Financial Statements. 

All deposits that we place with these institutions are on 
an overnight or breakable-term basis, which enables us to 
react immediately to any downgrade of credit rating status 
or material widening of CDS spreads. We do not have any 
deposits of an unbreakable nature or that require notice. 

The effectiveness of our client credit risk control is 
demonstrated by the fact that our provision for new 
doubtful debts recognised in the year was £1.0 million, 
representing less than 0.2% of revenue (2012: £2.3 million, 
less than 0.6% of revenue).

BUSINESS REvIEW: managing Our Business risK

At 31 May 2013 we had total available liquid assets 
including committed facilities of £627.8 million  
(2012: £628.1 million). For 2013, our available liquidity 
includes the liquid assets buffer, which consists of  
£50.5 million of UK government securities. We hold the 
liquid assets buffer as required by the FCA, and it is kept  
in reserve, and only to be used in times of liquidity stress.

We monitor total available liquidity on a daily basis, 
including our committed unsecured facilities. We perform 
daily stress tests and regularly stress-test our three-year 
liquidity forecast to validate the level of committed 
unsecured bank facilities we hold. At the year-end, 
these amounted to £180.0 million (2012: £180.0 million). 
Subsequent to the year-end, in accordance with the 
phased transfer agreed with the FCA for the Group to hold 
a liquid assets buffer of up to £100.0 million by August 
2013, the Group has purchased £32.6 million of additional 
UK government securities and the Group held £83.1 million 
of qualifying assets. 

Further, on 19 July 2013 the Group completed the 
renegotiation of the liquidity facilities with a syndicate  
of three banks. In doing so the Group has increased the 
size of the overall facility to £200.0 million and established 
a longer-term liquidity funding arrangement. Of the total 
facility £120.0 million is available for a period of one year 
and £80.0 million is available for three years respectively 
from the facility signing date.

For more information on how we calculate our total 
available liquidity see note 20 to the Financial Statements.

mARkET RISk
Market risk is the risk that the fair value of financial assets 
and financial liabilities will change due to movements in 
market prices. 

We manage market risk on a real-time basis, monitoring  
all client positions against market risk limits set by the  
Risk Committee. The Group operates within these limits by 
hedging our market risk exposure as and when required. 
We do not take proprietary positions based on the 
expectation of market movement. 

Our technology enables us to monitor our market exposure 
constantly and in real time. If exposures exceed our pre-
agreed limits, our risk management policy requires that we 
hedge the positions to bring the exposure back into line 
with these limits. 

Our conservative management of market risk, and the 
consistency and distribution of our daily revenue, can be 
seen in the chart in the ‘Operating and Financial Review’. 
For more information, including our risk limits and  
residual exposures at 31 May 2013, refer to note 37 to  
the Financial Statements.

lIquIDITy RISk
Liquidity risk is the risk that we will be unable to meet 
payment obligations as they fall due.

We manage liquidity risk by ensuring that we have 
sufficient liquidity to meet our broker margin requirements 
and other financial liabilities when due, under both normal 
and stressed conditions. We carried out an ILAA during the 
year, and while this applies specifically to the Group’s FCA 
regulated entities, it provides the context within which we 
manage liquidity throughout the business.

Due to the very short-term nature of our financial assets 
and liabilities, we do not have any material mismatches in 
our liquidity maturity profiles. Short-term liquidity ‘gaps’ 
can arise, however, in special circumstances, due to our 
commitment to segregate all individual client funds. If 
there are significant market falls we are required to fund 
margin payments to brokers prior to releasing funds from 
segregation. During periods of very high client activity, or 
significant directional movements in global markets, we may 
be required to fund higher margin requirements with our 
brokers to hedge increased underlying client positions. We 
fund these requirements from our own available liquidity.

32  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

33

mANAGING ouR BuSINESS RISk (continued)

BUSINESS REvIEW: managing Our Business risK

oPERATIoNAl RISk
Operational risk is the risk of financial loss due to 
inadequate or failed internal processes and systems.  
It can also arise from human error or external events  
that we cannot influence.

Our approach to managing operational risk is governed 
by the Risk Appetite Statement and Risk Management 
Framework. We have designed and implemented a system 
of internal controls to manage, rather than eliminate, 
operational risk.

The reliability of our client trading platforms is key to 
delivering our strategy, and we invest significantly in IT 
infrastructure to ensure that these platforms are resilient. 
On a monthly basis, the Risk Committee reviews our Key 
Risk Indicators, which includes monitoring levels of core 
system uptime and deal latency.

To ensure that we provide our clients with a consistent 
and uninterrupted level of service, we run a complete 
disaster recovery solution, which involves a fully-functional 
secondary site with real-time replication of all systems 
across the two locations. We support these systems with 
ongoing business continuity planning and regular testing. 
All our IT and data security systems conform to the 
ISO27001:2005 Information Security Management  
System standards.

REGulAToRy RISk
We regard regulatory risk as one of our most significant 
risks. In short, we define regulatory risk as:

•	 Breach risk: we breach a regulation that applies to 

our business, leading to sanctions, fines, reputational 
damage and in extreme situations, loss of licence

•	 Change risk: our regulators introduce new regulations 
that make our business less profitable or impossible
•	 Expansion risk: policy and regulation in jurisdictions  

in which we don’t operate remain onerous and closed  
to our business model, limiting our geographic 
expansion opportunities

We invest significant time and resources in managing and 
controlling our regulatory risk. More specifically:

Breach risk
Our compliance, legal and risk teams provide a robust line 
of defence to ensure that our processes and controls are 
effective in ensuring we are complying with our regulatory 
obligations. During the year, the Group has undergone a 
number of external reviews into key areas such as client 
money, which have provided comfort that we are managing 
and controlling this risk well. Obviously, as our business 
becomes more complex this risk also grows, however the 
Group remains committed to increasing its investment in 
breach risk controls as the complexity of the business grows.

Change risk
The regulatory environment continues to evolve and there 
are currently a number of policy initiatives and proposals 
in development that may impact or have already impacted 
our sector, as described below:

•	 Financial	Transactions	Tax	(FTT):	during	the	year	we	
have seen many developments in this area, from the 
introduction of unilateral FTT regimes in France and 
Italy, to the attempted Enhanced Cooperation efforts of 
the 11 member states wishing to bring in a harmonised 
FTT with a wide scope. We have expended significant 
efforts throughout the year to both maintain accurate 
knowledge of the status of these tax initiatives and to 
understand the many stakeholders’ interests and views.  
It is not yet clear where the Enhanced Cooperation FTT 
will end up, but we are cautiously optimistic that it won’t 
be passed as originally proposed, and certainly not 
within the time frame initially proposed. The outcome  
of an Enhanced Cooperation FTT is very difficult to 
assess and potentially ranges from extremely negative  
to mildly positive, depending on the scope of the tax. 
We continue to monitor developments carefully

•	 European	Markets	Infrastructure	Regulation:	the	main	
impact of this legislation on our business is increased 
reporting requirements to trade repositories. Potentially, 
we will also be impacted by International Organisation 
of Securities Commission work on margin for over-the-
counter trading, but the rules on this have not yet been 
settled. If these proposals do affect the business it may 
be some years before any impact will take effect

•	 MiFID	II:	we	have	continued	to	monitor	developments	
on this regulatory initiative and remain of the view 
that MiFID II is unlikely to pose a threat to our UK 
and European businesses. We continue to monitor 
the situation carefully. If these proposals do affect the 
business it may be some years before any impact will 
take effect

•	 The	FCA	has	indicated	it	will	undertake	thematic	reviews	

into: conduct, cyber, culture and IT resilience. These 
matters are under review in the business as a result
•	 Singapore	MAS	Regulatory	framework	for	margined	
derivatives: The consultation issued by the Monetary 
Authority of Singapore in May 2012 proposed an 
increase in margin for non-accredited investors on  
a forex trade from 2% to 5%. To date there have  
been no further public updates on this proposal

•	 Japan	Binary	Regulation:	These	new	regulations	outlaw	
forms of binaries which are offered by the majority of  
our competitors in Japan but not by us, and introduce  
a detailed test which new clients must pass before being 
permitted to trade these products. Further clarity is  
still required around the precise implementation of  
these rules

We seek to mitigate change risk by engaging with our 
regulators and policy-makers as much as possible (as part 
of policy consultations and more generally), by investing 
in public relations programmes and by ensuring we have 
access to up-to-date information on regulatory change. 

Expansion risk
Like change risk, we seek to mitigate expansion risk by 
engaging with regulators and policy-makers in countries 
where we do not yet operate, but where we would like 
to. Of course, regulatory change can also represent an 
opportunity for our business and we are in talks with  
a number of regulators who are considering changing 
their regulations in order to allow retail derivatives trading. 
These discussions are still at an early stage. 

In summary, we work closely with our regulators to ensure 
that we operate to the highest regulatory standards and 
can adapt quickly to regulatory change. We are committed 
to engaging proactively with regulators and industry 
bodies, and will continue to support changes which 
promote protection for clients and greater clarity of the 
risks they face. However, we cannot provide certainty that 
future regulatory changes will not have an adverse impact 
on our business.

34  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

35

oPERATING AND FINANcIAl REvIEw

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

An overview of the Group’s financial performance is 
provided in both the Chairman’s Statement and the  
Chief Executive’s Review. 

The following section provides a more detailed  
analysis of the Group’s financial performance for the 
year ended 31 May 2013, including a discussion of the 
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) used to monitor and 
control our business, expanding upon those presented 
in the ‘Our strategy’ section. 

The critical accounting estimates and judgements that 
impact the Group’s financial performance, together with 
new and amended accounting standards adopted in the 
preparation of the Financial Statements, are set out in  
notes 1 and 41 to the Financial Statements. 

For disclosure relating to the regulatory environment 
please refer to the Chief Executive’s Statement and 
‘Managing our business risk’ section.

PBT uP  

ToTAl DIvIDEND uP 

DIvIDEND PAyouT 

3.5%

3.3%

60%

oF coNTINuING DIluTED 
EARNINGS PER SHARE

BUSINESS REvIEW: OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW

oPERATING REvIEw
Net trading revenue for the Group in the year was down by 1% at £361.9 million (2012: £366.8 million). There was a stark 
contrast in performance for the two halves of the year, with revenue behind in the first half by 14% and ahead in the second 
half by 13%. The trading backdrop in the first half of the year was extremely dull, with the market providing few trading 
opportunities for clients. In the second half, although certain measures of volatility remained low, there were a number  
of macro stories which encouraged increased activity from clients. This led to a particularly strong finish to the year.

NET TRADING REvENuE
The table below shows the geographical split of revenue, changes in active client numbers and revenue per client for the 
year ending 31 May 2013. A summary of these underlying Group metrics is presented in the ‘Investor Resources’ section.  
The following commentary explains the drivers and impact of these KPIs on the net trading revenue of the Group.

Net trading revenue

Year-on-year change in Key Performance Indicators

UK 
Australia 
Europe 
Rest of World 

Total excluding Japan 
Japan 

2013
£m

2012
£m

186.5 

191.8 

56.3
71.0 
32.2 

346.0 
15.9

58.0 
72.2 
28.4 

350.4 
16.4 

Total 

361.9 

366.8 

Change

Number of  
active clients

Average revenue  
per client

(3%) 

(3%) 
(2%) 
13% 

(1%) 
(3%) 

(1%) 

(9%) 

(8%) 
6% 
19% 

(4%) 
(19%) 

(5%) 

7% 

6% 
(7%) 
(5%) 

2% 
19% 

4% 

36  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

37

oPERATING AND FINANcIAl REvIEw (continued)

BUSINESS REvIEW: OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW

uk
The UK segment comprised the offices in London and 
Dublin. Net trading revenue in the UK was behind the 
prior year by 3% at £186.5 million (2012: £191.8 million). 
Performance in the two halves of the year was very different, 
driven by factors described earlier, with revenue down in 
the first half by 15% and up in the second half by 11%.

Late in the year the technological work to establish a single 
customer identity within IG was completed. This allows UK 
clients with a spread betting and CFD trading account to 
access them both through a single login and move funds 
between them. We also acquired IG.co.uk as part of the 
broader online strategy centred around IG.com; this single 
domain name will replace IGindex and IGmarkets.

Active client numbers were down by 9% in the year, 
while average revenue per client was up by 7%. The 
weak economic backdrop and a reduction in marketing 
from many competitors in the industry made the 2013 
financial year a more difficult period in which to introduce 
new clients to the industry. Almost offsetting this was an 
increase in activity from existing clients, with more trading 
opportunities presented in the second half of the year and 
an increasing level of reactivation among clients who had 
been inactive for a period of time. 

A market research study released in November concluded 
that for the 12 months to July 2012, IG had increased its 
share of the financial spread betting market in the UK from 
41% to 44% and the CFD market from 24% to 32%. The 
study also showed that the size of the UK leveraged trading 
market had grown by 6% to reach approximately 104,000 
active participants.

AuSTRAlIA
The Australia segment comprised the Melbourne office 
and revenue from New Zealand and other countries in the 
Asia Pacific region. Net trading revenue in Australia for the 
year was down by 3% to £56.3 million (2012: £58.0 million), 
with a stark split between the first half and the second half. 
Revenue was down in the first half by 14% and ahead in the 
second half by 11%. Active client numbers in the year were 
down by 8%, but this was partially offset by strong growth 
of 6% in revenue per client. 

Consumer sentiment appeared weak during the first half of 
the year, with the fall in commodities prices hitting the key 
mining industry and relatively high interest rates putting 
pressure on household budgets. Sentiment improved 
in the second half with a steady drop in base rates from 
4.50% to 2.75% and the recovery in global equity markets. 
Although reactivation rates among the client base were 
high towards the end of the year, opening new accounts 
remains challenging. 

During the year an annual market research study found that 
IG had grown its market share of the retail CFD industry by 
three percentage points to 37%, extending its leadership 
by two percentage points. IG continued to lobby the 
regulator to prevent client funds being used for hedging 
purposes, an approach IG adopted some time ago. 
The business increased its efforts to encourage account 
sign-up from around the Asia Pacific region by improving 
marketing, education and account application and money 
transfer processes.

EuRoPE
The Europe segment comprised the German, French, 
Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian and 
Luxembourg offices. The economic backdrop in Europe 
continued to weaken, with the corresponding impact on 
consumer sentiment making it more difficult to open new 
accounts and expand the category in the short-term. Net 
trading revenue in Europe for the year was down by 2% at 
£71.0 million (2012: £72.2 million), with a strong second half 
almost offsetting the very weak trading environment in the 
first half. 

Active client numbers grew by 6% across the region, with 
a particularly strong performance from the newer offices 
in Sweden and The Netherlands, and continued active 
client gains in Germany, Spain and Italy. An annual market 
research report for France concluded that IG’s market 
share had declined by two percentage points to 22%. This 
is within a market which has grown by 20%, with certain 

prominent local brokers increasingly promoting CFDs  
as a preferred method of leveraged trading.

REST oF woRlD
The Rest of World segment comprised the Singapore and 
South African offices and Nadex, the Group’s only retail 
exchange, in the US. Net trading revenue in the Rest of 
World was ahead of the prior year by 13% at £32.2 million 
(2012: £28.4 million), with the first half slightly behind and 
the second half ahead by 21%. 

Singapore revenue was ahead by 12%, driven by an increase 
in revenue per client. During the year it was confirmed in 
a survey that IG is the joint largest forex provider, with a 
market share of 13%, and that IG increased its share of the 
CFD market by three percentage points to 15%. The survey 
concluded that the size of the CFD market remained flat, 
with approximately 23,000 retail traders, while the forex 
market declined by 20% to around 20,000.

The Client Knowledge Assessment regime introduced at 
the start of 2012 increased the barriers to entry for new 
traders into the market, with its requirement for a relevant 
educational or employment background or trading 
experience. IG is in negotiations with the regulator to 
gain approval for an online training module which would 
provide sufficient education to facilitate the flow of new 
traders into the market. The consultation issued by the 
Monetary Authority of Singapore in May 2012 proposed an 
increase in margin for non-accredited investors on a forex

AcTIvE clIENTS AND TRADING REvENuE

AvERAGE REvENuE PER clIENT

)

m
£

(

h
t
n
o
m

r
e
p
e
u
n
e
v
e
R

45

40

35

30

25

20

Financial revenue

Active clients

Jun-11

A u g-11

O ct-11

D ec-11

Fe b-12

A pr-12

Jun-12

A u g-12

O ct-12

D ec-12

Fe b-13

A pr-13

M ay-13

75

70

65

60

55

50

)
s
0
0
0

(

i

g
n
d
a
r
t

s
t
n
e

i
l

C

)

£

(

t
n
e

i
l

c

r
e
p
e
u
n
e
v
e
r

e
g
a
r
e
v
A

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

UK CFD

UK spread betting

Europe

Australia

Japan

Rest of World

H 1-10

H 2-10

H 1-11

H 2-11

H 1-12

H 2-12

H 1-13

H 2-13

38  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

39

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
oPERATING AND FINANcIAl REvIEw (continued)

BUSINESS REvIEW: OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW

REST oF woRlD (coNTINuED)
trade from 2% to 5%. To date there have been no further 
public updates on this proposal.

In South Africa, although the absolute numbers are still 
relatively small, revenue was ahead by 14% at £4.6 million, 
driven primarily by strong growth in active client numbers, 
even after taking into account the rapid appreciation in the 
rand which held back the reported results.

In the US, Nadex revenue was up by 40% in the year, with 
over 1,300 clients per month now regularly trading on the 
exchange; this compares to approximately 700 at the end 
of the prior year. During the period the Commodity Futures 
Trading Commission (CFTC) took action to halt the activities 
of three companies offering over-the-counter binary options 
in contravention of US law. In the last of these actions both 
the CFTC and the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(SEC) made it clear that it is only legal to trade these 
products on a regulated exchange, such as Nadex.  
In June 2012 the one broker connected to Nadex, PFG 
Best, went into bankruptcy. Late in the year IG acquired 
some software assets of PFG Best from the trustee, to 
enable the development of a full technology solution which 
could allow other brokers to connect to the Nadex platform 
without large scale investment on their part.

JAPAN
The Japan segment comprised only clients of the Tokyo 
office. Net trading revenue in Japan for the year was down 
by 3% to £15.9 million (2012: £16.4 million). There was 
particular weakness in the first half, down 9%, caused by 
the quieter market backdrop. Active client numbers for the 
year were down by 19%, while average revenue per client 
was up by 19%. 

Following the leverage reductions in 2011 and 2012, the last 
of which took place in August 2012, the business has been 
reasonably stable and remains profitable. Nevertheless 
it has proven difficult to grow against the larger local 
competition. One area where business has continued to 
grow is binary options, which made up 25% of the revenue 
in 2013 (2012: 18%). In May this year the regulator clarified 
its approach to binaries. New rules will prevent the offering 
of very short term contracts and those which can only run to 
expiry. IG does not currently offer these types of contract, 
but they do constitute the principle forms of binary 
offered by a large number of competitors. However, a new 
requirement for a client knowledge assessment, in the form 
of an online test, is likely to make the recruitment of new 
binary clients more difficult than at present.

40  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

FAcToRS ImPAcTING NET TRADING REvENuE 

Distribution of daily revenue
The stability of our revenue is illustrated in the chart below, 
which shows the distribution of daily revenue during the 
financial year. This demonstrates the quality of the Group’s 
earnings and also the effectiveness of our systems and 
process for market risk management. We do not take 
proprietary market positions based on the expectation  
of market movements, and this is a significant factor to 
trading stability.

VIX Volatility
The Chicago Board Options Exchange Market volatility Index (vIX) provides an indicative measure of the broader market 
volatility in the year. Changes in market volatility can have an important impact on net trading revenue in the period.

There was no significant volatility in the vIX during the year ending 31 May 2013, as demonstrated in the vIX volatility graph 
below. However there were a number of news events in the second half of the year which did create opportunities for clients 
to trade.

The Daily Trading Revenue Against volatility of Revenue graph below shows how daily revenue has risen progressively over 
the years, and that the dispersion of daily revenue, ie how variable it is, has fallen. This is indicative of strong risk control 
within tight limits and no proprietary trading.

DISTRIBuTIoN oF DAIly REvENuE

vIX volATIlITy

s
y
a
d
f
o
t
n
u
o
C

20

15

10

5

0

Daily mean £1.36m

x
e
d
n

I

A
X
U

50

40

30

20

10

0

Jun-11

Jul-11

A u g-11

Se p-11

O ct-11

N ov-11

D ec-11

Jan-12

Fe b-12

M ar-12

A pr-12

M ay-12

Jun-12

Jul-12

A u g-12

Se p-12

O ct-12

N ov-12

D ec-12

Jan-13

Fe b-13

M ar-13

A pr-13

M ay-13

DAIly TRADING REvENuE AGAINST volATIlITy oF REvENuE

£0.5 m

£1.0 m

£1.5 m

£2.0 m

£2.5 m

£3.0 m

Revenue

1.6

1.4

1.2

1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

)

m
£

(

e
u
n
e
v
e
R

Daily revenue (60 day rolling average)

Revenue volatility (60 day rolling coefficient of variability)

0

M ay-01

M ay-02

M ay-03

M ar-04

M ay-05

M ay-06

M ay-07

M ay-08

M ay-09

M ay-10

M ay-11

M ay-12

M ay-13

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0

y
t
i
l
i

b
a
i
r
a
V
f
o
t
n
e
c
i
f
f
e
o
C

i

41

 
 
 
 
 
 
oPERATING AND FINANcIAl REvIEw (continued)

FINANcIAl REvIEw
SummARy GRouP INcomE STATEmENT

2013
£000

2012
£000 % change

Net trading revenue(1)
Other net operating income

361,857
6,051

366,812
2,358

(1.4%)

Net operating income
Operating expenses
D epreciation, amortisation 

and amounts written 
off property, plant and 
equipment

Operating profit
Net finance income 

Profit before tax
Tax expense

P rofit for the year from 
continuing operations

L oss from discontinued 
operations(2)

P rofit after tax and 

367,908
(163,814)

369,170
(172,897)

(5.3%)

(12,166)

(10,760)

191,928
280

185,513
204

192,208
(50,460)

185,717
(48,583)

141,748

137,134

–

(374)

3.5%

3.5%

discontinued operations

141,748

136,760

D iluted earnings per share 

from continuing operations

38.80p

37.54p(2)

3.4%

Total dividend per share

23.25p

22.50p

3.3%

(1) Net trading revenue is trading revenue excluding interest on segregated 

client funds and is net of introductory broker commissions

(2) The Group’s Sport business was discontinued in the year ended  

31 May 2012  

oTHER NET oPERATING INcomE 
Other net operating income of £6.1 million  
(2012: £2.4 million) includes:

•	 Betting	duties	paid	by	the	Group	in	relation	to	spread	
betting clients of £5.2 million (2012: £8.9 million). The 
reduction of £3.7 million is in line with reduced trading 
revenue and lower client losses

•	 Receipt	of	£1.3	million	(2012:	£nil)	from	a	third	party’s	

insurer in relation to remedial work performed on the fit 
out of the London office

•	 Inactivity	fees	charged	of	£0.5	million	(2012:	£nil).	In	

the year ended 31 May 2013, the Group commenced 
charging an inactivity fee of £10 per month to any client 
who had not traded for a period of two years and who 
has a positive account balance

•	 Income	of	£1.3	million	(2012:	£1.0	million)	in	relation	to	
a revenue share arrangement with Spreadex Limited 
following the sale of the Group’s Sport business client 
list. Under this arrangement, which ends on 31 May 2014, 
the Group receives semi-annual payments, calculated 
by reference to the revenue that the acquirer generates 
from clients on the list

•	 Net	interest	income	on	segregated	client	funds	of	 

£8.2 million (2012: £10.3 million). The reduction of 20% 
from the prior period results from lower interest rates in 
Australia and the impact of the UK Government’s funding 
for lending schemes which has resulted in UK banks 
offering lower interest rates to depositors such as IG

oPERATING EXPENSES 
Operating expenses, as detailed below, decreased 
by £7.7 million to £176.0 million (2012: £183.7 million). 
Underlying operating expenses which exclude depreciation, 
amortisation and exceptional items, decreased by  
£10.2 million to £163.8 million (2012: £174.0 million). 

The reduction in underlying operating expenses followed 
the cautious approach taken to managing cost in response 
to the subdued trading in the first half. Some costs, notably 
bonuses, flexed with financial performance, while cost 
actions with regard to headcount, marketing and  
general other spend all contributed to lower underlying 
operating expenses. 

Employee remuneration costs
Advertising and marketing
Premises-related costs
IT, market data and communications
Legal and professional 
Regulatory fees
Bad and doubtful debts
Other costs

2013
£000

86,276
32,558
10,164
12,211
4,772
6,394
(348)
11,787

2012
£000

92,669
31,068
10,384
12,724
5,777
6,300
1,337
13,729

Underlying operating expenses

163,814

173,988

D epreciation, amortisation and  

amounts written off property plant  
and equipment 

Exceptional items (including depreciation)

12,166
–

10,760
(1,091)

Total operating expenses

175,980

183,657

BUSINESS REvIEW: OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW

ADvERTISING AND mARkETING coSTS
Advertising and marketing costs have increased by  
£1.5 million to £32.6 million (2012: £31.1 million) during 
the year and include £1.1 million for the brand relaunch 
as IG (further details are provided in the ‘Chief Executive’s 
Review’) in the first half of the financial year. 

Marketing resource during the year has focused on  
the roll-out of the new IG brand which will be further 
developed in the 2014 financial year with the launch and 
roll-out of IG.com, growing market share, an increased 
focus on forex and traditional shares traders and, in the 
APAC region, targeting out-of-country sales in regions 
where the Group does not have a local presence. 

oTHER EXPENSES
Premises-related costs are in line with the prior year at 
£10.2 million (2012: £10.4 million). During the year there 
were new offices opened in Dublin and Oslo and a number 
of office moves either completed or in the planning phase, 
including Melbourne, Johannesburg and Singapore, in 
order to meet the demands of more developed business.

IT, market data and communication costs include the cost 
of IT maintenance and short-term license arrangements 
as well as market data fees from exchanges. A review of 
market data usage, contracts and terminals as part of the 
cost management focus has seen costs in this area reduce 
by £0.5 million.

Legal and professional fees, which include audit and  
taxation fees, decreased by £1.0 million to £4.8 million 
(2012: £5.8 million). Costs associated with litigation by 
a number of claimants in relation to the insolvency of 
Echelon Wealth Management Limited (Echelon) were  
£3.4 million (2012: £1.1 million) during the year ended  
31 May 2013. These were partially offset by the recovery of  
£2.8 million of legal costs from the plaintiffs following  
the successful outcome of the litigation for the Group  
and their subsequent decision not to appeal the findings. 

EmPloyEE REmuNERATIoN coSTS
Employee remuneration costs decreased by £6.4 million to 
£86.3 million (2012: £92.7 million) in the year. This was as a 
result of a £10.6 million reduction in performance-related 
bonuses as the financial elements of staff bonus schemes 
flexed with below-expectation revenue performance. This 
was partly offset by inflationary pay rises and a year-on-year 
increase of 45 in the average headcount. 

In the first half of the year, a redundancy programme 
was carried out as part of the Group’s approach to 
cost management. The redundancy programme costs 
included in remuneration totalled £1.3 million. Following 
the redundancy programme and cautious approach 
to headcount through the second half, headcount 
was marginally lower than the prior year, with year-end 
employees totalling 991 (2012: 1,012). 

The Group pays performance-related bonuses to most  
staff and makes awards under the value-sharing plan  
(vSP) to key personnel. In addition, the opportunity to 
acquire shares under various share incentive plans (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, 
employee remuneration costs comprise:

Fixed employment costs
P erformance-related bonuses  

and commissions:

Share-based payment schemes
Redundancy programme costs

2013
£000

2012
£000

63,306

59,719

17,304

27,945

4,414
1,252

5,005
–

Total employee remuneration costs

86,276

92,669

Investment in IT development resource allows the 
advancement of multiple technology initiatives, such as  
the single client log-in, roll out of IG.com, the development 
of MetaTrader 4 and other initiatives (as discussed in the 
‘Sustaining our leadership in technology’ section). This 
resource also ensures we maintain high levels of platform 
resilience and availability. At 31 May 2013 year-end IT 
headcount was 411 (2012: 397) an increase of 4% over  
the level at the prior year-end.

42  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

43

oPERATING AND FINANcIAl REvIEw (continued)

oTHER EXPENSES (coNTINuED)
Regulatory fees predominantly consist of charges levied on 
the Group by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme 
(FSCS) in relation to the failure of investment intermediary 
firms. These levies were consistent with those levied in  
the prior year – with a total levy for the FSCS year of  
£5.1 million (2012: £5.0 million). The Group also pays other 
regulatory fees to the FCA in the UK as well as regulatory 
bodies in other jurisdictions where we have operations.  
It is expected that there will be higher overall charges  
from the FCA over the coming year, as the cap on  
the FSCS levy pot, to which the Group is required to 
contribute (investment intermediaries), has been  
increased to £150.0 million (including management  
fees) from £100.0 million (excluding management fees).

The positive impact of our close-out monitor, which 
automatically reduces our exposure to bad debts, 
combined with the use of tiered-margining, again  
ensured that new bad debt provisions of £1.0 million 
(2012: £2.3 million) were less than 1% of net trading 
revenue. The Group recovered £1.4 million of cash against 
previously provided bad debts. A significant amount of 
the debt resulting from 2008 has now been recovered so 
a material level of recoveries is not expected to continue. 
The management of credit risk is described in both the 
‘Managing our business risk’ section of the Business Review 
and in note 37 to the Financial Statements. 

Operating profit increased to £191.9 million  
(2012: £185.5 million). Operating profit margin (operating 
profit expressed as a percentage of net trading revenue) 
increased to 53.0% (2012: 50.6%). 

The following table summarises operating profit margin  
by segment: 

Segment

UK
Australia
Europe
Japan
Rest of World

Group 

Operating profit 
margin by region
2012
2013

59.1%
65.0%
37.5%
45.4%
35.1%

55.9%
62.2%
36.2%
37.4%
35.2%

53.0%

50.6%

The UK and Australia currently have higher operating profit 
margin levels than the other regions because they operate 
in more established markets. In Europe, for example, 
markets are in early stages of development, and while these 
businesses reach operating profitability quickly, initially they 
have depressed operating profit margins, as marketing and 
other costs are higher relative to net trading revenue.

Operating profit margin, grew year-on-year across all 
regions with the exception of Rest of World, which 
remained flat. 

Other costs include bank charges, training, travel, 
recruitment and irrecoverable sales taxes. The decrease in 
other costs primarily results from a £1.1 million credit from 
the liquidation of a dormant overseas subsidiary. 

The operating profit margin in Japan increased by  
eight percentage points in the year due to the prior year 
reorganisation and headcount reduction having a full-year 
impact on operating costs.

Depreciation and amortisation increased to £12.2 million 
(2012: £10.8 million) following the higher levels of spend  
on IT development, software and licenses in the year. 

oPERATING PRoFIT mARGINS
The Group uses operating profit margin, which includes 
an allocation of central costs, as a key indicator of regional 
performance (refer to note 4 to the Financial Statements, 
‘Segment information’). 

The UK segment’s operating profit margin is higher 
than that in the prior financial year primarily as a result 
of lower betting duties, lower costs due to the Group’s 
cost management programme and the reduction in 
performance-related bonuses. 

BUSINESS REvIEW: OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW

The Board has adopted a progressive dividend policy that 
reflects the long-term earnings and cash flow potential  
of the Group. Our dividend payout target is in the region 
of 60% of profit after tax.

SummARy GRouP cASH Flow – HIGH 
lEvElS oF cASH GENERATIoN
The following cash flow statement summarises the Group’s 
cash generation during the year and excludes all cash flows 
in relation to monies held on behalf of clients. In order to 
provide a clear presentation of the Group’s liquid assets 
both amounts due from brokers and financial investments 
held in the Group’s liquid assets buffer in accordance 
with BIPRU 12 have been treated as ‘cash equivalents’ 
and included within ‘own funds’. For an explanation of 
the derivation of ‘own funds’ please refer to the table 
presented in the following liquid assets section. A more 
detailed version of the cash flow presented below is 
provided in note 20 to the Financial Statements. 

Operating activities
Profit before tax
Depreciation and amortisation
Other non-cash adjustments 
Income taxes paid

Own funds generated from operations
Movement in working capital 
O utflow from investing and  

2013
£000

2012
£000

192,208
12,166
4,247
(53,247)

185,329(1)
10,760
2,140
(57,554)

155,374
(13,081)

140,675
21,906

financing activities

(100,732)

(83,324)

Increase in own funds

41,561

79,257

Own funds at 1 June
Exchange gains on own funds

388,221
(491)

309,228
(264)

Own funds at 31 May 

429,291

388,221

(1) Profit before tax for the year ending 31 May 2012 is stated inclusive of 
discontinued operations for the purposes of the cash flow statement 

PRoFIT BEFoRE TAXATIoN
As a result of the factors outlined above, profit before 
taxation grew 3.5% to £192.2 million (2012: £185.7 million). 
Profit before tax margin, calculated with reference to net 
trading revenue, increased to 53.1% (2012: 50.6%). 

Profit before taxation is used as a primary measure  
of the Group’s underlying profitability and the vesting  
of a proportion of the awards made under the Group’s  
value-sharing plan are calculated with reference to  
this measure. 

TAXATIoN EXPENSE
The effective rate of taxation for the year ended  
31 May 2013 increased to 26.3% compared to a rate of 
26.2% for the prior year. The effective rate for the current 
year is higher due to significant movements in deferred  
tax in the period largely in relation to changes in 
assumptions with regards to the vesting of the Group’s 
value-sharing plan. 

The calculation of the Group’s tax charge involves a degree 
of estimation and judgement, in particular with respect 
to certain items whose tax treatment cannot be finally 
determined until agreement has been reached with the 
relevant tax authority. Further detail is provided in note 10 
to the Financial Statements. 

DIScoNTINuED oPERATIoNS
There were no discontinued operations in the current year. 
In the year ending 31 May 2012, the closure of the Group’s 
Sport business was disclosed as a discontinued operation 
and contributed a loss after taxation of £0.4 million. 

DIluTED EARNINGS PER SHARE
Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations 
increased to 38.80 pence (3.4% growth) from 37.54 pence 
in the year ended 31 May 2013 (refer to note 12 to the  
Financial Statements). 

Diluted earnings per share is used as a primary  
measure of our underlying profitability and as  
a financial measure in relation to the annual Directors’ 
performance-related bonuses. 

DIvIDEND PolIcy
At the forthcoming AGM, the Board will recommend the 
payment of a final ordinary dividend of 17.50 pence per 
share. This will bring the total ordinary dividend for the 
year to 23.25 pence per share, an increase of 3.3% on the 
prior year. The Board is pleased to be able to recommend 
this level of payout at the end of a challenging year.

44  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

45

oPERATING AND FINANcIAl REvIEw (continued)

SummARy GRouP cASH Flow – 
HIGH lEvElS oF cASH GENERATIoN 
(coNTINuED)
Own funds generated from operations were  
£155.4 million (2012: £140.7 million) during the year, 
reflecting the cash-generative nature of the business. 
Cash conversion, calculated as own funds generated from 
operations divided by profit before tax, remained at high 
absolute levels (2013: 80.9% 2012: 75.9%). 

‘Own funds’ increased by £41.6 million (2012: £79.3 million) 
after adjustments for movements in working capital 
balances, largely in relation to variable remuneration 
schemes, and significant outflows in relation to investing 
and financing activities. The outflow from investing and 
financing activities includes £16.8 million in relation to 
capital expenditure (2012: £9.1 million). During the year  
the Group acquired the IG.com web domain and other  
such ‘IG’ domains and a software solution supporting the 
US business, Nadex for £5.0 million. The Group invested 
a further £8.0 million on a combination of IT development 
and software assets. Cash investment in tangible fixed 
assets of £4.8 million was primarily driven by £2.8 million 
of IT hardware to reduce latency and provide additional 
resilience, and £1.6 million in relation to office fit-out and 
renovations. This item also includes the payment of the final 
2012 and interim 2013 dividend payments which total  
£81.6 million (2012: £73.9 million). Finally the year saw a cash 
outflow of £1.3 million in respect of the acquisition of the 
remaining minority interest in our South African business. 

owN FuNDS – HIGH lEvElS  
oF lIquIDITy
The Group’s liquid assets, as set out in the table opposite, 
comprise cash balances available to the Group for its 
own purposes and exclude all monies held on behalf 
of clients. Own funds are used in normal business 
operations as well as for the funding of broker margin 
requirements. Consequently own funds are held either 
with the Group’s banking or broking counterparties. 
The Group is also entitled to use ‘title transfer funds’ in 
normal business operations and as broker margin. Title 
transfer funds are those held on behalf of corporate clients 
where the client agrees, under a Title Transfer Collateral 
Arrangement (TTCA), that full ownership of such monies 
is unconditionally transferred to the Group. The Group no 
longer accepts title transfer funds from individual clients 
– explaining the reduction in these monies held over the 
course of the year. 

At 31 May 2013 ‘own funds’ also include financial 
investments (UK Government Treasury Bills and Gilts) 
held in accordance with the BIPRU 12 liquidity standards 
and the Group’s regulatory oversight by the FCA. These 
assets comprise the Group’s ‘liquid assets buffer’ and 
are available to the Group in times of liquidity stress and 
therefore are considered as available for the purposes  
of overall liquidity planning. Own funds increased to  
£429.3 million (2012: £388.2 million) in the year to  
31 May 2013 reflecting the high level of cash generation 
set out earlier in this report. An analysis of own funds is 
provided in the following table: 

Own cash and title transfer funds(1)
Amounts due from brokers(2)
F inancial investments – liquid  

assets buffer(3)

2013
£000

98,345
283,940

50,468

2012
£000

228,156
206,997

–

Other amounts due to the Group(4)

15,003

12,920

Liquid assets

447,756

448,073

Liquid assets are analysed as: 

Own funds
Title transfer funds

429,291
18,465

388,221
59,852

(1) Own cash and title transfer funds represent cash held on demand with 

financial institutions

(2) Amounts due from brokers represent balances with brokers where the 
combination of cash held on account and the valuation of financial 
derivative open positions results in an amount due to the Group. These 
positions are held to hedge client market exposures in accordance with 
the Group’s market risk management

(3) Financial investments represent UK Government Treasury Bills and Gilts 

held in accordance with the BIPRU 12 liquidity standards and the Group’s 
regulatory oversight by the FCA. This is the Group’s liquid assets buffer
(4) Other amounts due to the Group include balances that will be transferred 
to the Group’s own cash from segregated client funds on the following 
working day in accordance with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority 
(FCA) ‘CASS’ rules and similar rules of other regulators in whose 
jurisdiction the Group operates. At 31 May 2013 this also includes 
amounts due from banking counterparties or held within segregated 
client funds in relation to monies transferred by clients to the Group  
that remain unsettled at the year-end. The Group is required to segregate 
these client funds at the point of client funding and not at  
cash settlement

An element of the Group’s liquidity is not available for 
the purposes of the centrally performed market risk 
management as it is held in overseas businesses for 
the purposes of local regulatory and working capital 
requirements or is currently held within segregated client 
money bank accounts to ensure the Group’s segregation 

BUSINESS REvIEW: OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW

A detailed analysis of the Group’s liquidity and our 
management of liquidity risk is provided in note 20  
to the Financial Statements.

REGulAToRy cAPITAl RESouRcES
Throughout the year, the Group maintained a significant 
excess over the capital resources requirement, both on 
a consolidated and individual regulated entity basis. The 
Group’s pillar 1 regulatory capital surplus is reflected in the 
own funds and available liquidity disclosed above. 

The Group considers there are significant benefits to being 
well capitalised at a time of continuing global economic 
uncertainty. The Group is 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 Group’s liquidity requirements have historically been, 
and remain, significantly in excess of its regulatory capital 
requirements. The total regulatory capital requirement 
remains significantly below the necessary liquidity levels. 

The following table summarises the Group’s Pillar 1  
capital adequacy on a consolidated basis. The Group’s 
capital management is reviewed further in note 38 to the 
Financial Statements.

obligations are met. At 31 May 2013 the unavailable cash 
totalled £47.5 million, having increased by £13.6 million 
from that unavailable in the prior year as a result of both 
a higher cash capital holding in the Group’s US subsidiary, 
Nadex, and the requirement to segregate client card 
transfers to the Group from the point of transaction and not 
when client funds settle into a client money bank account. 

Available own funds enable the funding of large broker 
margin requirements when required and should be 
considered in the context of the intra-year high broker 
margin requirement of £297.5 million (2012: £277.1 million), 
the requirement to hold a liquid assets buffer, the continued 
growth of the business, the Group’s commitment to 
segregation of individual clients money as well the final 
proposed dividend for the year ending 31 May 2013 all of 
which draw upon the Group’s liquidity. 

‘Net available own funds’ decreased to £136.1 million  
(2012: £159.0 million) following an increase in the  
year-end broker margin requirement to £245.7 million  
(2012: 196.0 million). ‘Net available own funds’ is disclosed 
in the table below and represents the Group’s available 
own liquidity inclusive of the liquid assets buffer and after 
the payment of broker margin. 

2013
£m

508.4
(120.5)
(1.5)

2012
£m

448.7
(115.4)
(1.5)

386.4

331.8

(115.1)

(100.4)

271.3

231.4

Own funds
L ess amounts required to ensure 
appropriate client money segregation – 
other amounts due to the Group
L ess amounts required for regulatory  
and working capital of overseas 
subsidiaries

2013
£000

2012
£000

429,291

388,221

(15,003)

(12,920)

Total Tier 1 capital
Less intangible assets
Less investment in own shares

(32,542)

(21,064)

Total capital resources (CR)
C apital resources requirement (CRR)  

– Pillar 1

Pillar 1 Surplus

Available own funds

381,746

354,948

Less broker margin requirement

(245,689)

(195,954)

Net available own funds

136,057

158,994

Of which held as a liquid assets buffer

50,468

–

In order to mitigate liquidity risks, the Group regularly 
stress-tests its three-year liquidity forecast to validate the 
appropriate level of committed unsecured bank facilities 
held. At the year-end, these amounted to £180.0 million 
(2012: £180.0 million). These facilities were drawn to  
a maximum of £25.0 million for a period of 22 days in  
April 2013 where the broker margin requirement reached  
a level of £294.7 million and the Group held  
a liquid assets buffer of £50.5 million. 

46  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

47

 
oPERATING AND FINANcIAl REvIEw (continued)

BUSINESS REvIEW: OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW

SummARy GRouP STATEmENT oF 
FINANcIAl PoSITIoN 

Property, plant and equipment
Intangible assets 
Deferred tax assets

Non-current assets
Trade and other receivables
Cash and cash equivalents
Financial investments 

Current assets

Total assets

Trade and other payables
Provisions
Income tax payable

Current liabilities
Redeemable preference shares

2013
£000

14,469
120,479
9,470

144,418
310,914
98,345
50,468

2012
£000

15,555
115,366
11,915

142,836
232,087
228,156
–

459,727

460,243

604,145

603,079

72,828
–
24,289

97,117
40

125,891
1,353
28,652

155,896
40

Non-current liabilities

40

40

Total liabilities

Total equity

97,157

155,936

506,988

447,143

Total equity and liabilities

604,145

603,079

NoN-cuRRENT ASSETS
As discussed in the Business Review, the Group continues to 
invest in technology both to enhance client experience and 
to improve the capacity and resilience of dealing platforms, 
each of which is critical to the success of the business. 

Intangible assets includes £5.0 million, for a software 
solution supporting the US business, Nadex, and a  
suite of domain names purchased during the year, 
including IG.com. These assets support the global  
single rebrand project.

Intangible assets also include goodwill of £107.3 million 
(2012: £107.5 million), primarily arising on the acquisition 
of IG Group plc and its subsidiaries in 2003, the goodwill 
associated with the acquisition of Nadex of £5.0 million 
(2012: £4.9 million) and the goodwill (£1.4 million) arising 
on the acquisition of our South African business (refer to 
note 16(a) to the Financial Statements). 

Capitalised investment in relation to development costs 
and software and licenses amounted to £2.5 million  
(2012: £3.0 million) largely relating to the development 
of the client trading platform and software relating to 
enhanced marketing capability. During the year the Group 
also invested £4.4 million in property, plant and equipment 
(2012: £4.7 million) including £2.5 million (2012: £2.4 million) 
in relation to IT equipment. 

cuRRENT ASSETS
Trade and other receivables include amounts due from 
brokers, amounts due to be received from segregated 
client money accounts on the following working day, and 
prepayments. Amounts due from brokers represent cash 
placed with counterparties in order to provide initial and 
variation margin in relation to the Group’s market risk 
management. Amounts due from brokers have increased 
to £283.9 million (2012: £207.0 million) primarily as a result 
of an increase in the excess of funds held at broker and 
higher equity positions than at the prior year-end with an 
intra-year high broker margin requirement of £297.5 million 
(2012: £277.1 million). 

During the year the Group completed the acquisition  
of the final 10% of IG Markets South Africa Limited, for  
£1.3 million. As a result there is no minority interest 
presented in the statement of financial position.

clIENT moNEy
Total monies held on behalf of clients at year-end was 
£842.0 million (2012: £792.6 million) of which £823.5 million 
(2012: £732.7 million) is segregated in trust bank accounts 
and treated as ‘segregated client money’ and therefore 
excluded from the Group Statement of Financial Position. 
The remaining monies held on behalf of clients of  
£18.5 million (2012: £59.9 million) represents ‘title transfer 
funds’ where the client agrees, under a Title Transfer 
Collateral Arrangement (TTCA), that full ownership of such 
monies is unconditionally transferred to the Group. Title 
transfer funds have reduced in the current year following 
the Group’s decision not to accept title transfer funds 
from individual clients, consequently title transfer funds 
now include only corporate clients. Monies subject to title 
transfer arrangements are included in the Group Statement 
of Financial Position.

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.

lIABIlITIES
Trade and other payables include amounts due to clients in 
relation to title transfer funds, accruals and other payables. 

Trade payables have reduced by £42.0 million following 
the Group’s decision not accept title transfer funds from 
all individual clients in the prior year. The level of other 
payables is £11.0 million lower at 31 May 2013 largely as 
a result of the lower performance-related bonus accruals 
discussed earlier in this section. 

coRPoRATE SocIAl RESPoNSIBIlITy
An overview of our commitment to corporate and social 
responsibility is included within the Directors’ Statutory 
Report and in more detail on our corporate website at 
www.iggroup.com.

PREPARATIoN oF THE oPERATING AND 
FINANcIAl REvIEw
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.

48  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

49

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

CORPORATE 
GOVERNANCE

C orporate GovernanCe Statement and overview of Corporate  

GovernanCe framework 

the Board 
Board CommitteeS 

Nomination 
Remuneration 
Directors’ remuneration report 
Audit 

exeCutive CommitteeS 

Risk 
Client money 

direCtorS’ StatutorY report 
Corporate SoCiaL reSponSiBiLitY 
Statement of direCtorS’ reSponSiBiLitieS 
independent auditorS’ report 

53
54 

59    
60 
62 
77 

80 
81 
82
85
88 
90

51

50  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT

The Corporate Governance Report details the Group’s governance framework and its management practices and, together 
with the Directors’ remuneration report, sets out how the Group has complied with the UK Corporate Governance Code for 
the year ended 31 May 2013.

Accordingly the Corporate Governance Report follows this structure:

TiTlE 

ExPlANATiON

PAGE

Corporate governance statement and overview  
of Corporate Governance Framework

A statement of the Company’s compliance with 
the UK Corporate Governance Code

The Board

Board committees:

Nomination

Remuneration including the Directors’  
remuneration report

Audit

Executive committees:

Risk  
Client Money

Board biographies as well as an overview of the 
leadership and effectiveness of the Board, its 
structure, responsibilities and Board evaluation

The Chairman of the committee provides an 
overview of the committee’s role and activity 
during the financial year

The Directors’ remuneration report provides an 
overview of the Group’s governance and policies 
with regards to remuneration, including the 
audited Directors’ remuneration disclosures

The Chairman of the committee provides an 
overview of the committee’s role and activity 
during the financial year

The Board has delegated certain governance 
responsibilities to executive committees. An 
overview of each committee’s role and activity in 
the financial year is provided

Directors’ statutory report

Other disclosures required by legislation

Corporate Social Responsibility Report

Details the Group’s policies and activity during 
the year with regards to corporate behaviour

53

54

59

60

77

80

82

85

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT: CORPORATE GOVERNANCE sTATEmENT

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE sTATEmENT

sTATEmENT Of COmPliANCE
The Board has reviewed the UK Corporate Governance 
Code (the Code) and considers that the Company has 
been compliant with the Code for the year ended  
31 May 2013.

During the year, Nat Le Roux, Lord David Currie and 
Andrew MacKay stepped down from the Board, and on 
22 May 2013 the Board was pleased to announce the 
appointment of Sam Tymms as a Non-Executive Director 

of the Company. The Board currently comprises three 
Executive Directors and four Non-Executive Directors 
excluding the Chairman. This means that the Board is 
fully compliant with Code provision B.1.2, which requires 
that at least half of the Board, excluding the Chairman, 
should comprise Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) who are 
determined by the Board to be independent.

Further information on the Code can be found on the 
Financial Reporting Council website at www.frc.org.uk.

OVERViEw Of CORPORATE GOVERNANCE fRAmEwORk 

Independent 
External 
Auditors

Appoint the Auditors

SHAREHOLDERS

 Elect the Board

BOARD
Four independent NEDs, three Executives 
and Chairman

BOARD COMMITTEES

Audit 
Committee
(Three independent 
NEDs)

Remuneration 
Committee
(Four independent 
NEDs and Chairman)

Nomination 
Committee
(Three independent 
NEDs and Chairman)

Chief Executive Officer 
and Executive Directors

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES

Senior 
Management
Team

Risk 
Committee
(including one 
independent NED)

Client Money 
Committee

52  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

53

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (continued)

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPOR T: ThE BOARd

ThE BOARd

Jonathan Davie
Non-Executive Chairman, 66 years old

Jonathan joined George M. Hill and Co, a jobber on the 
London Stock Exchange, in 1969. Wedd Durlacher Mordaunt 
and Co then acquired the firm, where Jonathan became 
a partner in 1975. He was the senior dealing partner of 
the company when it was later acquired 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, when they acquired most of BZW’s 
businesses. Jonathan is presently a Non-Executive Director 
of Persimmon plc and Hansa Trust plc, and Chairman of  
First Avenue, an alternatives advisory boutique. Jonathan  
is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. 

Tim Howkins
Chief Executive, 50 years old

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, where he was 
responsible for the Group’s audit. He then joined IG as 
Finance Director in 1999, and became Chief Executive 
in 2006. Tim is a member of the board and executive 
committee of the Futures and Options Association.

Peter Hetherington
Chief Operating Officer, 44 years old
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 Group, as a graduate 
trainee, in 1994. He became Head 
of Financial Dealing in 1999 and was 
appointed as Chief Operating Officer 
of IG Group in 2002.

Christopher Hill
Chief Financial Officer, 42 years old
Christopher read Modern History at 
Oxford University. He is a Chartered 
Accountant and an associate member 
of the Association of Corporate 
Treasurers. He joined IG Group in 
April 2011 from Travelex, a group 
providing cross-border payment and 
foreign exchange services to corporate 
and retail customers, where he was 
Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining 
Travelex in 2007, Christopher worked at 
VWR international, a global laboratory 
supply company (from 2005 to 2007), at 
General Electric (from 2000 to 2005) and 
at Arthur Andersen (from 1992 to 2000).

Roger Yates
Senior Independent  
Non-Executive Director, 56 years old
Roger joined the Board as senior 
independent Non-Executive 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. In 2003, Roger went 
on to lead the de-merger from its then 
parent AMP, becoming Chief Executive 
of the resulting listed entity (now 
Henderson Group plc) until November 
2008. From December 2009 until July 
2010, Roger was CEO of global asset 
manager Pioneer Investments. He is  
a Non-Executive Director of JP Morgan 
Elect Investment Trust plc and of  
Electra Private Equity Trust plc.

Stephen Hill 
Non-Executive Director, 53 years old
Stephen served as CEO of the  
Financial Times for Pearson plc 
between 1996 and 2002, and on 
Pearson’s management board. He 
was the CEO of Betfair plc from 2003 
to 2005. Currently he is Chairman 
and CEO of D’Aval Limited, a private 
investment company, and Trustee 
and Chairman of the Royal National 
Institute for Deaf People – Action on 
Hearing Loss. Stephen also serves as  
a member of the Advisory Board of the 
Cambridge University Judge Business 
School. Stephen is an experienced 
Non-Executive Director, having 
previously served on the boards of  
the Royal SunAlliance Insurance Group 
plc, Psion plc and Channel 4. He was 
also Chairman of Interactive Data 
Corporation of the US from 1998  
to 2002. 

Sam Tymms
Non-Executive Director, 46 years old
On graduating in 1987 Sam joined the 
London Stock Exchange’s Surveillance 
Division, which over time became 
the Securities and Futures Authority 
and eventually the Financial Services 
Authority in 1998. During that time 
she held a range of supervisory 
roles, worked for two years in the 
Investigations and Enforcement 
Division and spent a short period at the 
Bank of England leading the work on 
integrated supervision, as the regulators 
were merged. As a supervisor she 
ran departments supervising global 
investment firms, retail and investment 
banks and major insurance groups. In 
2007 Sam joined Promontory Financial 
Group as a Managing Director. 
Promontory is a leading strategy, 
risk management and regulatory 
compliance consulting firm, where Sam 
advises financial services firms on a wide 
range of risk and regulatory matters.

Martin Jackson
Non-Executive Director, 64 years old
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, of Friends Provident Life 
Office between 1999 and 2001, and of 
London & Manchester Group plc from 
1992 to 1998 (up until its acquisition by 
Friends Provident Life Office). He is a 
Non-Executive Director and Chairman 
of the Group Risk Committee of 
Admiral Group plc. He is also a fellow of 
the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

54  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

55

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (continued)

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPOR T: ThE BOARd

ThE BOARd (continued)

lEAdERshiP
ROlE Of ThE BOARd
The Board is responsible for the long-term success 
of the Group. It is accountable for ensuring that, as a 
collective body, it has the appropriate skills, knowledge 
and experience to perform its role effectively. It provides 
guidance and leadership by challenging business 
performance, and sets the strategic direction of the Group.

The powers of the Board are set out in the Company’s 
articles of association, which are available on the Group’s 
website, www.iggroup.com. The articles may be amended 
by way of a special resolution of the members of the 
Company. The Board may exercise all powers conferred on 
it by the articles and in accordance with the Companies Act 
2006, and other applicable legislation.

Specific key decisions are reserved for the Board in order 
to ensure that it meets its responsibilities. These include:

•	 Setting	Group	strategy
•	 Approving	major	acquisitions,	divestments	and	 

capital expenditure

•	 Approving	expansion	into	new	business	or	 

geographic areas

•	 Approving	annual	budgets
•	 Approving	changes	relating	to	the	Group’s	capital	

structure including reduction of capital

•	 Reviewing	operational	and	financial	performance
•	 Setting	the	risk	appetite	of	the	Group
•	 Approving	any	changes	to	the	Group’s	risk	management	
policy which materially increase the Group’s risk profile
•	 Reviewing	the	Group’s	systems	of	internal	control	and	

risk management

•	 Approving	Board,	Board	committee	and	Company	

Secretarial 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

•	 Receiving	reports	on	the	views	of	the	 

Company’s shareholders

A formal schedule of matters specifically reserved for  
the Board can be found on the Group’s website, at  
www.iggroup.com.

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

•	 Developing	and	recommending	strategic	plans	for	 

the Group

•	 Implementing	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

•	 Promoting	good	standards	of	corporate	governance	 

and shareholder engagement

BOARd sTRuCTuRE
During the year, the Company was headed by an 
experienced Board of seven Directors, comprising an 
independent Non-Executive Chairman, three Executive 
Directors, including the Group Chief Executive Officer, and 
three independent Non-Executive Directors. The Board was 
pleased to announce the appointment of Sam Tymms as a 
Non-Executive Director of the Company on 22 May 2013, 
taking the total number of Directors on the Board to eight.

The division of responsibilities between the Chairman and 
the Chief Executive Officer is clearly defined in writing 
and has been approved by the Board. The Chairman is 
responsible for the leadership of the Board and creating 
the conditions for its effective working. The Chairman sets 
the Board’s agenda in consultation with the Chief Executive 
Officer and Company Secretary, taking full account of 
the issues and concerns of Board members and giving 
consideration to the need to allow sufficient time for the 
discussion of items on the agenda.

All Non-Executive Directors are independent of 
management and are considered by the Board to be 
free from any business or other relationships which could 
interfere with the exercise of their independence. Their 
role is to advise and constructively challenge management, 
along with monitoring management’s success in delivering 
the agreed strategy within the risk appetite and control 
framework set by the Board. They are also responsible for 
determining appropriate levels of remuneration for the 
Executive Directors.

Roger Yates is the Senior Independent Director and 
provides support to the Chairman, serving as an 
intermediary for the other Directors when necessary. The 
Senior Independent Director is available to shareholders  
if they have concerns which communication via the normal 
channels of Chairman, Chief Executive Officer or other 
Executive Directors has failed to resolve, or for which  
such communication is inappropriate.

hOw ThE BOARd OPERATEs
The Board meets regularly: at least five times a year, and 
attends an additional off-site strategy day.

The Board 
Allocation of time

The Board also meets when necessary to discuss important 
ad-hoc emerging issues that require consideration between 
standard Board meetings. All Directors make every effort 
to attend each meeting; each Director committed an 
appropriate amount of time to their duties during the 
financial year and the Non-Executive Directors met the 
time commitment specified in their letters of appointment.

The Chairman and Non-Executive Directors meet formally 
in the absence of the Executive Directors at least once  
a year.

ATTENdANCE AT BOARd mEETiNGs
The number of full Board meetings, including the Board 
strategy day, attended by each Director during the year is 
set out below:

Scheduled Board 
meetings eligible 
to attend

Scheduled 
Board meetings  
attended

Board attendance

Group Chairman
J R Davie 
Executive Directors
T  A Howkins  

(Chief Executive Officer)

C F Hill
P G Hetherington
A R MacKay
Independent Non-Executive Directors
D Currie
S G Hill
D M Jackson
R P Yates
S J Tymms
Non-independent Non-Executive Director
N B le Roux

7

7
7
7
1

1
7
7
7
1

1

7

7
7
7
1

1
7
7
6
1

1

hOw ThE BOARd disChARGEd iTs 

REsPONsiBiliTiEs duRiNG ThE fiNANCiAl yEAR
During the year, the Board has been engaged across the 
key areas of financial performance, strategy, governance 
and risk as highlighted in the following chart. In addition 
to regular reviews of performance, the Board has further 
discussed risk appetite, capital and liquidity planning,  
and talent management, including succession planning.  
It has also held an off-site strategy day to review strategic  
options open to the Group in light of the regulatory and 
economic environment.

  Strategy
  Business and operational  

  highlights

  Financial performance
  Risk
  Client money
  Current trading
  Other
  Quarterly forecast and budget

BOARd ANd ExECuTiVE COmmiTTEEs
The Board has delegated certain governance responsibilities 
to Board committees in order both to assist it with 
carrying out its responsibilities and to ensure that there is 
independent oversight of internal control and risk. These 
Board committees comprise independent Non-Executive 
Directors only and have agreed terms of reference, which 
are available on our corporate website, www.iggroup.com.

The Chairman of each Board committee reports to the 
Board on the matters discussed at committee meetings, 
and the minutes of each of the committee meetings are 
made available to all Directors. Please see the following 
section for reports on the year from the Chairman of each 
Board committee.

Certain governance responsibilities have also been 
delegated to executive committees, whose members 
include Executive Directors and members of senior 
management. Please see the following section for reports on 
the year from both the Risk and Client Money Committees.

EffECTiVENEss
BOARd sTRuCTuRE
The size, composition and qualifications of the members 
of the Board have a significant impact on its effectiveness. 
There is an appropriate combination of Executive Directors 
and Non-Executive Directors such that no individual 
or small group of individuals can dominate the Board’s 
decision making. This is regularly reviewed to ensure that 
the Board has the right mix for constructive discussion and, 
ultimately, effective Board decisions.

suCCEssiON PlANNiNG ANd APPOiNTmENTs  

TO ThE BOARd 
Succession planning is used by the Board to ensure that 
the Group is managed by executives with the necessary 
skills, experience and knowledge, and to ensure that 
the Board has the right balance of individuals to be able 
to discharge its responsibilities. The search for Board 
candidates is conducted, and appointments are made,  
on merit against objective criteria.

56  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

57

 
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (continued)

ThE BOARd (continued)

suCCEssiON PlANNiNG ANd APPOiNTmENTs  

TO ThE BOARd (CONTiNuEd)
The Nomination Committee has specific responsibility 
for the appointment of Non-Executive and Executive 
Directors, but the Board as a whole is also involved in 
overseeing the development of management resources 
across the Group.

iNduCTiON ANd TRAiNiNG
New Directors to the Board are provided with appropriate 
training and briefings to familiarise them with their 
duties and the business operations, risk and governance 
arrangements. The induction programme includes 
meetings with senior management. Ongoing professional 
development is important given the rapidly changing 
environment in which the Group operates. During their 
term of office all Directors receive regular briefings on 
changes and developments in the business and on any 
relevant market, legislative and regulatory changes.

iNfORmATiON PROVidEd TO ThE BOARd
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. All 
Directors receive appropriate and timely information to 
enable the Board to exercise its judgement in the discharge 
of its duties. Briefing papers are distributed to all Directors 
in advance of Board meetings via a secure electronic 
system, and financial information is distributed monthly.

RE-ElECTiON Of diRECTORs
The UK Corporate Governance Code requires that 
all Directors submit themselves for re-election at the 
Company’s AGM, which this year will be held on  
17 October 2013. Following a performance evaluation 
of each Director and the Board as a whole, all the 
Directors, with the exception of S J Tymms, are submitting 
themselves for re-election. 

In accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code 
Provision B.7.1, S J Tymms will be submitting herself 
for election by shareholders at the first AGM after her 
appointment, which will be held on 17 October 2013.

Biographical details of each of the Directors are found 
earlier in this section.

BOARd EVAluATiON
The UK Corporate Governance Code and the Financial 
Reporting Council’s guidance on board effectiveness 
require the Board to evaluate performance annually, and 
recommend that the evaluation of the Board should be 
externally facilitated every three years. 

Last year, the Board commissioned an independent 
external Board effectiveness facilitator, Dr Tracy Long  
of Boardroom Review, to assist in an evaluation of  
its effectiveness.

In response to the recommendations from the evaluation, 
the Board has implemented the following changes:

•	 Review	of	management	information	received	by	 

the Board

•	 Increased	focus	on	strategy,	with	an	annual	strategy	day	

being put in place

•	 An	increased	number	of,	and	more	evenly	spaced,	 

Board meetings throughout the year

•	 An	increased	focus	on	the	long-term	composition	of	 

the Board

•	 Increased	informal	interaction	between	Board	 

members and senior management outside of formal 
Board meetings 

Further to last year’s external evaluation, this year the 
Board carried out an internal Board evaluation using  
a questionnaire covering the Board’s composition and 
processes and its activities and behaviours. During this 
process, the Board reviewed the recommendations arising 
out of last year’s external evaluation, in order to continue 
improving the overall effectiveness of the Board. 

In addition to the external Board evaluation, 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) and taking into 
account the feedback from the Executive Directors.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPOR T: NOmiNATiON COmmiTTEE

NOmiNATiON COmmiTTEE

The responsibilities of the committee are to:

Jonathan Davie, 
Chairman  
of the Nomination  
Committee, reviews the  
committee’s activities  
during the financial year

ChAiRmAN’s OVERViEw
The focus and attention of the committee in the year has 
been the need to strengthen and implement effective 
succession planning for the Board. In addition, particular 
attention was given to the diversity of skills, knowledge, 
gender and experience of the Board, especially following 
publication of the Davies review on Women on Boards.

NOmiNATiON COmmiTTEE –  

mEmBERshiP ANd ATTENdANCE

Scheduled  
meetings  
eligible to attend

Scheduled  
meetings  
attended

Group Chairman 
and Chairman of 
Nomination Committee
J R Davie 
Independent  
Non-Executive Directors
D Currie
D M Jackson
R P Yates

4

2
4
4

4

2
4
4

The committee meets as necessary to consider 
appointments to the Board. The Chief Executive Officer 
also attends, but is not involved in decisions relating to his 
own succession.

ROlE Of ThE NOmiNATiON COmmiTTEE
The committee spent its time equally between succession 
planning and Board composition during the year ended  
31 May 2013.

Nomination Committee 
Allocation of time

  Succession planning
  Board composition

•	 Review	the	composition	of	the	Board	and	Board	
committees to ensure that they are appropriately 
balanced in terms of skills, knowledge and experience
•	 Ensure	that	there	is	a	formal,	rigorous	and	transparent	
procedure for the appointment of new Directors and 
recommend appointments to the Board

•	 Ensure	that	plans	are	in	place	for	orderly	succession	
for appointments to the Board, and to other senior 
management positions

ACTiViTy duRiNG ThE fiNANCiAl yEAR
The committee has continued to focus on reviewing the 
structure, size and composition of the Board. Following the 
decisions of Nat le Roux, David Currie and Andrew MacKay 
to step down from the Board, an external recruitment 
firm was engaged to assist the Committee with a search 
for a potential Non-Executive Director, and to identify 
candidates against the role specification and the skills, 
knowledge and experience desirable for the role.

Sam Tymms was identified as a strong candidate, being a 
seasoned regulator with experience in enforcement and 
supervision. Sam spent 20 years with the UK Financial 
Services Authority and its predecessor agencies, where she 
oversaw investment firms, retail banks, investment banks 
and insurance groups. Following detailed due diligence 
and an extensive interview process, the Committee 
recommended Sam’s appointment. This was approved by 
the Board and Sam was formally appointed on 22 May 2013.

In addition, myself and Martin Jackson will be stepping 
down from the Board at the AGM in October 2014. The 
committee is currently undertaking a thorough search 
for Martin’s replacement. In September, Roger Yates, the 
Senior Independant Director, will commence a search for 
my replacement. 

Jonathan Davie 
Chairman, Nomination Committee

23 July 2013

58  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

59

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (continued)

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPOR T: REmuNERATiON COmmiTTEE

REmuNERATiON COmmiTTEE

Roger Yates, Chairman 
of the Remuneration 
Committee, reviews the 
committee’s activities 
during the financial year

ChAiRmAN’s OVERViEw
The committee’s focus during the financial year has 
been on ensuring an appropriate balance between the 
levels of remuneration required to attract, retain and 
motivate talented leaders in a competitive market, and 
setting policies that are aligned with the interests of 
shareholders and regulatory requirements. This included a 
comprehensive review into Executive Director remuneration 
and, at the time of writing, major shareholders are being 
consulted on the changes. Details of the conclusions of the 
remuneration review and any changes to remuneration will 
be provided in the notice of AGM.

REmuNERATiON COmmiTTEE –  

mEmBERshiP ANd ATTENdANCE

Scheduled  
meetings  
eligible to 
attend

Scheduled  
meetings  
attended

Chairman of 
Remuneration Committee
R P Yates
Independent  
Non-Executive Directors
D Currie
D M Jackson
S G Hill
J R Davie

4

3
4
4
4

The committee meets four times a year, and as and  
when required.

ROlE Of ThE REmuNERATiON COmmiTTEE
The committee is responsible for making recommendations 
to the Board on the Group’s remuneration policy. 
Operating within agreed terms of reference, it determines 
an overall remuneration package for the Executive 
Directors in order to attract and retain high-quality 
Directors capable of achieving the Group’s objectives.

The committee determines the contractual terms, 
remuneration and other benefits for each of the Executive 
Directors, including performance-related bonus schemes, 
pension rights, compensation payments and contingent 
share awards. In setting the remuneration for Executive 

Directors, the committee has the discretion to take 
performance on environmental, social, regulatory and 
governance matters into account.

The committee’s other responsibilities are to:

•	 Determine	and	review	the	Group’s	remuneration	policy,	
ensuring it is consistent with effective risk management 
across the Group, and to consider the implications of this 
remuneration policy on risk

•	 Approve	the	remuneration	of	the	Chairman
•	 Approve	all	share-based	awards	under	the	Group’s	

employee incentive schemes, to determine each year 
whether awards will be made and, if awards are made,  
to monitor their operation, the size of such awards and 
the performance targets to be used 

•	 Establish	the	selection	criteria,	appoint	and	set	the	terms	
of reference for any remuneration consultants who advise 
the committee

The Board determines the remuneration of  
Non-Executive Directors.

ACTiViTy duRiNG ThE fiNANCiAl yEAR
Remuneration framework
The committee recognises that the Group must be able 
to attract, retain and motivate leaders who are focused on 
delivering the business strategy in line with the interests of 
stakeholders, and the committee strives to ensure that the 
Group’s remuneration framework is structured in order to 
enable this. 

4

3
4
4
4

Last year, the committee reviewed the bonus arrangements 
for the Executive Directors and employees participating 
in the general staff bonus scheme, in order to ensure that 
there is an ongoing link between performance and reward. 
The committee determined it was appropriate, from 
periods beginning after 1 June 2012, to incorporate some 
non-financial measures into the metrics for both bonus 
schemes, to ensure that rewards were balanced between 
financial and strategic goals. 

For Executive Directors, whose maximum bonus potential 
is 200% of salary, the potential bonus profile is as follows:

•	 75%	of	maximum	bonus	potential	(ie	150%	of	salary)	for	
financial measures (diluted earnings per share ‘DEPS’) 
•	 25%	of	maximum	bonus	potential	(ie	50%	of	salary)	for	

non-financial measures, comprising:

	 •	 12.5%	Execution	and	delivery	of	key	strategic	initiatives
	 •	 	12.5%	Performance	against	key	non-financial	metrics:	
system reliability/uptime, maintaining good standing 
with regulators, customer satisfaction, reputation and 
PR, and risk management

A bonus of 46.8% of the maximum entitlement was 
awarded to Executive Directors for performance during 
the financial year. During the year, the 2010 value-sharing 
plan (VSP) performance period ended and this will result in 
a vesting of only the PBT award at 14.5% of the maximum 
awards made. The committee feels that the level of 
payout/vesting under the bonus and long-term scheme 
is a fair representation of the financial performance of 
the Company as set out in the ‘Operating and Financial 
Review’. Specifically, over the three years to 31 May 2013, 
IG’s profits grew by 37%.

Pages 70 to 74 of the ‘Directors’ remuneration report’ 
provides details of the committee’s assessment of the 
Executive Directors’ performance against these financial 
and non-financial measures. This section also details the 
profit before tax and total shareholder return performance 
against the target/benchmark of awards made under the 
2010 value-sharing plan for which the performance period 
ended on 31 May 2013.

As set out in the Remuneration Committee’s Chairman’s 
overview, the committee has furthered its work on the 
Group’s remuneration framework this year by conducting  
a thorough review on Executive Director remuneration. 

Remuneration regulation
The committee continues to monitor the developments 
in this area, including the government’s reforms to 
enhance shareholder voting rights in relation to executive 
remuneration and to strengthen the legislation and 
regulation around remuneration governance which will take 
effect on 1 October 2013. The Enterprise and Regulatory 
Reform Act 2013 received Royal Assent on 25 April 
2013 and was published on 2 May 2013. The committee 
has decided to adopt a number of the new reporting 
requirements early. This year’s remuneration report, 
consistent with previous years, will be subject to a single 
advisory vote at the AGM on 17 October 2013.

Another area of regulatory development is the cap on 
variable remuneration (as a percentage of fixed pay) 
brought in by the Capital Requirements Directive IV. We are 
awaiting guidance from the Prudential Regulatory Authority 
as to whether or not a cap will apply to the Group, from  
a proportionality perspective. 

The European Banking Authority is also consulting on 
changes to the definition of Code Staff. We are engaged 
with this consultation and will review our Code Staff policy 
if required. 

Further, and since the end of the last financial year, the 
Financial Conduct Authority has updated its proportionality 
guidelines meaning the Group, as a ‘level 3’ firm, does not 
need to comply with the current FCA Remuneration Code 

Rules on retained shares (SYSC 19A.3.47R), deferral (SYSC 
19A.3.49R) and performance adjustment (SYSC 19A.3.51R). 

Other activities 
During the year, the committee also completed  
the following:

•	 Review	and	approval	of	the	2012	Directors’	remuneration	
report and review of the final outcome of AGM voting on 
the report

•	 Review	of	the	draft	Directors’	remuneration	report	for	the	

year ended 31 May 2013 

•	 Review	and	approval	of	both	the	share	incentive	plan	

and the value-sharing plan offerings

•	 Review	of	the	Group	remuneration	policy	and	the	risk	

report on remuneration policy

The following chart highlights how the committee spent its 
time during the year ended 31 May 2013:

Remuneration Committee 
Allocation of time

  Salary and bonus scheme 

  arrangements

  Incentive awards
  Remuneration regulation
  Remuneration reporting
  Remuneration policy

AdVisORs
The committee’s work is supported by independent 
professional advice received from Kepler Associates and 
New Bridge Street. During the year both Kepler Associates 
and New Bridge Street provided advice in relation to 
trends in executive remuneration, the Executive Directors’ 
salaries, and the Group’s bonus scheme for Executive 
Directors and employees. New Bridge Street also provided 
remuneration benchmarking data to the Group.

The committee will continue to report transparently on 
all aspects of Directors’ remuneration and to actively 
engage with shareholders when developing executive 
remuneration policies and structures. 

Roger Yates 
Chairman of the Remuneration Committee

23 July 2013

60  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

61

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (continued)

diRECTORs’ REmuNERATiON REPORT

PREPARATiON Of ThE diRECTORs’ REmuNERATiON REPORT
The following remuneration report has been prepared on behalf of the Board by the Remuneration Committee. The 
committee adopts the principles of good governance as set out in the UK Corporate Governance Code, and complies  
with the Listing Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority, the relevant schedules of the Companies Act 2006 and the 
Directors’ Remuneration Report Regulations in schedules 5 and 8 of the Large and Medium-Sized Companies and  
Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008.

Unless otherwise stated, information and disclosures within the Directors’ remuneration report are unaudited. The 
regulations require the Company’s auditors to report on the audited information in the report and to state that this section 
has been properly prepared in accordance with these regulations. For this reason, the ‘audited information’ contained in 
the report is clearly identified. The Directors’ remuneration report is subject to shareholder approval at the Annual General 
Meeting (AGM) on 17 October 2013.

sTRuCTuRE
The Directors’ remuneration report is separated into two sections. The first covers the Group’s future remuneration policy; 
the second covers the implementation of the policy and the actual remuneration in the current reporting period.

TiTlE

ExPlANATiON

Future 
remuneration 
policy

Remuneration 
governance

An overview of remuneration governance, and the Group’s policies and 
principles with regard to future remuneration

Remuneration 
policies that 
support the 
Group’s strategy

Remuneration 
arrangements 
for Executive 
Directors

Implementation 
of remuneration 
policy in the 
current year

Actual 
remuneration

An explanation of the alignment of the Group’s remuneration policy with the 
Group’s strategy for the wider employee base and the Executive Directors, as 
well as an overview of the key elements of remuneration for the forthcoming 
financial year

Detailed explanation of the elements of remuneration, including analysis of 
prospective remuneration for the forthcoming financial year

Detailed disclosure of the actual Executive Directors’ remuneration for the year 
ended 31 May 2013, including audited information and an analysis of actual 
performance against current year remuneration targets 

This section also includes a distribution statement illustrating how executive 
remuneration compares with other dispersals of the Group

Other 
remuneration 
disclosures

Includes other general disclosures such as Total Shareholder Return, details 
of Executive Directors’ service contracts, interests in share capital and audited 
information relating to share schemes

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT: diRECTORs’ REmuNERATiON REPORT

REmuNERATiON GOVERNANCE 
Remuneration policy and principles
The objective of the Remuneration Committee is to 
ensure that remuneration encourages, reinforces and 
rewards the delivery of shareholder value. As such, it has 
implemented a remuneration policy which provides a 
framework for making decisions, including those covering 
the remuneration of Executive Directors and Code Staff. 
The remuneration policy is set to ensure that remuneration 
remains competitive and provides appropriate incentive  
for performance.

The committee has agreed that all matters relating to 
remuneration of Group employees should:

•	 Align	with	the	best	interests	of	the	Company’s	shareholders	

and other stakeholders

•	 Recognise	and	reward	good	and	excellent	performance	
of employees that helps drive sustainable growth of  
the Group

•	 Focus	on	retaining	high-performing	senior	management
•	 Be	consistent	with	regulatory	and	corporate	 

governance requirements

•	 Be	designed	to	achieve	effective	risk	management
•	 Be	straightforward,	easy	for	employees	to	understand	

and easy for the Group to monitor

•	 Not	be	used	to	reward	behaviour	that	inappropriately	

increases the Group’s exposure to risks

•	 Not	guarantee	variable	remuneration	unless	the	payment	
is exceptional, warranted and documented, and does 
not impact the sound and effective risk management of 
the Group, with additional rules applying to Code Staff

REmuNERATiON POliCiEs ThAT suPPORT ThE 

GROuP’s sTRATEGy
As highlighted in the Remuneration Committee Chairman’s 
overview, the committee has undertaken a comprehensive 
review of the senior remuneration framework to ensure that 
it is aligned to the Group’s strategy and Key Performance 
Indicators. Any revisions to the senior remuneration 
framework are designed to be effective not only in 
delivering strong financial results, but also integrally 
aligned to the current business strategy and therefore  
the interests of the Group’s shareholders.

Remuneration regulation 
In accordance with the FCA’s Remuneration Code (FCA 
Code), Code Staff are defined as the Group’s employees 
whose professional activities could have a material impact 
on the Group’s risk profile, and who fall into the Code 
Staff categories set by the FCA Code. During the financial 
year, Code Staff have been identified, made aware of the 
implications of their status and had their remuneration 
reviewed by the Remuneration Committee. The committee 
has ensured that remuneration arrangements are in 
accordance with the FCA Code, as varied where applicable 
by the FCA’s guidance on proportionality. 

The disclosure of the aggregate remuneration of Code 
Staff is set out later in this report.

Dilution limits
Awards granted under each of the long-term incentive 
plan and value-sharing plan schemes are met by the issue 
of new shares when the options are exercised. The Group 
monitors the number of shares issued under these schemes 
and their impact on dilution limits. 

62  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

63

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (continued)

diRECTORs’ REmuNERATiON REPORT (continued)

kEy ElEmENTs Of REmuNERATiON ExPlAiNEd
At 31 May 2013 the Group employed 991 people in 16 countries. It is necessary to structure compensation and benefits in  
a way that ensures an appropriate balance between reward for short-term success and long-term growth. Compensation  
and benefits comprise fixed and variable elements.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT: diRECTORs’ REmuNERATiON REPORT

The following table demonstrates the alignment of the remuneration structures the Group currently has in place with the 
Group strategy. It also summarises the key components of the Group’s typical reward arrangements. Please note that it does 
not include details of the proposed new Executive Director incentives for the forthcoming year as this will be presented to 
shareholders for approval at the Annual General Meeting. The new arrangements could have an impact on all elements of 
Executive Director remuneration including salary, short and long-term incentives and personal shareholding requirements. 
The new arrangements might also have an effect on the remuneration of some senior management within the business  
(but such impact is expected to be restricted to short and long-term incentives).

AliGNmENT wiTh  

COmPONENT Of 

ROlE wiThiN REmuNERATiON fRAmEwORk  

dETAils

APPliEs TO

kEy PERfORmANCE iNdiCATOR 

GROuP sTRATEGy

REmuNERATiON

ANd OBjECTiVE

fOR ExECuTiVE diRECTORs’ 

VARiABlE REmuNERATiON

Base salary (fixed)

To attract and retain talent by ensuring salaries are 
competitive to the market in which the individual is 
employed. Salaries are effective from 1 June each year

Based on conditions in the relevant market and recognises 
the value of an individual’s sustained personal performance 
and contribution to the business 

All employees

Not applicable

Pension arrangements 
(fixed)

SHORT TERM

Benefits (fixed)

To provide competitive retirement benefits

Percentage of salary is contributed to personal pensions 

All employees 

Not applicable

To provide standard benefits, consistent with the  
Group’s values 

Includes private healthcare cover and health  
club membership

All employees 

Not applicable

Bonus (variable)

To focus participants on the achievement of annual 
objectives, which align the Group’s short-term 
performance with the sustainable delivery of  
shareholder value 

MEDIUM TERM

Value Share plan (variable)

To provide Executive Directors and senior employees with 
total compensation opportunities that are competitive 
against local market practice, while closely aligning their 
interests with those of shareholders 

LONG TERM

Other share plans 
(variable)

To provide a Share Incentive Plan (SIP) to ensure that the 
interests of the wider employee population are aligned 
with shareholders 

Personal shareholdings – 
Executive Directors

There is not currently a formal policy for personal 
shareholdings for Executive Directors. Please refer to  
page 69 for details of personal shareholdings

Executive Directors‘ bonuses for the year ending  
31 May 2013 are subject to partial deferral in shares

All eligible 
employees

All other employees: Specific and General Staff Bonus 
Scheme determined by reference to Group, functional  
and individual performance measured over a single 
financial year

Comprise annual awards, providing those eligible with  
a pre-defined number of shares for each £10.0 million of 
surplus shareholder value created over three years above  
two hurdles

50% of shares vest at the end of the three year period  
and 50% are deferred for a further year

In the UK, the Group operates a HMRC approved  
SIP under which matching shares are provided up  
to a maximum of £1,500

Similar schemes are available to employees in Australia 
and the US

Personal shareholdings are encouraged through both 
mandatory bonus deferral and longer term share  
incentive plans

Executive 
Directors and 
senior employees 
– no further 
awards are 
expected be 
made under this 
plan

All eligible 
employees  
are invited to 
participate 

Earnings per share (EPS) 
performance against stretching 
targets and non-financial measures 

Revenue performance against 
budget and non-financial measures

Total Shareholder Return and 
Growth in Profit Before Tax

Not applicable 

Executive 
Directors 

Share price performance  
and dividend per share

64  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

65

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT: diRECTORs’ REmuNERATiON REPORT

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (continued)

diRECTORs’ REmuNERATiON REPORT (continued)

fuTuRE REmuNERATiON POliCy: REmuNERATiON 

ARRANGEmENTs fOR ExECuTiVE diRECTORs iN 

fuTuRE PERiOds
Overall remuneration package review
As indicated in last year’s annual report, the Remuneration 
Committee has undertaken a wholesale review of Executive 
Remuneration. The review concluded the following:

•	 For	a	business	at	IG	Group’s	current	stage	of	

development, the existing arrangements are too highly 
‘geared’, with high upside in the value-sharing plan 
(VSP) linked to exceptional growth, but with insufficient 
emphasis on sustained, reliable performance

•	 Base	salaries	are	significantly	behind	market	levels,	which	
is designed to complement the high gearing of the VSP

•	 The	package	should	be	simplified	with	a	focus	on	

delivering sustained performance, through a mix of 
financial, non-financial and TSR-related measures

•	 Further	shareholder	alignment	should	be	achieved	by	
increasing the emphasis on equity and through the 
introduction of a formal shareholding requirement

The Remuneration Committee has proposed changes to 
the Executive Director remuneration policy as a result of 
the review. The Committee believes that the proposed 
changes provide a reward policy which is more closely 
tailored to the Group’s business aims and are being 
discussed with the Group’s major shareholders. Full  
details will be set out in the Notice of AGM documents.  
In summary, the proposed changes aim to:

•	 Simplify	the	overall	remuneration	package
•	 Ensure	a	rounded	assessment	of	performance	 
while retaining a focus on earnings and total  
shareholder return

•	 Provide	an	increased	emphasis	on	equity	through	a	

shareholding requirement, delivery of awards in shares, 
and the deferral of equity

•	 Provide	a	better	balance	between	fixed	and	variable	pay,	
while retaining an emphasis on reward for performance

Basic salary
Base salaries have previously been set at below market 
levels by reference to equivalent roles in companies 
selected on the basis of comparable size, geographic 
spread and business focus, taking into account the highly 
geared nature of the long-term share based incentive 
scheme. Individual salary decisions take into account 
personal contribution and business performance, as well  
as general pay conditions of employees elsewhere in  
the Group.

The intention of the Committee is that the proposed 
Executive Directors salaries are presented to shareholders 
in the notice of AGM as part of the overall changes  
to remuneration.

66  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

Pensions
The Group contributes 15% of basic salary to personal 
pensions for each of the Executive Directors, who also 
have the option to receive part, or all, of their pension 
entitlement in cash. The additional cash payment is 
counted in lieu of pension, and is not treated as base 
salary for the purposes of calculating other benefits. As 
an alternative to part-payment of a performance-related 
bonus or basic salary, Executive Directors may choose to 
receive an equivalent contribution to their pension.

The Executive Directors have elected to:

T A Howkins 

C F Hill   

P G Hetherington  

 Restrict pension contribution to 
£50,000 and receive the balance 
of the pension contribution as 
an additional cash payment

 Receive the full pension 
contribution

 Receive the full pension 
contribution as an additional 
cash payment

Benefits
The Group provides a range of benefits to employees, 
including private health cover and discounted health 
club membership. The Executive Directors are entitled to 
participate in these non-cash benefits on equal terms with 
all other staff.

Performance-related bonuses
For the financial year ending 31 May 2014, the 
Remuneration Committee is proposing that the Executive 
Directors’ and Senior Management bonus scheme be 
replaced by a new incentive scheme as mentioned earlier 
in this section. 

It is intended the general staff bonus scheme, which 
applies to the vast majority of the Group’s employees,  
will continue unchanged. 

For the current bonus scheme, the Remuneration 
Committee retains the right to reduce, but not increase, 
the bonuses payable, if it considers that the formulaic 
financial measures have not produced an appropriate 
bonus outcome. Assessment of performance against  
the non-financial measure is entirely at the discretion  
of the committee.

In line with the final FCA Code rules on disclosure of 
remuneration published in December 2010, there is a 
deferral element in the current bonus scheme. The first 
£100,000 of any bonus granted, plus one third of the 
remainder, is to be paid in cash, with the excess balance 
deferred for 12 months basis share price and settled in 

shares or cash. The cash elements of performance-related 
bonuses are paid in full within three months of the  
year-end.

Long-term value-sharing plans vesting in the future
The value-sharing plan (VSP), which was approved by 
shareholders in 2010, comprises annual awards, providing 
the Executive Directors and other senior staff with a pre-
defined number of shares for each £10.0 million of surplus 
shareholder value created over three years above a hurdle. 
Surplus value is calculated under two criteria:

(i) Value created from the difference between the 
Total Shareholder Return (TSR) of IG Group Holdings 
plc and that of the FTSE350 Financial Services Index, 
multiplied by the IG Group Holdings plc starting 
market capitalisation, defined as the average market 
capitalisation in the three months to 31 May, in the year  
in question

(ii) Growth in profit before taxation (PBT) multiplied by a 
fixed multiple determined by the IG Group Holdings plc 
starting market capitalisation, plus net equity cash flows 
to shareholders above a hurdle return. For example, for 
the 2012 VSP the hurdle return was 12% per annum, with 
the multiple being 8.829

For Executive Directors, 60% of the shares will vest based 
upon the first criteria and 40% will vest based upon the 
second. The 60:40 ratio between TSR and PBT applies 
only to Executive Directors. Code Staff and other senior 
employees are paid on either a 50:50 TSR and PBT ratio or 
a 40:60 TSR and PBT ratio, depending on seniority and role.

The decision to split the awards on this basis was made 
by the Remuneration Committee (after taking advice 
from Kepler Associates). It was agreed that the Executive 
Directors are better placed to influence the performance of 
the Group relative to its peers.

The Remuneration Committee considers that profit 
before taxation (excluding impairment of goodwill and 
intangibles) is an appropriate measure of the Group’s 
financial performance as it is highly visible and regularly 
monitored and reported. The use of TSR introduces 
an element of relative performance into the Group’s 
remuneration package, which is intended to protect 
against general stock market movements and focus 
more closely on the value created for shareholders by 
management, over and above that delivered by peers.

The blend of PBT and TSR measures provides strong 
alignment with shareholder interests and provides an 
appropriate balance between internal and external,  
as well as absolute and relative, performance.

For all participating employees, including the Executive 
Directors, 50% of shares vest at the end of the three-year 
period and 50% are deferred for a further year. Awards 
made under the VSP are discussed further in note 31 to the 
Financial Statements.

Additional awards are not expected to be made under the 
VSP. However, the 2011 and 2012 VSP performance periods 
run to 31 May 2014 and 31 May 2015 respectively. 

67

 
 
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (continued)

diRECTORs’ REmuNERATiON REPORT (continued)

ACTuAl REmuNERATiON: imPlEmENTATiON Of REmuNERATiON POliCy iN ThE CuRRENT yEAR
This section sets out the remuneration of the Executive Directors for the year ended 31 May 2013.

Directors’ remuneration
The remuneration of the Executive Directors who served during the year was as follows:

Executive Directors:
T A Howkins
C F Hill 
P G Hetherington(3)
A R MacKay

Non-Executive Directors:
J R Davie
D M Jackson
R P Yates
S G Hill
S J Tymms(4)
N B le Roux(4)
D Currie(4)

Performance-related bonuses(2)

Basic  
salary and 
fees 
£000

Other  
benefits and  
payments(1)
£000

Paid in cash
£000

Deferred into 
shares 
£000

Year ended 
2013
£000

Year ended 
2012
£000

 427
 299
 256
 47

1,029

 186
 65
52
52
 1
25
26

 1
 1
 1
 140

 143

 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
–
–

 200
 160
 167
 –

 527

 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
–
–

 199
 120
 133
 –

452

 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
–
–

827
580
557
187

 2,151

 186
 65
 52
 52
 1
25
26

 1,234
 856
 863
 833

 3,786

180
 63
 50
 50
 –
50
50

1,436

 143

 527

 452

2,558

 4,229

(1)  All Executive Directors are entitled to receive professional subscriptions, private health cover and 50% of health club membership. For A R Mackay, a sum  
of £47,000 was payable for the two months that he served as a Director. The other amount comprises the value of salary and other benefits paid after  
A R MacKay stepped down as Director, but continued to be an employee for his six month notice period

(2) The first £100,000 of any bonus granted, plus one third of the remainder, is to be paid in cash with the excess balance deferred for 12 months basis share 

price and settled in shares or cash

(3) P G Hetherington is to be paid a reduced pro rata salary of £256,000 based upon a £320,000 full-time equivalent salary to reflect his flexible working 
arrangements. Any bonus payments are based on his full time equivalent salary. P G Hetherington carries out the work of a full-time Executive but in  
a flexible way. While the reduced salary reflects these arrangements, the Remuneration Committee considers his workload and commitment to the  
business are commensurate with full-time bonus and share plan arrangements

(4) S J Tymms joined the Board on 22 May 2013. N B le Roux and D Currie stepped down from the Board on 18 October 2012

Pension contribution

T A Howkins
C F Hill
P G Hetherington
A R MacKay

2013
£000

64

45
38
28

175

2012
£000

62

44
37
42

185

There were no contributions made for the Non-Executive 
Directors during the year ended 31 May 2013.

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.

T A Howkins
P G Hetherington
A R MacKay
C F Hill

2013 
£000

36
49
796
–

881

2012  
£000

422
457
385
–

1,264

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT: diRECTORs’ REmuNERATiON REPORT

Directors interest in shares 
The Directors who held office at the end of the year and their beneficial interests in the share capital of the Company were 
as follows:

T A Howkins(1)
P G Hetherington(1)
C F Hill
J R Davie
R P Yates
D M Jackson
S G Hill
S J Tymms

31 May 2013  
Ordinary shares

31 May 2013  
Deferred  
bonus shares

31 May 2012  
Ordinary shares

31 May 2012  
Deferred  
bonus shares

3,901,692
113,693
328
200,000
25,000
–
111,736
–

183,133
139,849
98,589
–
–
–
–
–

3,891,389
256,012
–
400,000
25,000
–
111,736
–

76,750
64,105
26,293
–
–
–
–
–

(1) T A Howkins and P G Hetherington also held 10,000 preference shares each at 31 May 2013 and 31 May 2012 

Deferred bonus shares result from the mandatory deferral 
of the Executive Directors annual bonus in prior periods 
and exclude those deferred as a result of the annual bonus 
plan for the period ending 31 May 2013. All of the deferred 
shares as at 31 May 2013 will have vested on 1 August 2013.  
Deferred shares can be exercised as shares or cash and will 
be subject to income tax and social security.

The Directors’ interests in share capital have remained 
unchanged between the year-end and the date of the 
Annual Report.

Departing director
Included in the Directors’ remuneration for the year are 
amounts paid to A R Mackay who stepped down from 
the Board with effect from 31 July 2012. As A R Mackay 
remained an employee of the Group until 31 January 2013 
the following amounts were paid:

•	 	The	salary	and	benefits	that	were	paid	for	the	period	

from 1 August 2012 until the cessation of employment 
on 31 January 2013 of £140,000 and associated pension 
contributions of £21,000 per his contractual entitlement
•	 	The	2010	and	2011	VSP	awards	made	to	A	R	Mackay,	at	

the discretion of the remuneration committee taking into 
account his length of service and his contribution to the 
success of the Group, were allowed to vest on 31 January 
2013 with the number of shares vesting reduced so as 
to be pro-rata to the proportion of the original service 
period completed at 31 January 2013. These awards 
remained subject to the performance metrics established 
at grant, albeit measurement was undertaken based 
on performance for the period to 31 November 2012. 
This resulted in the vesting of 24,016 and 36,645 nil cost 
options over shares of the Group under the 2010 and 
2011 VSP schemes respectively 

Linking variable remuneration to performance  
and strategy
The following section summarises the variable remuneration 
that have vested or earned in the year to 31 May 2013.

Performance-related bonuses 
For the year ended 31 May 2013:

•	 	The	maximum	bonus	potential	for	Executive	Directors	

was set to 200% of salary

•	 	75%	of	the	maximum	award	(ie	150%	of	salary)	was	based	
on performance against a financial metric, namely growth 
in diluted earnings per share (DEPS) with bonus payout 
increasing with growth in DEPS on a tiered linear scale 
up to the maximum award

•	 	25%	of	the	maximum	award	(ie	50%	of	salary)	was	based	
on performance against various non-financial metrics

Performance against financial metrics
Actual growth in DEPS was 3.4% which resulted in a bonus 
of 47.6% of basic salary for each of the Executive Directors 
(ie approximately a third of the maximum bonus payable 
on financial measures).

Performance against non-financial metrics
For the first time, part of the Executive Directors’ bonus for 
the year-ended 31 May 2013 was driven by performance 
against a set of non-financial metrics. The purpose of 
including non-financial metrics in the bonus calculation 
is to ensure that the management of the Group focusses 
on all areas of performance, not just short-term financial 
performance, in order to achieve appropriate risk 
management, and to secure a sustainable future,  
for the Group. 

68  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

69

 
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (continued)

diRECTORs’ REmuNERATiON REPORT (continued)

ACTuAl REmuNERATiON: imPlEmENTATiON Of REmuNERATiON POliCy iN ThE CuRRENT yEAR (CONTiNuEd) 
The Remuneration Committee selected the measures that would be used to assess non-financial performance during the 
previous year. These measures are:

mETRiC 

PERfORmANCE  

(CONTiNuEd)

(CONTiNuEd)

•	 	Specific	non-financial	measures:
	 •	 System	reliability/uptime
	 •	 Maintaining	good	standing	with	regulators
	 •	 Customer	satisfaction
	 •	 	Reputation	and	PR
	 •	 Risk	management
•	 	Execution	and	delivery	of	key	strategic	initiatives	

The specific non-financial measures can count for up to 12.5% of maximum bonus potential (or 25% of salary). The 
Remuneration Committee has freedom as to the relative weightings it gives to each of the business-as-usual measures and, 
for example, a catastrophic performance in one measure might be sufficient to result in a zero award for the whole of the 
business-as-usual portion of the bonus calculation. The execution and delivery of key strategic initiatives measure can count 
for up to 12.5% of maximum bonus potential (or 25% of salary). 

After reviewing the performance against the non-financial measures the Remuneration Committee approved a bonus of 
92% of the maximum award under this element of scheme, which results in a bonus of 46% of basic salary for each of the 
Executive Directors. Further details of the Remuneration Committee’s assessment in this regard are provided below:

mETRiC

PERfORmANCE

AssEssmENT

Specific non-financial measures

System reliability/
uptime 

The two main measures used by the Remuneration Committee to assess 
performance against this metric are core dealing availability per month and 
maximum percentage downtime in any one day. The Group strives to achieve 
99.8% for the first measure and less than 4% for the second measure. During 
the year, the Group breached both of these targets once. This was compared 
to no breaches in the prior year. The Group has undertaken a significant piece 
of work to remedy the root cause of the two breaches from this year. This work 
should significantly reduce the possibility of a repeat occurrence

88.5% of 
maximum 
potential

Maintaining good 
standing with 
regulators

It was the Remuneration Committee’s assessment that the Group enjoys constructive 
and open relationships with its Regulators. Based upon Regulators’ willingness to 
enter into dialogue with the Group, results of supervisory issues and breaches of 
rules, the Remuneration Committee concluded that the Group has made progress  
in its performance against this metric since the end of the prior financial year

Customer 
satisfaction

Reputation and PR

The Remuneration Committee used a number of indicators to measure 
performance against this metric. One indicator that the Remuneration 
Committee considered was the result of customer satisfaction surveys carried 
out by the Group. The Remuneration Committee saw a clear upward trend 
in satisfaction of IG clients who interact with the Group’s trading services 
department and other results of the survey remained relatively stable, with 
more than 90% of the Group’s active clients likely to continue trading in the 
next 3 months. Another key metric used by the Remuneration Committee 
was the Net Promoter Score data supplied by Investment Trends. In studying 
this data, the Remuneration Committee found that Net Promoter Score has 
improved almost across the Board

The Remuneration Committee judges performance against this metric by the level 
of negative PR or reputational damage sustained during the year. For the year 
ended 31 May 2013 it was determined by the Remuneration Committee that there 
had been an almost complete absence of negative PR and reputational damage

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT: diRECTORs’ REmuNERATiON REPORT

AssEssmENT 

(CONTiNuEd)

88.5% of 
maximum 
potential

Risk management

The Remuneration Committee used a number of indicators to judge 
performance against this metric: the incidence of bad debts throughout the 
year, the number of material market risk incidents throughout the year, and the 
number of loss making days throughout the year. This year the Group enjoyed 
very low incidence of bad debt (less than 0.3% of revenue), which was further 
offset by good recoveries of older debts. There were no material market risk 
events nor any loss making days during the year 

Execution and delivery of key strategic initiatives

Execution and 
delivery of key 
strategic initiatives

As part of the Board’s strategy planning, there is a clear list of strategic 
projects set down for delivery in the short to medium term. The Remuneration 
Committee uses this list to judge performance against this metric. There were 
several key strategic projects delivered in, or just after, the year, all of which 
were delivered successfully and on time. Examples of such projects include 
the new brand and the new ig.com domain; the repurposing of the Insight 
platform for public consumption; and a simple interactive guide for new 
clients. The Remuneration Committee reviewed data showing the success of 
these projects, including brand tracking that shows brand awareness increasing 
in most of the Group’s main markets 

95% of 
maximum 
potential

Mandatory deferral in shares
In line with the Corporate Governance Code and the FCA’s Remuneration Code, there is a deferral element in the  
bonus scheme. The first £100,000 of any bonus granted, plus one third of the remainder, is to be paid in cash with  
the excess balance deferred for 12 months and provided in shares and settled in shares or cash. The cash elements  
of performance-related bonuses are paid in full within three months of the year-end. 

In total the Executive Directors have a bonus equivalent to 93.6% of basic salary (£979,000) of which £452,000 is subject  
to the mandatory deferral discussed above. 

Long term incentive plan 
Awards under the Group’s long-term incentive plan (LTIP) were previously awarded to management, including the Executive 
Directors. The final LTIP award was made in the year ended 31 May 2010 and this vested on 25 September 2012 based on  
a three-year performance period to 31 May 2012. 

Performance under the LTIP was measured using the compound annual growth rate in both diluted adjusted earnings per 
share (EPS) and share price over the three-year performance period. For each award a minimum performance target (12% 
p.a. for EPS and 22.5% p.a. of share price growth) had to be achieved before any shares vested and the awards vested 
fully once the maximum performance target is achieved. Based on the three-year performance period to 31 May 2012, 
23.4% of the earning per share award (EPS grew from 24.74 pence per share to 37.54 pence per share over the three-year 
performance period) and 98.2% of the share price awards vested. This resulted in 202,153 and 152,569 shares vesting for  
T A Howkins and P G Hetherington respectively – as disclosed in the audited section of the Directors Remuneration Report. 

Value-sharing plan (VSP)
Awards made under the VSP on 29 October 2010 (the 2010 VSP) have a three-year performance period ended  
31 May 2013. Vesting of these awards requires completion of the three-year and four-year service periods (awards  
were split 50:50 between three-year and four-year service periods) to 29 October 2013 and 2014 respectively.

The measurement of both the total shareholder return (TSR) and profit before tax (PBT) elements of the 2010 VSP against  
the performance of the Group for the period ended 31 May 2013 is provided in the table overleaf.

70  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

71

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (continued)

diRECTORs’ REmuNERATiON REPORT (continued)

ACTuAl REmuNERATiON: imPlEmENTATiON Of REmuNERATiON POliCy iN ThE CuRRENT yEAR (CONTiNuEd) 
Total variable remuneration for the year
The following table sets out the elements of variable remuneration for which performance is measured for the period ending 
or the service period completed on 31 May 2013.  

VARiABlE 

TARGET

ACTuAl PERfORmANCE

REmuNERATiON 

mEAsuRE

FY13 bonus

Growth in diluted earnings per share and 
Non-financial measures as disclosed in the 
preceding section

The total performance-related bonuses payable  
to the Executive Directors was £979,000 of  
which £452,000 is subject to mandatory deferral 
into shares

FY12 deferred bonus

At 31 May 2012 £1,120,000 was deferred 
into shares and subject to a further  
12 months service period

Following completion of the service period on  
23 July 2013 a total of 260,804 shares will vest and 
be available for exercise

31 May 2009 Long 
Term Incentive Plan 
(LTIP) awarded  
25 September 2009

For each award a minimum performance 
target of 12% compound annual for EPS 
and 22.5% compound annual share price 
growth had to be achieved before any 
shares vested

31 May 2010 value-
sharing plan (VSP) 
awarded 29 October 
2010 

TSR outperformance of IG Group Holdings 
plc versus the FTSE350 Financial Services 
Index over the three-year performance 
period ended 31 May 2013

The required service 
periods under this 
scheme are to 29 
October 2013 and 
29 October 2014 
respectively

Growth in profit before tax (PBT) multiplied 
by a fixed multiple determined by the 
IG Group Holdings plc starting market 
capitalisation, plus net equity cash flows 
to shareholders above a 12% hurdle return 
over the three-year performance period to 
31 May 2013

Based on the three-year performance period to  
31 May 2012 23.4% of earning per share award 
(EPS grew from 24.74 to 37.54 pence per share 
over the three-year performance period) and 
98.2% of the share price awards vested. This 
resulted in 202,153 and 152,569 shares vesting for 
T A Howkins and P G Hetherington respectively

TSR for the Group over the three-year 
performance period was 53%, however no awards 
will vest under the TSR element of the 2010 VSP

PBT over the 3-year performance period has 
grown from £140.3 million for the year-ended  
31 May 2010 to £192.2 million for the year ended 
31 May 2013 (37% growth). This growth in profit 
allied to the dividends of £223.7 million cash 
paid to shareholders during the three-year 
performance period resulted in 14.5% of the 
maximum awards made under the PBT element 
of the 2010 VSP scheme vesting subject to the 
completion of the three-year and four-year 
service periods

An overview of the actual performance for each of the key financial and non-financial performance measures noted above is 
detailed within the ‘Business Review’ section.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT: diRECTORs’ REmuNERATiON REPORT

Distribution statement
The table below, in line with the proposals set out in the Executive Remuneration discussion paper published by the 
Department for Business Innovation & Skills, is a distribution statement illustrating how executive remuneration compares 
with other dispersals of the Group.

Total executive remuneration including base salary, other benefits, current year bonus (including amounts deferred) and 
pensions for the three Executive Directors was £2.1 million for the year ended 31 May 2013.  

Comparator distribution

D  ividends (interim paid and final declared dividend for FY13)
Income taxes paid (refer to the Group cash flow statement)
T otal remuneration costs (refer to note 7 to the Financial Statements)
C apital investment (refer to the Group cash flow statement)(2)

Amount paid in the  
year-ended 31 May 2013

Distribution  
percentage(1)

81.6m
53.2m
86.3m
16.8m

2.6%
3.9%
2.4%
12.5%

(1) The distribution percentage is calculated as the total Executive remuneration divided by the comparator distribution amount 
(2) Capital investment calculated as the total cash outflow in relation to property, plant and equipment and intangible assets for the year ended 31 May 2013

OThER REmuNERATiON disClOsuREs 
Total Shareholder Return 
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 five-year period from 1 June 2008.

The Directors consider the most appropriate benchmarks to be:

•	 The	FTSE	250	as	it	represents	a	broad	equity	market	index	of	which	the	Company	is	a	constituent	member
•	 The	FTSE	350	Financial	Services	Index,	given	this	is	the	benchmark	index	for	the	Group’s	value-sharing	plan

The figures have been rebased to 100 at 1 June 2008 in order to aid comparison.

IG Group

FTSE 250

FTSE 350 Financial Services Index

250

200

150

100

50

0

Jun-08

A u g-08

O ct-08

D ec-08

Fe b-09

A pr-09

Jun-09

A u g-09

O ct-09

D ec-09

Fe b-10

A pr-10

Jun-10

A u g-10

O ct-10

D ec-10

Fe b-11

A pr-11

Jun-11

A u g-11

O ct-11

D ec-11

Fe b-12

A pr-12

Jun-12

A u g-12

O ct-12

D ec-12

Fe b-13

A pr-13

The market price of the Company’s ordinary shares on 31 May 2013 was 579.0 pence and the high and low share prices in the 
year were 592.0 pence and 416.8 pence respectively.

72  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

73

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (continued)

diRECTORs’ REmuNERATiON REPORT (continued)

OThER REmuNERATiON disClOsuREs (CONTiNuEd) 

AudiTEd iNfORmATiON 
Interests in value-sharing plan and in Long-Term Incentive Plans
In the following tables awards made on or before 25 September 2009 have vested and are available for exercise.

Share 
price at 
award 
date

Number 
as at 31 
May 2012

Number 
awarded 
during the 
year

Number 
lapsed 
during the 
year

Number 
exercised 
during the 
year

Number 
as at 31 
May 2013

Award 
date

A R MacKay

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT: diRECTORs’ REmuNERATiON REPORT

Share 
price at 
award 
date

Number 
as at 31 
May 2012

Number 
awarded 
during the 
year

Number 
lapsed 
during the 
year

Number 
exercised 
during the 
year

Number 
as at 31 
May 2013

Award 
date

T A Howkins

  LTIP: Earnings per share award
  LTIP: Share price growth award
  LTIP: Earnings per share
  LTIP: Share price growth award
  LTIP: Earnings per share award
  LTIP: Share price growth award
  VSP: Profit award – 3 year
  VSP: Profit award – 4 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 3 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 4 year
  VSP: Profit award – 3 year
  VSP: Profit award – 4 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 3 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 4 year
  VSP: Profit award – 3 year
  VSP: Profit award – 4 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 3 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 4 year

 23 Jul 07
 23 Jul 07
 30 Sep 08
 30 Sep 08
 25 Sep 09
 25 Sep 09
 29 Oct 10
 29 Oct 10
 29 Oct 10
 29 Oct 10
 20 Jul 11
 20 Jul 11
 20 Jul 11
 20 Jul 11
 01 Aug 12
 01 Aug 12
 01 Aug 12
 01 Aug 12

 312.25p
 312.25p
 313.75p
 313.75p
 318.80p
 318.80p
 528.50p
 528.50p
 528.50p
 528.50p
 450.00p
 450.00p
 450.00p
 450.00p
 449.70p
 449.70p
 449.70p
 449.70p

 151,672
 11,701
 26,015
 21,865
 166,248
 166,249
 117,511
 117,512
 176,267
 176,268
 167,099
 167,098
 250,648
 250,648
 –
 –
 –
 –

 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 163,636
 163,636
 245,454
 245,453

 –
 –
 –
 –
 (127,322)
 (3,022)
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –

 –
 –
 –
 –
 (1,984)
 (8,319)
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –

 151,672
 11,701
 26,015
 21,865
 36,942
 154,908
 117,511
 117,512
 176,267
 176,268
 167,099
 167,098
 250,648
 250,648
 163,636
 163,636
 245,454
 245,453

 1,966,801

 818,179

 (130,344)

 (10,303)

 2,644,333

Share 
price at 
award 
date

Number 
as at 31 
May 2012

Number 
awarded 
during the 
year

Number 
lapsed 
during the 
year

Number 
exercised 
during the 
year

Number 
as at 31 
May 2013

Award 
date

C F Hill

  VSP: Profit award – 3 year
  VSP: Profit award – 4 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 3 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 4 year
  VSP: Profit award – 3 year
  VSP: Profit award – 4 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 3 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 4 year

 20 Jul 11
 20 Jul 11
 20 Jul 11
 20 Jul 11
 01 Aug 12
 01 Aug 12
 01 Aug 12
 01 Aug 12

 450.00p
 450.00p
 450.00p
 450.00p
 449.70p
 449.70p
 449.70p
 449.70p

 100,259
 100,259
 150,389
 150,389
 –
 –
 –
 –

 –
 –
 –
 –
 130,909
 130,908
 196,363
 196,363

 501,296

 654,453

 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –

 –

 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –

 –

 100,259
 100,259
 150,389
 150,389
 130,909
 130,908
 196,363
 196,363

 1,155,839

  LTIP: Earnings per share award
  LTIP: Share price growth award
  VSP: Profit award – 3 year
  VSP: Profit award – 4 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 3 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 4 year
  VSP: Profit award – 3 year
  VSP: Profit award – 4 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 3 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 4 year

 25 Sep 09
 25 Sep 09
 29 Oct 10
 29 Oct 10
 29 Oct 10
 29 Oct 10
 20 Jul 11
 20 Jul 11
 20 Jul 11
 20 Jul 11

 318.80p
 318.80p
 528.50p
 528.50p
 528.50p
 528.50p
 450.00p
 450.00p
 450.00p
 450.00p

 144,291
 144,292
 73,445
 73,445
 110,167
 110,168
 100,259
 100,259
 150,389
 150,389

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

 (110,506)
 (2,621)
 (67,716)
 (67,716)
 (103,888)
 (103,889)
 (95,288)
 (95,289)
 (137,037)
 (137,037)

 (33,785)
 (141,671)
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
 5,729
 5,729
 6,279
 6,279
 4,971
 4,970
 13,352
 13,352

P G Hetherington

  LTIP: Earnings per share award
  LTIP: Share price growth award
  VSP: Profit award – 3 year
  VSP: Profit award – 4 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 3 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 4 year
  VSP: Profit award – 3 year
  VSP: Profit award – 4 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 3 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 4 year
  VSP: Profit award – 3 year
  VSP: Profit award – 4 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 3 year
  VSP: Total shareholder return award – 4 year

 1,157,104

 –

 (920,987)

 (175,456)

 60,661

Share 
price at 
award 
date

Number 
as at 31 
May 2012

Number 
awarded 
during the 
year

Number 
lapsed 
during the 
year

Number 
exercised 
during the 
year

Number 
as at 31 
May 2013

Award 
date

25 Sep 09
25 Sep 09
29 Oct 10
29 Oct 10
29 Oct 10
29 Oct 10
20 Jul 11
20 Jul 11
20 Jul 11
20 Jul 11
 01 Aug 12
 01 Aug 12
 01 Aug 12
 01 Aug 12

318.80p
318.80p
528.50p
528.50p
528.50p
528.50p
450.00p
450.00p
450.00p
450.00p
 449.70p
 449.70p
 449.70p
 449.70p

125,471
125,471
73,445
73,445
110,167
110,168
100,259
100,259
150,389
150,389
 –
 –
 –
–

 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 130,909
 130,908
 196,363
 196,363

(96,092)
(2,281)
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
–

(2,637)
(11,056)
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
 –
–

26,742
112,134
73,445
73,445
110,167
110,168
100,259
100,259
150,389
150,389
 130,909
 130,908
 196,363
 196,363

1,119,463

 654,543

(98,373)

(13,693)

1,661,940

Code Staff aggregate remuneration
The aggregate remuneration of senior management and Code Staff, whose actions have a material impact on the risk profile 
of the Group, are disclosed in the following table:

Fixed remuneration
Variable remuneration
S hare-based payment schemes(1)
Number of staff

Executive Directors
£000

Other Code Staff
£000

 1,347
 979(2)
 4,378
 3(3)

 1,355
 554
 2,462
 8

Total
£000

 2,702
 1,533
 6,840
 11

(1)  Represents the fair value at the date of award and not the actual gain made on exercise of share-based payments or the income statement charge taken in 

the period

(2) Of the total amount disclosed £452,000 has been subject to mandatory deferral
(3) Number of Executive Directors at end of year

74  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

75

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (continued)

diRECTORs’ REmuNERATiON REPORT (continued)

OThER REmuNERATiON disClOsuREs 

(CONTiNuEd) 

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. Either the Company or the 
Executive Director may terminate this contract on six 
months’ notice. All service contracts are continuous, and 
contractual termination payments relate to the unexpired 
notice period. In the event of termination for gross 
misconduct, neither notice nor a payment in lieu of notice 
will be given. When considering payments in the event 
of termination, the Remuneration Committee takes into 
account individual circumstances. Relevant factors include 
the reasons for termination, contractual obligations and 
cash, share and long-term incentive plan and pension plan 
rules. There are no special provisions for compensation in 
the event of loss of office. The effective dates of the service 
contracts for each of the Executive Directors as at the date 
of this report are:

T A Howkins 

12 April 2005

C F Hill 

18 January 2011

P G Hetherington 

12 April 2005

Group Chairman and Non-Executive Directors
The Non-Executive Directors do not have service contracts 
with the Company, but instead have letters of appointment 
under which they receive fees reflecting their individual 
responsibilities and membership of Board committees. 
Each Non-Executive Director is appointed for an initial 
term of twelve months, with appointment continuing 
indefinitely subject to re-election, but capable of being 
terminated on three months’ notice.

The Remuneration Committee determines the fees for  
the Group Chairman and the Board is responsible for 
the Non-Executive Directors’ fees. The Non-Executive 
Directors are not involved in any discussions or decisions 
by the Board about their own remuneration.

On behalf of the Board

Christopher Hill 
Chief Financial Officer

23 July 2013

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT: AudiT COmmiTTEE

The committee normally meets four times a year and as 
and when required. Members of the committee also meet 
privately in separate meetings with the Head of Internal 
Audit, Head of Compliance and external auditors to focus 
on respective areas of responsibility and to discuss any 
potential issues where support from the committee may  
be required to address any issues arising.

ROlE Of ThE AudiT COmmiTTEE
The responsibilities of the committee are to:

•	 Monitor	the	integrity	of	the	Financial	Statements	of	the	
Group including Annual and Interim Reports, Interim 
Management Statements, Trading Updates and any 
other formal announcements relating to the Group’s 
financial performance, reviewing significant issues and 
judgements included therein

•	 Keep	up-to-date	with	changes	to	accounting	standards	
and review any changes to accounting polices each year
•	 Review	and	monitor	the	external	auditor’s	independence	
and objectivity and the effectiveness of the audit process

•	 Consider	and	make	recommendations	to	the	Board	 

on appointing, re-appointing and removing the 
Company’s external auditors, which are subject to 
shareholder approval

•	 Review	the	design	and	effectiveness	of	the	Group’s	

internal control and risk management systems

•	 Monitor	and	review	the	effectiveness	of	the	internal	audit	
function, with focus on the three-year rolling risk-based 
audit plan

•	 Review	implementation	of	the	FCA’s	Treating	Customers	

Fairly (TCF) requirements

•	 Review	the	compliance	systems	and	controls	to	ensure	
that adequate procedures are in place to comply with 
regulatory obligations

•	 Ensure	that	there	are	suitable	whistle-blowing	

arrangements for employees to raise concerns, in 
confidence, about possible wrongdoing in financial 
reporting or other matters

The Company Secretary drafts the agenda for each 
committee meeting, ensuring that each item in the terms 
of reference is covered at least once in the financial year, 
and more frequently if required.

AudiT COmmiTTEE

Martin Jackson, 
Chairman of the 
Audit Committee, 
gives his review of the 
committee’s activities 
during the financial year

ChAiRmAN’s OVERViEw
During the year, the Audit Committee carried out 
its responsibilities to review results and formal 
announcements of the Group and reviewed the 
effectiveness of the external audit function. Given the 
importance of managing the appropriate segregation of 
client monies, the committee applied additional focus 
to this area, as well as giving further consideration to the 
policy governing the provision of non-audit work by the 
Group’s auditors.

The committee also reviewed the effectiveness of the 
internal audit function and, for the forthcoming period 
authorised additional investment in internal audit resources.

AudiT COmmiTTEE –  

mEmBERshiP ANd ATTENdANCE

Scheduled  
meetings  
eligible to 
attend

Scheduled  
meetings  
attended

Chairman of Audit Committee
D M Jackson
Independent Non-Executive Directors
D Currie
S G Hill
R P Yates

4

1
3
4

4

1
3
4

All Audit Committee members are independent Non-
Executive Directors and can draw on considerable, recent, 
financial services experience.

The Chief Financial Officer, Group Financial Controller, 
Head of Internal Audit, Chief Risk Officer, 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 may 
attend the Audit Committee as necessary.

76  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

77

 
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (continued)

AudiT COmmiTTEE (continued)

ACTiViTy duRiNG ThE fiNANCiAl yEAR
In addition to discharging its responsibilities as described 
above, the committee focused on the following key areas:

Client money
In recent years the failures of firms such as MF Global and 
Worldspreads have further highlighted the importance of 
appropriate segregation of client monies. In response to 
its client money obligations, the Group has continued to 
take proactive steps to ensure it segregates client monies 
appropriately in each of our jurisdictions. The Group 
also commissioned an independent controls opinion 
(International Standard on Assurance Engagement ‘ISAE’ 
3000) by it’s audit firm, in relation to both the design and 
the effective operation of controls over the segregation 
of client monies. This is reported in further detail in 
the following pages. In addition, during the year the 
committee reviewed the work performed by internal audit 
in support of the key processes and controls relating to 
segregation.

Non-audit fees
To safeguard the objectivity and independence of the 
external auditors from becoming compromised, the 
committee has a formal policy governing the engagement 
of the external auditors to provide non-audit services. This 
year, the committee has again reviewed the Group’s policy 
governing non-audit work, details of which are provided on 
the corporate website, www.iggroup.com. The policy was 
developed with reference to the Smith report, the Auditing 
Practice Board (APB) Ethical Standard 5 Non-Audit Services 
Provided to Audit Clients and the Institute of Chartered 
Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) Guidance for 
Audit Committees. 

The policy makes an important distinction between ‘audit-
related services’ and all other ‘non-audit services’, as a 
number of ‘audit-related services’ are specifically required 
of the Group’s Auditors, through regulatory, legislative or 
contractual obligations, in addition to the statutory audit 
services. The policy also sets out the considerations and 
safeguards that are required in relation to the provision of 
non-audit services by the Auditors, and the specific services 
the Auditors are precluded from providing. Additionally, 
the policy sets out certain permitted services for which 
the committee has pre-approved the engagement of the 
Auditors by management, subject to the considerations 
and safeguards set out above, and subject to specified fee 
limits for individual engagements, as well as the reporting 
requirements for all non-audit services to the committee. 

The Group has established relationships with two 
independent advisory and assurance firms in order to 
provide alternatives to the engagement of the audit 
firm. During the year, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 

has performed non-audit services in accordance with 
the non-audit policy. The committee has reviewed the 
independence of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to ensure 
that under no circumstances has work been performed 
which affects its independence. This was done through 
carefully reviewing the nature of all non-audit work 
performed, reviewing the non-audit policy and ensuring 
appropriate safeguards were in place in relation to each 
non-audit engagement.

Detail of the Group’s audit-related fees of £602,000, and 
other fees payable to Auditors of £810,000 for the year 
ended 31 May 2013, are disclosed in note 6 to the Financial 
Statements. Audit-related fees include the statutory audit 
of the Group and its subsidiaries as well as audits required 
as a result of the regulated nature of our business. Also 
included are fees associated with the ISAE 3000 controls 
opinion in relation to the segregation of client money. 
Other fees payable to the Auditors are largely in relation 
to taxation services of a compliance and filing nature, in 
connection with corporation tax and other local taxes. Tax 
advisory services relate primarily to sales tax advice and 
compliance, in terms of both the Group’s products and 
our ability to recover some of the sales taxes suffered. 
Regulatory advice results from an in-depth review of 
the regulatory returns for one of the Group’s regulated 
subsidiaries, and support with regards to the developing 
regulatory landscape. Overall other fees to auditors 
incurred have fallen by more than 26% compared to the 
prior year. 

Internal audit
During the financial year, the committee reviewed the 
reports and recommendations of the internal audit 
function. The main focus of these was of a regulatory 
nature, including client money, as well as a number 
of operational internal audits. The committee also 
monitored progress on the implementation of the audit 
recommendations raised by the internal audit function,  
and the effectiveness of the coordination between internal 
and external audit.

In addition, the committee reviewed the resources 
allocated to both internal audit and the three-year rolling 
risk-based internal audit plan. The latter consists of  
a variety of different types of internal audits, in order  
to provide adequate coverage across the Group. 

In prior years, the Group has employed an entirely  
in-house internal audit function. In the current year, internal 
resources have been supplemented with sector specialism 
from external advisory companies, for example in auditing 
our information technology. For the forthcoming period, 
the committee has authorised additional investment 
both in internal audit resources, through the addition of 

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT: AudiT COmmiTTEE

•	 Assessing	the	quality	and	acceptability	of	accounting	

policies and practices

•	 Ensuring	disclosures	are	clear	and	compliant	with	

financial reporting standards and relevant financial and 
governance reporting requirements

•	 Considering	the	significant	judgements	that	have	 

been applied

•	 Reviewing	trading	updates	and	interim	management	

statements prior to issuance 

•	 Evaluating	whether	the	annual	report	and	accounts,	

taken as a whole, are fair, balanced and understandable 
and provide the information necessary for shareholders 
to assess the Company’s performance, business model 
and strategy

To aid this review, the committee has considered reports 
from the Chief Financial Officer and Group Financial 
Controller. It has also received reports from the external 
Auditors on the outcomes of their half-year review and 
annual audit. The critical accounting estimates and 
judgements made in the preparation of the annual  
Financial Statements are disclosed in note 1 to the  
Financial Statements.

The following chart highlights how the committee spent its 
time during the year ended 31 May 2013:

Audit Committee 
Allocation of time

  Internal audit matters
  Compliance
  Financial crime
  Risks and controls
  External audit matters
  Other
  Statutory reporting

Martin Jackson 
Chairman, Audit Committee

23 July 2013

another internal audit manager, and in external expertise, 
enabling an increase in the number of audits performed 
with support from external sector specialists. The 
committee considers this additional investment will ensure 
that internal audit resources remain sufficient to provide 
appropriate coverage of the Group’s risks, while retaining 
adequate flexibility to address new risks as they arise over 
the three-year plan period.

Compliance
The committee has continued to monitor the work of  
the compliance department during the financial year.  
The focus has been on both conduct and prudential 
monitoring of all areas of the Group, as well as client 
money and transaction reporting and the Group’s 
development of consumer outcome initiatives. The 
compliance department regularly reports to the committee 
in relation to regulatory developments.

Financial crime
Monitoring for, and preventing, financial crime remains a 
key objective of the Group. During the year, the Committee 
reviewed the annual Money Laundering Reporting Officer 
(MRLO) report, bi-annual fraud reports and suspicious 
activity report data. In addition, the committee reviewed 
the Group’s monitoring processes for financial crime and 
receives quarterly updates on the results of such monitoring.

Information technology controls
The Group’s operations are heavily dependent on 
information technology (IT), and accordingly the committee 
has reviewed internal audit reports in relation to IT controls 
and assessments of external penetration tests performed. 
All of these have been supported or performed by external 
specialists. Additionally, during the year a new role of IT 
Risk Director has been established within the Group’s  
risk department. 

Audit committee effectiveness
The committee undertook a review of its own effectiveness 
during the year. As a result it has, among other actions, 
begun a schedule of training for all audit committee 
members, covering certain of the Group’s key functions. 
These include sales, trading services, risk, IT and  
internal audit.

Financial reporting
The primary role of the committee in relation to financial 
reporting is to work with management and the external 
Auditors in reviewing the appropriateness of the half-year  
and annual Financial Statements. The committee has 
discharged its responsibilities in this area through 
concentrating on, among other matters:

78  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

79

 
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (continued)

Risk COmmiTTEE

The Risk Committee is an executive committee chaired by 
the Chief Risk Officer. The committee generally meets weekly 
to ensure that it deals with issues as they arise. This reflects 
the corporate commitment of senior management to play an 
active role in day-to-day risk management decision making, 
and sets the tone across the Group that risk management is 
central to corporate culture. The Board receives copies of the 
Risk Committee minutes.

The Risk Committee comprises the Chief Executive Officer, 
the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Operating Officer, 
the Chief Information Officer and Dealing Director, the 
Head of Financial Dealing, the Chief Risk Officer and other 
members of the Risk function. In addition, Roger Yates, 
Senior Independent Non-Executive Director, attends the 
committee meetings periodically. Other members of staff 
may also be called on to attend, when the committee is 
discussing specific matters appropriate to them.

ROlE Of ThE Risk COmmiTTEE
The committee’s role is to:

•	 Identify	and	evaluate	the	different	risks	to	which	the	

Group is exposed and assist the Board in defining the 
risk appetite of the Group

•	 Ensure	that	the	necessary	infrastructure,	resources	and	

systems are in place to manage risk adequately

•	 Monitor	and	control	the	Group’s	risks,	in	line	with	the	risk	

appetite set by the Board

The committee’s responsibilities are to:

•	 Ensure	that	the	Group	has	adequate	procedures	in	place	

to identify, record, control, monitor and evaluate the 
current and future risks to which the Group is exposed
•	 Review	regular	risk	management	reports	which	enable	

the committee to assess the risks involved in the Group’s 
business and how they are controlled and monitored 
against the Group’s risk appetite, and to suggest changes 
in either the risk profile or risk appetite to the Board

•	 Evaluate	the	nature	and	extent	of	the	significant	

risks facing the Group, and challenge management’s 
assessment of the likelihood and impact of this risk,  
and the mitigating actions needed

•	 Monitor	and	review	the	ICAAP	and	ILAA,	including	the	

stress-testing, liquidity and regulatory capital position of 
the Group, the size of the liquidity and capital buffers, and 
the appropriateness of management mitigation actions 
•	 Approve	and	assign	limits	for	proposed	counterparties,	
and review and approve limits, at least annually, for the 
Group’s existing counterparty exposures, including banks 
which hold client money

•	 Review	relationships	with	the	regulatory	authorities	

in the UK, and where appropriate other geographies 
where the Group has a significant presence, in relation to 
prudential regulations, and to review developments and 
prospective changes in the regulatory environment and 
their impact on the Group

80  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

•	 Work	with	the	Remuneration	Committee	to	ensure	

that risk is properly considered in setting the overall 
remuneration policy for the Group and the remuneration 
of the executive directors and other senior management

OVERViEw Of ThE fiNANCiAl yEAR
The constant developments in the regulatory landscape 
and the regulatory dialogue, both in Europe and around 
the world, have been a primary focus of the committee’s 
attention for much of the year.

The lead regulator in the UK has changed from the 
Financial Services Authority (FSA) to the Financial Conduct 
Authority (FCA).

ACTiViTy duRiNG ThE fiNANCiAl yEAR
During the year, the committee monitored the overall 
level of risk faced by the Group and reviewed the design 
and operating effectiveness of the Risk Management 
Framework. This included a review of:

•	 Regulatory	issues	and	developments
•	 The	risk	appetite	for	credit,	market	and	liquidity	risk
•	 Liquidity	management	and	stress-testing	
•	 Financial	institution	credit	risk
•	 Individual	client	credit	exposures
•	 Operational	risk	registers	and	Key	Risk	Indicators
•	 The	continued	fallout	of	the	euro	crisis	and	 

sovereign downgrades

•	 IT	risk
•	 The	implementation	of	enhanced	risk	 

reporting requirements

•	 Physical	security	risk
•	 Global	business	continuity	and	disaster	recovery	plans	

In addition, the committee continued to push the 
operational risk agenda, creating a specific IT Risk Control 
function, overseeing a review of the global business 
continuity and disaster recovery plans and instigating  
a physical security assessment. 

The following chart highlights how the committee spent  
its time during the year ended 31 May 2013: 

 Risk Committee 
Allocation of time

  Client credit risk
  Market risk
  Operational risk
  Regulatory risk
  Liquidity risk
  Counterparty risk

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT: RisK COmmiTTEE

CliENT mONEy COmmiTTEE

The Client Money Committee is an executive committee 
which monitors the design and effectiveness of the Group’s 
framework of processes and controls for segregating  
client monies. 

•	 Implement	and	maintain	the	appropriate	client	 

money and asset resolution packs required for each  
FCA-regulated entity

•	 Review	and	respond	to	issues	raised	by	internal	auditors	

The committee meets monthly and is chaired by the 
Chief Financial Officer, the Group’s designated CF10a, 
who is registered with the FCA as the approved person 
responsible for client money. It is attended by the Chief 
Risk Officer, the Group Head of Legal and Compliance, 
the Group Financial Controller and members of the risk, 
finance, compliance and other business functions.

OVERViEw Of ThE fiNANCiAl yEAR
During the year, regulatory authorities have continued to 
emphasise the importance of client money segregation. 
The committee has met to ensure that the Group is kept up 
to date with regulatory requirements. The committee has 
reviewed key processes and controls as well as the monthly 
reporting to the FCA on a number of client-money-related 
metrics to provide assurance over the submission of  
this reporting.

In addition, the Group has engaged its audit firm 
(PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP) to provide independent 
assurance on client asset segregation processes and 
controls, so that it may reassure customers as to the 
control environment over money held by the Group on 
their behalf. During this year, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 
completed two reports under the appropriate standard 
(ISAE 3000): an inital report on the design effectiveness 
of controls and a subsequent report on the operating 
effectiveness of these controls. We have made both reports 
available to clients on request. This assurance work is 
over and above PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP’s reporting 
requirements to the Group’s various regulators.

ROlE Of ThE CliENT mONEy COmmiTTEE
The main responsibilities of the committee are to:

•	 Ensure	that	internal	systems,	controls,	processes	and	
procedures are operating effectively to maintain and 
safeguard the protection and segregation of client money
•	 Ensure	compliance	with	applicable	legislation	concerning	

the protection and segregation of client money

•	 Review	the	accuracy	and	timeliness	of	client	money	

regulatory reporting

•	 Review	any	breaches	of	client	money	rules	or	 

legislation and ensure that processes and controls  
are appropriately rectified

•	 Monitor	client	money	reports	prepared	by	the	 

finance department

•	 Respond	to	regulatory	consultation	papers	that	relate	 

to client money

and external auditors in connection with regulatory 
audits of client money and assurance reports over 
controls and their operation

ACTiViTy duRiNG ThE fiNANCiAl yEAR
The committee’s main activities during the financial  
year included:

•	 Reviewing	global	client	money	regulatory	requirements	
•	 Reviewing	processes	and	controls	over	client	money	

segregation in each regulatory jurisdiction

•	 Reviewing	external	auditor	opinions	on	client	money
•	 Reviewing	internal	audit	reports	on	client	money
•	 Reviewing	ISAE	3000	controls	reports
•	 Overseeing	processes	required	to	monitor	and	complete	

FCA client money reporting

•	 Reviewing	the	implementation	of	the	FCA-required	

resolution packs for UK entities

•	 Reviewing	responses	to	periodic	regulatory	reviews	and	

requests for information from regulators

The activity of the Client Money Committee is reported  
to the Risk Committee on an annual basis. If necessary,  
the Chairman of the Risk Committee will provide a report 
to the Board and, or, the Audit Committee on any  
pertinent issues.

The following chart highlights how the committee spent  
its time during the year ended 31 May 2013: 

Client Money Committee 
Allocation of time

  Processes and controls
  Client money reporting
  Regulatory compliance
  Regulatory developments
  Business and industry  

  developments

  Client money placement

81

 
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (continued)

diRECTORs’ sTATuTORy REPORT

Management is also responsible for establishing and 
maintaining adequate internal control over financial 
reporting. Internal controls over financial reporting are 
carried out under the supervision of the Chief Financial 
Officer to provide reasonable assurance regarding the 
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of the 
consolidated Financial Statements for external reporting 
purposes, in accordance with International Financial 
Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted by the  
European Union.

Internal controls over financial reporting focus on the most 
material financial statement items and include policies and 
procedures that pertain to the maintenance of records that:

•	 Fairly	reflect	transactions	and	dispositions	of	assets,	

accurately and in reasonable detail

•	 Provide	reasonable	assurance	that	transactions	are	

recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial 
statements in accordance with IFRS

•	 Ensure	that	receipts	and	expenditures	are	being	

processed only in accordance with authorisations from 
management and the Directors

•	 Provide	reasonable	assurance	regarding	prevention	

or timely detection of unauthorised acquisition, use or 
disposition of assets that could have a material effect on 
the financial statements

The Annual Report is reviewed by the Audit Committee 
and the Board prior to publication.

Internal control systems, no matter how well designed, 
have inherent limitations and may not prevent or detect 
misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of 
effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that 
internal controls may become inadequate because of 
changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance 
with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

The Risk Management Framework 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: Revised Guidance for Directors 
on the Combined Code, published by the Financial 
Reporting Council.

The Board and Audit Committee have reviewed the design 
and effectiveness of managements system of internal 
control covering financial, operational, compliance and 
risk management systems. No significant weaknesses were 
identified during this review.

The Directors are pleased to submit their report together 
with the audited Group Financial Statements for the year 
ended 31 May 2013.

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 Group’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 (AGM) 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 the 
AGM to answer questions. The Annual Report and notice 
of the AGM are sent, or made available on the Group’s 
website at www.iggroup.com, to the shareholders at least 
20 working days prior to the meeting being held.

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.

Risk mANAGEmENT ANd iNTERNAl CONTROls
The Group is exposed to a number of business risks in 
providing products and services to its clients. The Board is 
responsible for establishing the overall appetite for these 
risks, which is detailed and approved in the Risk Appetite 
Statement. The Risk Management Framework is supported 
by a system of internal controls that is designed to embed 
the management of business risk throughout the Group. 
Both the risks to which the Group is exposed and the Risk 
Management Framework are outlined in the ‘Managing our 
business risk’ section of the ‘Business Review’.

Internal control
Management has designed and implemented a system 
of internal control to manage, rather than eliminate, the 
risk of failure to achieve business objectives and provide 
reasonable, but not absolute, assurance against the risk  
of material misstatement or loss.

82  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT: diRECTORs’ sTATuTORY REPORT

Accountability and audit
A statement of the Directors’ responsibilities in respect of 
the Financial Statements is set out immediately prior to 
the Financial Statements, and a statement regarding the 
use of the going concern basis in preparing these Financial 
Statements is given later in this report.

The independent Auditors’ report, which sets out 
the Auditors’ reporting responsibilities, is also given 
immediately prior to the Financial Statements.

Principal activities
An overview of the principal activities of the Group is 
provided in the ‘Business Review’.

Operations outside the United Kingdom
In line with strategic objectives, the Group has branches 
in each of Australia, South Africa, France, Germany, Italy, 
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Ireland, Spain and 
Sweden, a representative office in China and subsidiaries in 
the US, Singapore and Japan.

Review of business and future developments
A review of the Group’s progress, outlining developments 
during the year and giving an indication of future 
developments, is provided in the ‘Operating and Financial 
Review’. The ‘Operating and Financial Review’ also covers 
an analysis of the financial position of the Group at the 
year-end and Key Performance Indicators.

Results
The Group’s statutory profit for the year, after taxation 
amounted to £141,748,000 (2012: £136,760,000), of which  
a profit of £141,692,000 (2012: £136,792,000) is attributable 
to the equity members of the Company.

Related party transactions
Details of related party transactions are set out in note 35 
to the Financial Statements.

Subsequent events
Subsequent to the year-end, in accordance with the 
phased transfer agreed with the FCA for the Group to  
hold a liquid assets buffer of up to £100.0 million by  
August 2013, the Group has purchased £32.3 million  
of additional BIPRU 12 qualifying assets (please refer to  
note 20 to the Financial Statements for further details). 
Following this purchase the Group now holds £83.1 million 
of BIPRU 12 qualifying assets within the liquid assets buffer. 

Further, on 19 July 2013 the Group completed the 
renegotiation of the liquidity facilities with a syndicate of 
three banks. In doing so the Group has increased the size 
of the overall facility to £200.0 million and established a 
longer-term liquidity funding arrangement. Of the total 

facility £120.0 million is available for a period of one year 
and £80.0 million is available for three years respectively 
from the facility signing date.

Dividends
The Directors recommend a final ordinary dividend of  
17.50 pence per share, amounting to £63,767,000, making  
a total of 23.25 pence per share and £84,612,000 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 financial year’s interim dividend and the final 
dividend from the previous year, which were both paid.

The final ordinary dividend, if approved, will be paid on  
22 October 2013 to those shareholders on the register  
at 20 September 2013.

Directors and their interests
Biographical details of the Directors who held office at 
the end of the year are given at the beginning of this 
Corporate Governance Report. Details of the service 
contracts for those Directors and the Directors’ interests 
in the share capital of the Company are set out in the 
‘Directors’ remuneration report’.

Share capital
Details of the Company’s equity and preference share 
capital are given in notes 28 and 27 respectively to the 
Financial Statements. Details of the Group’s required 
regulatory capital are disclosed in note 38 to the Financial 
Statements and in the ‘Operating and Financial Review’.

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 and value-sharing 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 29 to the Financial Statements.

83

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (continued)

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT: CORPORATE sOCiAl REsPONsiBiliTY

diRECTORs’ sTATuTORy REPORT (continued)

CORPORATE sOCiAl REsPONsiBiliTy

£

 20,000 
 10,000 
 8,500 
 2,500 
 3,525 
 8,010 
 26,825 

 79,360 

0.7 creditor days of suppliers’ invoices outstanding at the 
year-end (2012: 4.9) for the Group.

Donations
The Group made no political donations in the year  
(2012: £nil). The Group made charitable donations of 
£79,360 in the year (2012: £56,667) as follows:

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

As at 19 July 2013 As at 31 May 2013

Number 
of shares

Number 
of shares

%

%

18,303,280

5.0% 18,303,280

5.0%

Black Rock Inc.
C antillon Capital 

Management LLC

18,246,245

5.0% 18,246,245

5.0%

M assachusetts 

Financial Services 
Company

Baillie Gifford & Co 
A rtemis Investment 

18,150,880
12,683,186

5.0% 18,150,880
3.5% 12,690,176

5.0%
3.5%

Management Limited 11,873,020

3.3% 11,873,020

3.3%

New Entrepreneurs
Responsible Gambling Trust
London to Paris cycle ride
Shakespeares’ Globe
Volunteer reading
Employee matched giving
Other

M &G Investment 
Management 

11,066,417

3.0% 11,066,417

3.0%

Total

Independent auditors
A resolution to re-appoint the Group’s Auditors, 
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, will be put to shareholders  
at the forthcoming AGM on 17 October 2013.

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.

Directors’ statement as to disclosure of information  
to auditors
So far as each person who was a Director at the date of 
approving this report is aware, there is no relevant audit 
information, being information needed by the Auditors 
in connection with preparing their report, of which the 
Auditors are unaware. Each Director has taken all the steps 
that he/she is obliged to take as a Director in order to 
make him/her aware of any relevant audit information and 
to establish that the Auditors are aware of that information.

Change of control
Following any future change of control of the Company, 
the Group’s banking facilities, which are currently undrawn 
(refer to note 37 to the Financial Statements), will be 
cancelled and any obligations will become immediately 
due and payable.

Annual General Meeting
The Group’s Annual General Meeting will be held on  
17 October 2013. Details of the resolutions to be proposed 
at the Annual General Meeting are set out in a separate 
circular sent to all shareholders.

Registered number
The registered number of IG Group Holdings plc  
is 04677092.

Conflicts of interest
In accordance with the Companies Act 2006, all Directors 
must disclose both the nature and extent of any potential 
or actual conflicts with the interests of the Company. 
The articles of association allow the Board to authorise 
potential conflicts that may arise and to impose such 
conditions or limitations as it sees fit. There were no 
conflicts of interest raised in the year.

Insurance and indemnities
The Group purchases appropriate liability insurance for all 
Directors and officers.

Supplier payment policy and practice
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  

84  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

BusiNEss sTANdARds
We recognise the fundamental importance of a reputation 
for honesty and transparency in the financial services 
industry, and commitment to these values is a cornerstone 
of our success. The Group applies high standards across 
its businesses, and we also support and adhere to high 
standards of corporate governance – as set out in the 
Corporate Governance Report and the statement by the 
Directors in compliance with the Combined Code.

Our commitment to high standards is embodied within 
each of the following service offerings and behaviours:

Commitment to our customers
•	 We	seek	to	put	our	customers	at	the	heart	of	everything	
we do and we strive to ensure that we are consistently 
delivering good outcomes for our customers. We 
achieve this in part by ensuring that we comply with the 
FCA’s Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) initiative and we 
have developed a scorecard of measures to monitor how 
we treat our clients. We also achieve this by ensuring that 
our culture promotes a commitment to our customers

•	 Central	to	our	commitment	to	our	customers	is	

the quality of our order execution. We offer near-
instantaneous execution, with around 99% of client 
orders accepted automatically. We never re-quote prices 
and, within our set margin of tolerance, we will accept 
orders even if the market moves

Client support and education
•	 We	provide	extensive	educational	resources	for	clients,	

including enrolling new clients on our introductory 
education programme, TradeSense, promoting 
responsible trading, and a wide range of client seminars 
and webinars, available online and in person

Client suitability
We have a number of procedures to ensure that our 
products reach the right audience and that our clients 
understand how our products work:

•	 Our	products	are	not	suitable	for	everyone.	It	is	for	

this reason that we apply strict rules to ensure that we 
only promote our products to the right audience. We 
also apply strict rules to ensure that any promotion is 
clear, fair and not misleading, and contains a balanced 
description of risks alongside the benefits of our product

•	 Before	we	allow	clients	to	open	an	account,	we	will	
undertake an assessment to determine whether our 
products are appropriate or suitable for the client in 
question. This involves asking the client about their 
trading knowledge and experience and about their 
income and savings. Based on the results of this 
assessment, we may choose to provide the client with  
a warning about the appropriateness of the account or 
we may decline to open an account

Limiting client losses
We have a number of service offerings that can limit  
client losses: for example, we offer clients the ability  
to attach guaranteed stops to positions so that the  
maximum possible loss to the client is known at the  
outset of the trade.

Additionally, our close-out monitor (COM), which 
automatically liquidates client positions where their margin 
has been significantly eroded, can also limit potential client 
losses. At 31 May 2013 98.83% of all client accounts are 
either subject to guaranteed stops or the automatic COM 
procedure. Further details are set out in note 37 to the 
Financial Statements.

Protection of our clients’ data and funds
We prioritise the security of our clients’ information  
and have achieved the ISO 27001:2005 certificate for  
Information Security Management Systems.

We segregate all funds for individuals, whether required 
by regulation or not. Segregated client money is held 
entirely separate from IG’s own money, ensuring that in 
the event of default by IG, client funds will be returned to 
the clients rather than being treated as a recoverable asset 
by general creditors of IG. During the year, we engaged 
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to conduct an independent 
review of our controls and procedures for client money 
calculation and segregation (ISAE 3000). By commissioning 
this report we have taken an additional step, over and 
above standard audit and assurance processes which 
reflects our commitment to keeping our clients’ funds 
secure and delivering good outcomes for customers.

CliENT sERViCEs
Impeccable client service is at the heart of our commitment 
to the responsible treatment of all our clients. Our large 
team of highly-trained, dedicated client service staff 
delivers a professional and responsive value-based 
approach to client service.

OuR PEOPlE
The Group is rapidly growing and provides a fast-moving 
and successful working environment. As at 31 May 2013, the 
Group had 991 employees working in 16 countries globally. 
Our employees take pride in what we have achieved.

85

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (continued)

CORPORATE sOCiAl REsPONsiBiliTy (continued)

OuR PEOPlE (CONTiNuEd)
The Group appreciates that the quality of its employees 
is crucial to the success of the business, and offers 
competitive packages to recognise past performance 
and retain key talent in the future. The Group pays 
performance-related bonuses to most staff and has made 
awards under value-sharing plans to key personnel. In 
addition, the opportunity to acquire shares under various 
share incentive plans has been made available to all UK, 
Australian and US staff. We also provide a range of other 
benefits to employees, including pension contributions, 
where in the UK the Group contributes up to 10% of the 
employee’s basic salary to the employee’s pension, as 
long as the employee contributes 5% of their salary (if the 
employee chooses to contribute less than 5%, the Group 
will contribute double the individual rate).

During the year the Group carried out an employee  
survey. Of those who completed the survey, over 80% 
agreed that IG had a strong and positive working culture. 
For those areas where issues were noted, development 
plans have been formulated to address these and the 
progress made will be monitored by department heads. 
The Group has committed to run an annual employee 
engagement survey going forward. The next employee 
survey will be commissioned later in the year, and the 
Group’s results will be benchmarked against other high 
performing organisations.

The Group is keen to support the continuing personal 
and professional training and development of its staff, 
and encourages attendance on external and industry-
recognised training courses, sponsors staff to undertake 
a programme of formal education and professional 
qualification, and often offers internal secondments. The 
Group has invested in training on a global level to improve 
the quality of learning opportunities and to encourage 
employees to progress within the business. The Group 
spent £421,000 on training in the financial year ending  
31 May 2013 (2012: £409,000).

The Group is further committed to developing high-calibre 
employees and offers three separate graduate schemes in 
IT, a composite Sales, Dealing and Operations, and Finance. 
The IT and Sales, and Dealing and Operations schemes 
have a 12-month training plan before assigning graduates to 
a permanent position. The Finance scheme is longer term, 
with the aim of training graduates as qualified accountants 
within the team. The Group introduced an Apprentice 
scheme during the year, and took on two apprentices  
to learn and develop through on-the-job training. 

The Group has implemented a detailed career 
development plan at all levels of the organisation, defining 
roles and responsibilities at each career level. A mentoring 
program is also in place to motivate and develop the 
careers of high potential employees, providing insight into 
IG’s operations and support from members of the senior 
management team, thereby strengthening the talent pool.

EmPlOyEE iNVOlVEmENT
We take pride in being an open, non-hierarchical 
organisation with direct and open access amongst all 
teams and at all levels. The Chief Executive Officer leads 
a quarterly management forum which is recorded and 
broadcast to our overseas offices.

Employees participate directly in the success of the 
business through the Group’s performance-related bonus 
schemes and employee share plans, and we regularly have 
around 35% to 40% of eligible employees participating in 
our share incentive plan. Bonus payments are based on 
a communal pool driven by both revenue performance 
against budget and a scorecard of non-financial measures. 
The pool is first apportioned by department, and then the 
discretionary payment is distributed to individuals, based 
upon their performance, by department heads.

TOP EmPlOyER
Our positive working culture was recognised when IG 
was named one of Britain’s Top Employers for the sixth 
year running in 2013. The Top Employers Certification 
is awarded only to organisations that meet the highest 
standard in Human Resources. The award, by the 
Corporate Research Foundation, was based on a strong 
performance in each of the surveyed categories: pay and 
benefits, training and development, corporate culture,  
and particularly in career development. 

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.

It is therefore key to our success that we reinforce the need 
to treat all employees fairly, with dignity and without any 
unlawful discrimination. We are committed to creating a 
work environment free of harassment and bullying, where 
everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

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. 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 REPORT: CORPORATE sOCiAl REsPONsiBiliTY

The Group encourages involvement with team sport and 
there are IG football, netball and rugby teams. We also 
supported the Six in the City, a competition run by Chance 
to Shine, a charity supporting education through cricket.

We have a confidential employee assistance programme 
which provides a 24/7 impartial telephone counselling 
service to all our European office employees and their 
immediate families, offering impartial advice on all matters 
from housing to personal finance.

OPERATiONs ANd ENViRONmENT
As a business which conducts nearly all of its client trades 
online, we do not see ourselves as a significant emitter 
of environmentally-harmful substances. However, we do 
understand that our operations have an impact on the 
environment and take steps to manage this.

ENERGy CONsumPTiON ANd  

CARBON mANAGEmENT
We have taken steps to minimise the impact of our offices 
on the environment. These include the installation of 
automated sensor lighting and air conditioning, both of 
which minimise energy usage when offices are not in use.
We have also invested in the latest systems at our data 
centre site, enabling maximum energy efficiency.

With the encouragement of employees, we have also 
improved our recycling facilities, including IT equipment.
Cannon Bridge House, our London head office, has 
received the ISO 14001 certification for an effective 
environmental management system. We will assess, 
minimise and continually improve how our operations 
negatively affect the environment and comply with 
applicable laws, regulations, and other environmentally-
oriented requirements.

By order of the Board

Christopher Hill  
Chief Financial Officer

23 July 2013

sOCiETy
We are keen to encourage employees to engage in 
activities that help their development and support local 
communities. For example, we match any funds employees 
have raised for sponsored events. A summary of our 
charitable donations, including the employee matched 
giving, is provided in the ‘Directors’ statutory report’.

We also work with the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) to 
allow employees to operate a charity fund and contribute 
directly to selected charities from gross earnings directly 
from their monthly pay.

The Group not only continues to support charities through 
the giving of money, but also through the provision of time 
and resource. Our absence management policy offers the 
opportunity for employees to take up voluntary work, for 
which we grant additional leave on a like-for-like basis up 
to a maximum of five matched days per annual leave year.

Additionally, the Group continue to be involved with  
a volunteering scheme with Volunteer Reading Help,  
a national registered charity with 17 regional branches  
that gives one-to- one literacy support to children in primary 
schools in the most deprived areas of England. Reading 
helpers volunteer once a week for an hour, and commit  
for a minimum of one year to work with the same children 
each week.

hEAlTh ANd sAfETy
The Group believes that its employees are one of its 
most valuable assets, and therefore is committed to 
providing each employee with a safe and healthy working 
environment. Health and safety is an integral part of our 
business, and by providing key members of staff with the 
relevant external training and all other staff with the relevant 
in-house training, this ensures compliance with all statutory 
health and safety requirements. Details of all incidents, no 
matter how small, are held on the HR database.

There were no reportable incidents in the year.

wEllBEiNG
We are fully committed to our employee’s health and 
wellbeing, and the benefits provided to all employees 
include private medical cover, permanent health insurance 
and life assurance. Additionally, we reimburse 50% of  
the costs of employees’ annual gym subscriptions (to  
a specified amount) for all UK, Australian and European 
employees. We further show commitment to the health of 
our staff by providing free fruit on a daily basis and offering 
flu vaccinations to all UK staff.

The Group encourages cycling, through providing savings 
on bikes under the government-backed cycle to work 
initiative, and offers free-of-charge bicycle parking in our 
London office.

86  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

87

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT: sTATEmENT OF diRECTORs’ REsPONsiBiliTiEs

sTATEmENT Of diRECTORs’ 
REsPONsiBiliTiEs

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

Each of the Directors, whose names and functions are 
listed in the Corporate Governance Report confirm that,  
to the best of their knowledge:

•	 The	Group	Financial	Statements,	which	have	been	

prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the 
EU, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, 
financial position and profit of the Group

•	 The	‘Business	Review’	and	the	‘Directors’	statutory	

report’ contained in the Annual Report includes a fair 
review of the development and performance of the 
business and the position of the Group, together with  
a description of the principal risks and uncertainties  
that it faces

By order of the Board

Christopher Hill  
Chief Financial Officer

23 July 2013

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual 
Report, the ‘Directors’ remuneration report’ and the 
‘Financial Statements’ in accordance with applicable law  
and regulations.

Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial 
statements for each financial year. Under that law the 
Directors have prepared the Group and parent Company 
Financial Statements in accordance with International 
Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the 
European Union. Under company law the Directors must 
not approve the Financial Statements unless they are 
satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of 
affairs of the Group and the Company and of the profit 
or loss of the Group for that period. In preparing these 
Financial Statements, the Directors are required to:

•	 Select	suitable	accounting	policies	and	then	apply	 

them consistently;

•	 Make	judgements	and	accounting	estimates	that	are	

reasonable and prudent;

•	 State	whether	applicable	IFRSs	as	adopted	by	the	

European Union have been followed, subject to any 
material departures disclosed and explained in the 
Financial Statements;

•	 Prepare	the	Financial	Statements	on	the	going	concern	

basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the 
Company will continue in business

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate 
accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain 
the Company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable 
accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company 
and the Group and enable them to ensure that the Financial 
Statements and the Directors’ Remuneration Report 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 
Company and the Group and hence for taking reasonable 
steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and  
other irregularities.

88  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

89

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT: iNdEPENdENT AudiTORs’ REPORT TO ThE mEmBERs OF iG GROuP hOldiNGs PlC

iNdEPENdENT AudiTORs’ REPORT TO ThE 
mEmBERs Of iG GROuP hOldiNGs PlC

We have audited the financial statements of IG Group 
Holdings plc for the year ended 31 May 2013 which 
comprise the Group income statement, the Group 
statement of comprehensive income, the Group and 
parent Company statements of financial position, the 
Group and parent Company statements of changes 
in equity, the Group and parent Company cash flow 
statements, the accounting policies and the related notes. 
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.

REsPECTiVE REsPONsiBiliTiEs Of diRECTORs  

ANd AudiTORs 
As explained more fully in the statement of Directors’ 
responsibilities set out on page 88, 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 and express an opinion on 
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 Ethical Standards for Auditors. 

This report, including the opinions, has been prepared 
for and only for the Company’s members as a body in 
accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies 
Act 2006 and for no other purpose. We do not, in giving 
these opinions, accept or assume responsibility for any 
other purpose or to any other person to whom this report 
is shown or into whose hands it may come save where 
expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing.

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. In addition, we read all the 
financial and non-financial information in the Annual 
Report to identify material inconsistencies with the audited 
financial statements. If we become aware of any apparent 
material misstatements or inconsistencies we consider the 
implications for our report.

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 2013 and of the Group’s profit and 
Group’s and parent Company’s cash flows 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; and

•	 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 lAS 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; and

•	 the	information	given	in	the	Corporate	Governance	
Report set out on page 82 of the Annual Report with 
respect to internal control and risk management systems 
and about share capital structures is consistent with the 
financial statements.

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 parent Company.

Under the Listing Rules we are required to review: 

•	 the	Directors’	statement,	set	out	on	page	84,	in	relation	

to going concern;

•	 the	parts	of	the	Corporate	Governance	Report	relating	
to the Company’s compliance with the nine provisions 
of the UK Corporate Governance Code specified for our 
review; and

•	 certain	elements	of	the	report	to	shareholders	by	the	

Board on Directors’ remuneration.

Darren Ketteringham (Senior Statutory Auditor)

for and on behalf of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP  
Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors 

London 

23 July 2013

90  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

91

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FINANCIAL 
sTATEMENTs

Group Income Statement 
Group Statement of comprehenSIve Income 
StatementS of fInancIal poSItIon 
Statement of chanGeS In equIty 
caSh flow StatementS 
Index to noteS to the fInancIal StatementS 
noteS to the fInancIal StatementS 

94 
95 
96 
97 
99 
100 
101

93

92  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

GROUP INCOME sTATEMENT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2013

GROUP sTATEMENT OF COMPREHENsIvE INCOME
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2013

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Group

Profit for the year

Other comprehensive (expense) / income:
Foreign currency translation on overseas subsidiaries

Other comprehensive (expense) / income for the year

Total comprehensive income for the year

Total comprehensive income attributable to: 
Equity holders of the parent
Non-controlling interests

2013

2012

£000

£000

£000

£000

141,748

136,760

(4,578)

751

(4,578)

137,170

137,117
53

137,170

751

137,511

137,566
(55)

137,511

The items of comprehensive income noted above are stated net of related tax effects.  
The notes on pages 101 to 153 are an integral part of these Financial Statements.

Trading revenue 
Interest income on segregated client funds

Revenue 
Interest expense on segregated client funds
Introducing broker commissions
Betting duty
Other operating income

Net operating income

Analysed as:
Net trading revenue
Other net operating income

Administrative expenses

Operating profit
Finance income
Finance costs

Profit before taxation from continuing operations
Tax expense

Profit for the year from continuing operations

Loss for the year from discontinued operations

Profit for the year attributable to:
Equity holders of the parent
Non-controlling interests

Earnings per ordinary share  
from continuing operations

Basic
Diluted

Note

3

4

2, 4

5
8
9

10

11

Note

12
12

The notes on pages 101 to 153 are an integral part of these Financial Statements.

2013
Total
£000

397,946
8,477

406,423
(289)
(36,089)
(5,204)
3,067

2012
Total
£000

400,262
10,509

410,771
(257)
(33,450)
(8,907)
1,013

367,908

369,170

361,857
6,051

366,812
2,358

(175,980)

(183,657)

191,928
2,036
(1,756)

192,208
(50,460)

185,513
2,487
(2,283)

185,717
(48,583)

141,748

137,134

–

(374)

141,748

136,760

141,692
56

136,792
(32)

141,748

136,760

2013

39.02p
38.80p

2012

37.90p
37.54p

94  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

95

sTATEMENTs OF FINANCIAL POsITION
AT 31 MAY 2013

sTATEMENT OF CHANGEs IN EQUITY
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2013

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Note

14
15
16

10

18

19
22

23
24
25

27

28
28
30

Assets
Non-current assets
Property, plant and equipment
Intangible assets
Investment in subsidiaries
Deferred tax assets

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

TOTAL ASSETS

Liabilities
Current liabilities
Trade payables
Other payables
Provisions
Income tax payable

Non-current liabilities
Redeemable preference shares

Total liabilities

Capital and reserves
Share capital
Share premium
Other reserves
Retained earnings

Shareholders’ equity
Non-controlling interests

Total equity

TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

Group

Company

2013
£000

2012
£000 

2013
£000

2012
£000

14,469
120,479
–

9,470

15,555
115,366
–

11,915

–
–
459,977

–

–
–
438,128

–

144,418

142,836

459,977

438,128

300,636
10,278
98,345
50,468

 222,342
 9,745
 228,156
–

–
165,616
245
–

 –
 144,586
 151
–

459,727

460,243

165,861

144,737

604,145

603,079

625,838

582,865

19,047
53,781
–
24,289

61,076
64,815
1,353
28,652

–
32,460
–
–

–
32,974
–
3,550

97,117

155,896

32,460

36,524

40

40

40

40

40

40

40

40

97,157

155,936

32,500

36,564

18
206,758
84,990
215,222

506,988
–

18
206,291
85,543
155,145

446,997
146

18
206,758
27,444
359,118

593,338
–

18
206,291
23,596
316,396

546,301
–

506,988

447,143

593,338

546,301

604,145

603,079

625,838

582,865

Group

Share
capital
£000
(note 28)

Share
premium 
account
£000
(note 28)

Other
reserves
£000
(note 30)

Retained
earnings
£000

Shareholders’
equity
£000

Non-
controlling 
interests
£000

Total
equity
£000

At 1 June 2011
Profit / (loss) for the year
Other comprehensive income / (expense) for the year

18
–
–

206,246
–
–

80,173
–
774

92,263
136,792
–

378,700
136,792
774

201 378,901
(32) 136,760
751
(23)

Total comprehensive income / (expense) for the year

Equity-settled employee share-based payments (note 31)
Excess of tax deduction benefit on share-based
payments recognised directly in shareholders’
equity (note 10)
Issuance of shares
Purchase of own shares
Exercise of US share incentive plans
Equity dividends paid (note 13)

Movement in equity

At 31 May 2012

Profit for the year
Other comprehensive expense for the year

Total comprehensive (expense) / income for the year

Equity-settled employee share-based payments (note 31)
Excess of tax deduction benefit on share-based
payments recognised directly in shareholders’
equity (note 10)
Issuance of shares
Exercise of US share incentive plans
Purchase of own shares
Equity dividends paid (note 13)
Acquisition of non-controlling interests
Loss on financial investments

Movement in equity

At 31 May 2013

–

–

–

–
–
–

–

–

–

–
45
–
–
–

45

774

136,792

137,566

(55) 137,511

5,005

–

5,005

(101)
–
(298)
(10)
–

–
–
–
–
(73,910)

(101)
45
(298)
(10)
(73,910)

–

–
–
–
–
–

5,005

(101)
45
(298)
(10)
(73,910)

5,370

62,882

68,297

(55) 68,242

18

206,291

85,543

155,145

446,997

146 447,143

–
–

–

–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–

–

–

–
467
–
–
–
–
–

467

–
(4,575)

141,692
–

141,692
(4,575)

56 141,748
(4,578)
(3)

(4,575)

141,692

137,117

53 137,170

4,309

–

4,309

–

4,309

13
–
(20)
(441)
–
199
(38)

–
–
–
–
(81,615)
–
–

13
467
(20)
(441)
(81,615)
199
(38) 

–
–
–
–
–
(199)
–

13
467
(20)
(441)
(81,615)
–
(38)

(553)

60,077

59,991

(146) 59,845

18

206,758

84,990

215,222

506,988

– 506,988

The notes on pages 101 to 153 are an integral part of these Financial Statements.

The Financial Statements on pages 94 to 153 were approved by the Board of Directors on 23 July 2013 and signed on its 
behalf by: 

Tim Howkins 
Chief Executive 

Christopher Hill 
Chief Financial Officer

Registered Company number: 04677092 

96  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

97

 
 
 
 
sTATEMENT OF CHANGEs IN EQUITY (continued)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2013

CAsH FLOW sTATEMENTs
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2013

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Company

At 1 June 2011

Total comprehensive income for the year

Equity-settled employee share-based payments (note 31)
Issuance of shares
Purchase of own shares
Exercise of US share incentive plans
Equity dividends paid (note 13)

Movement in equity

At 31 May 2012

Total comprehensive income for the year

Equity-settled employee share-based payments (note 31)
Issuance of shares
Purchase of own shares
Exercise of US share incentive plans
Equity dividends paid (note 13)

Movement in equity

At 31 May 2013

Share 
capital
£000
(note 28)

Share
premium 
account
£000
(note 28)

Other
reserves
£000
(note 30)

Retained
earnings
£000

Total
equity
£000

18

206,246

18,899

262,374

487,537

–

–
–
–
–
–

–

–

–
45
–
–
–

45

–

127,932

127,932

5,005
–
(298)
(10)
–

–
–
–
–
(73,910)

5,005
45
(298)
(10)
(73,910)

4,697

54,022

58,764

18

206,291

23,596

316,396

546,301

–

–
–
–
–
–

–

–

–
467
–
–
–

467

–

124,337

124,337

4,309
–
(441)
(20)
–

–
–
–
–
(81,615)

4,309
467
(441)
(20)
(81,615)

3,848

42,722

47,037

18

206,758

27,444

359,118

593,338

The notes on pages 101 to 153 are an integral part of these Financial Statements.

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

Note

21

Group

Company

2013
£000

66,402
(53,247)
9,013
(289)

2012
£000

234,916
(57,554)
10,111
(257)

2013
£000

82,347
–
–
–

2012
£000

75,369
–
–
–

Net cash flow from operating activities

21,879

187,216

82,347

75,369

Investing activities
Interest received
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
Payments to acquire intangible fixed assets
Purchase of a non-controlling interest
Purchase of financial investments

Net cash flow used in investing activities

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

2,155
(4,813)
(11,949)
(1,319)
(50,486)

2,004
(4,709)
(4,432)
–
–

(66,412)

(7,137)

–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–

–

(3,175)
(81,615)
(461)
467
(3)

(2,013)
(73,910)
(298)
37
(3)

(641)
(81,615)
(461)
467
(3)

(1,311)
(73,910)
(298)
–
(3)

Net cash flow used in financing activities

(84,787)

(76,187)

(82,253)

(75,522)

Net (decrease) / increase in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
Exchange loss on cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

19

(129,320)

103,892

228,156
(491)

124,528
(264)

98,345

228,156

94

151
–

245

(153)

304
–

151

The cash flows stated above are inclusive of discontinued operations for the year ended 31 May 2012. 
The notes on pages 101 to 153 are an integral part of these Financial Statements.

98  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

99

INDEx TO NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs

NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTE   
1.  Presentation, critical accounting estimates and judgments   
2.  Net trading revenue 
3.  Other operating income 
4.  Segment information 
5.  Operating profit 
6.  Auditors’ remuneration 
7.  Staff costs 
8.  Finance income 
9.  Finance costs  
10.  Taxation 
11.  Discontinued operations 
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.  Liquidity analysis and risk management 
21.  Cash generated from operations 
22.  Financial investments   
23.  Trade payables 
24.  Other payables 
25.  Provisions 
26.  Litigation 
27.  Redeemable preference shares   
28.  Share capital   
29.  Own shares held in Employee Benefit Trusts 
30.  Other reserves 
31.  Employee share plans   
32.  Capital commitments   
33.  Obligations under leases 
34.  Transactions with Directors 
35.  Related party transactions 
36.  Financial instruments 
37.  Financial risk management 
38.  Capital management and resources 
39.  Subsequent events 
40.  Authorisation of Financial Statements and statement of compliance with IFRS  
41.  Accounting policies 

PAGE 
101 
102 
102 
103 
104 
105 
106 
107 
107 
108 
110 
111 
111 
112 
113 
113 
115 
117 
117 
118 
122 
122 
122 
123 
123 
123 
123 
124 
125 
126 
127 
129 
130 
130 
130 
131 
134 
144 
144 
144 
145 

1. PREsENTATION, CRITICAL 
ACCOUNTING EsTIMATEs  
AND jUDGMENTs
Critical accounting estimates and judgments 
The preparation of Financial Statements requires the 
Group to make estimates and judgments 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 
judgments that have the most significant impact on 
the measurement of items recorded in the Financial 
Statements remain the impairment of goodwill (refer to 
note 17), the impairment of trade receivables – amounts 
due from clients (refer to note 37), the useful economic life 
applied to the intangible fixed assets and the calculation of 
the Group’s current corporation tax charge and recognition 
of deferred tax assets (refer to note 10(c) and 10(e)). 

The judgments in relation to the impairment of goodwill 
largely relate to the assumptions underlying the calculation 
of the value in use of the business being tested for 
impairment, primarily the achievability of the long-term 
business plan and macroeconomic assumptions underlying 
the valuation process. 

The judgments in relation to impairment of trade 
receivables – amounts due from clients are dependent  
on historic levels of repayment and based upon  
individual circumstances.

The assessment of the useful economic life of the  
Group’s technology based intangible assets is  
judgmental and can change as a result of unforeseen 
technological developments. 

The calculation of the Group’s current corporation tax 
charge involves a degree of estimation and judgment with 
respect 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 payable 
may be materially lower than the amount accrued and 
could therefore improve the overall profitability and cash 
flows of the Group in future periods. 

A deferred tax asset is only recognised to the extent it is 
considered to be probable that future operating profits will 
exceed the losses that have arisen to date. 

The measurement of the Group’s net trading revenue is 
predominately based on quoted market prices (please refer 
to note 36 for the financial instrument valuation hierarchy 
disclosures) and accordingly involves little judgment. 
However, the calculation of the segmental net trading 
revenue, as the Group manages risk and hedges on a 
group-wide portfolio basis, involves the use of an allocation 
methodology. This allocation methodology does not 
impact on the overall Group net trading revenue disclosed. 

Income statement presentation –  
Discontinued operations 
In the year ended 31 May 2012 the Group’s Sport business 
was disclosed as a discontinued operation. 

Discontinued operations consist of a single major line 
of business or a geographical area that has either been 
closed or sold during the period or is classified as held for 
sale at the year-end. The financial performance and cash 
flows of discontinued operations are separately reported.

Please refer to note 11 for additional detail. 

100  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

101

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

2. NET TRADING REvENUE
Net trading revenue represents trading revenue from financial instruments carried at fair value through profit or loss net 
of introducing broker commission. This is consistent with the management information received by the Chief Operating 
Decision Maker (refer to note 4). Revenue from external customers includes interest income on segregated client funds and 
is analysed as follows:

Net trading revenue

Contracts for difference
Spread betting
Binaries

Total net trading revenue

Interest income on segregated client funds

Revenue from external customers

2013
£000

2012
£000 

210,992
129,881
20,984

214,967
133,768
18,077

361,857

366,812

8,477

10,509

370,334

377,321

In addition to the above, finance income is disclosed in note 8. The Group does not derive more than 10% of external 
revenue from any one single customer. 

3. OTHER OPERATING INCOME

Revenue share arrangement(1)
Inactivity fees(2)
Settlement income(3)

2013
£000

1,333
484
1,250

3,067

2012
£000 

1,013
–
–

1,013

(1) On 8 June 2011, the Group reached an agreement to sell the majority of the client list relating to the Group’s Sport business to Spreadex Limited under a 

revenue share agreement where the Group would receive semi-annual payments for the subsequent three years, calculated by reference to the revenue that 
the acquirer generates from clients on the list

(2) In the year ended 31 May 2013, the Group commenced charging inactivity fees for those accounts on which clients had not traded for two years
(3) In the year ended 31 May 2013, the Group received one-off income in relation to settlement of an insurance claim made regarding the fit out of the London 

head office

102  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

4. sEGMENT INFORMATION
The segment information is presented as follows:

•	 	Segment	net	trading	revenue	has	been	disclosed	net	of	introducing	broker	commissions	as	this	is	consistent	with	the	
management information received by the Chief Operating Decision Maker (CODM) who are the Executive Directors

•	 	Net	trading	revenue	is	reported	by	the	location	of	the	office	that	manages	the	underlying	client	relationship	and	

aggregated into the disclosable segments of UK, Australia, Europe, Japan and Rest of World. The Rest of World segment 
comprises the Group’s operations in each of South Africa, Singapore and the United States

•	 	The	Europe	segment	comprises	the	Group’s	operations	in	each	of	France,	Germany,	Italy,	Luxembourg,	the	Netherlands,	

Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Norway

•	 	Segment	contribution,	being	segment	trading	revenue	less	directly	incurred	costs,	as	the	measure	of	segment	profit	and	

loss reported to the CODM 

The UK segment derives its revenue from financial spread bets, contracts for difference (CFDs) and binary options. The 
Australian, Japanese and European segments derive their revenue from CFDs and binary options. The businesses reported 
within the Rest of World derive revenue from the operation of a regulated futures and options exchange as well as CFDs, 
margined forex and binary options.

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, middle office, IT development, 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 
allocation 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 a number of cost allocation assumptions and segment net 
trading revenue.

Year ended 31 May 2013

Segment net trading revenue
Interest income on segregated client funds

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

UK
£000

Australia
£000

Europe
£000

186,450
–

186,450
–
–
(5,204)

56,251
–

56,251
–
–
–

71,047
–

71,047
–
–
–

Japan
£000

15,918
–

15,918
–
–
–

Rest of 
World
£000

32,191
–

32,191
–
–
–

Central 
£000

Total
£000

– 361,857
8,477

8,477

8,477 370,334
(289)
3,067
(5,204)

(289)
3,067
–

Net operating income

181,246

56,251

71,047

15,918

32,191

11,255 367,908

Segment contribution
Allocation of central costs
Depreciation and amortisation

Operating profit 

Net finance income

Profit before taxation from continuing operations

151,337
(35,251)
(5,888)

49,297
(11,165)
(1,544)

43,870
(15,074)
(2,170)

11,043
(3,290)
(524)

20,245
(6,918)
(2,040)

(71,698) 204,094
–
71,698
(12,166)
–

110,198

36,588

26,626

7,229

11,287

– 191,928

280

192,208

103
103

 
NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

4. sEGMENT INFORMATION (CONTINUED) 

6. AUDITORs’ REMUNERATION

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Year ended 31 May 2012

Segment net trading revenue
Interest income on segregated client funds

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

UK  Australia
£000

£000

Europe
£000

191,781
–

191,781
–
–
(8,907)

57,962
–

57,962
–
–
–

72,217
–

72,217
–
–
–

Japan
£000

16,457
–

16,457
–
–
–

Rest of 
World
£000

28,395
–

28,395
–
–
–

Central 
£000

Total
£000

–
10,509

10,509
(257)
1,013
–

366,812
10,509

377,321
(257)
1,013
(8,907)

Net operating income

182,874

57,962

72,217

16,457

28,395

11,265

369,170

Segment contribution
Allocation of central costs
Depreciation and amortisation

Operating profit
Net finance income

Profit before taxation from continuing operations

5. OPERATING PROFIT 

151,529
(39,378)
(4,998)

49,833
(12,336)
(1,424)

43,447
(15,422)
(1,893)

10,377
(3,598)
(623)

17,909
(6,088)
(1,822)

(76,822)
76,822
–

107,153

36,073

26,132

6,156

9,999

–

196,273
–
(10,760)

185,513
204

185,717

This is stated inclusive of exceptional items and after charging / (crediting):
Exceptional items(1)
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment
Amortisation of intangible assets
Advertising and marketing
Net (recovery) / charge of impaired trade receivables 
Operating lease rentals for land and buildings
Foreign exchange gains(3)
Legal and professional(4)

Group

2013
£000

2012
£000

– 
6,050
6,116
32,558
(348)
4,375
(2,621)
4,772

(1,091)
5,934
4,826
31,068
1,337
3,988(2)
(2,180)
5,777

(1)  In the prior year the Group reached agreement with the lessor for both the early surrender and the settlement of all outstanding dilapidation obligations with 
regards to the lease of the Group’s previous London headquarters. This resulted in a release of amounts provided or accrued in relation to onerous lease and 
dilapidation obligations. The release was considered to be exceptional in nature as onerous lease and dilapidation charges incurred in relation to the lease in 
the years ended 31 May 2010 and 31 May 2011 were previously disclosed as exceptional. There were no exceptional items in the year ended 31 May 2013

(2)  Operating lease rentals, in the year ended 31 May 2012, are stated net of exceptional items 
(3)  All of the above, except foreign exchange differences, are included in administrative expenses within the income statement. Foreign exchange gains are 

included in revenue

(4)  Legal and professional fees include costs of £3.4 million (2012: £1.1 million) incurred in defence of claims made in relation to the insolvency of Echelon Wealth 
Management Limited. Following the closure of this claim against the Group the plaintiffs have paid a £2.8 million contribution to the Group’s legal costs. This 
contribution has been recorded within legal and professional fees

Audit and audit-related fees(1)

F ees payable to the Company’s auditor for the audit of the 
parent company and consolidated Financial Statements 

S tatutory and regulatory audit of subsidiaries and 
branches of the Company pursuant to legislation

Other services supplied pursuant to legislation
Other assurance services

Total audit and audit-related fees

Other fees to auditors

Other services relating to taxation
– Compliance-related services(2)
– Advisory-related services(3)

Services relating to corporate finance transactions
Services relating to regulatory advice(4)
All other services

Total other fees

Group

2013
£000

2012
£000

195

192
115
100

602

351
214
–
109
136

810

190

98
121
–

409

270
693
49
–
87

1,099

(1)  Includes the Group’s audit fee as well as services that are specifically required of the Group’s auditors through legislative or contractual requirements, controls 

assurance engagements required of the auditors by the regulatory authorities in whose jurisdiction the Group operates and other audit-related assurance services
(2)  Includes corporate and other tax compliance and filing services which are closely related to the audit process and are therefore efficiently provided by the auditors 

due to their existing knowledge of the business

(3)  Includes advice relating to the Group’s transfer pricing policies of £18,000 (2012: £386,000) and sales taxes of £196,000 (2012: £248,000)
(4)  Includes services provided in the review of regulatory filings and other regulatory advice

An overview of the Audit Committee’s review of Auditors’ remuneration and non-audit fee policy can be found in the 
Corporate Governance Report.

104  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

105

NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

7. sTAFF COsTs
The staff costs for the year, including Directors, were as follows:

Wages and salaries(1) 
Social security costs

Other pension costs (in relation to defined contribution schemes)

(1)  Includes redundancy programme costs of £1.3 million

Group

2013
£000

73,189
8,016
5,071

2012
£000

78,741
9,170
4,758

86,276

92,669

8. FINANCE INCOME

Bank interest receivable
Interest receivable from brokers
Other finance income
Interest receivable from clients
Interest accretion on financial investments 

Staff costs including Directors, include the following amounts in respect of performance-related bonuses, inclusive of 
national insurance and share-based payments charged to the income statement:

9. FINANCE COsTs

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

Group

2013
£000

17,304
4,414

2012
£000

27,945
5,005

21,718

32,950

The Directors’ emoluments for the years ended 31 May 2013 and 31 May 2012, including amounts in relation to 
compensation for loss of office, can be found in the Directors’ Remuneration Report. 

Liquidity facility arrangement and non-utilisation fees
Interest payable to clients
Interest payable to brokers
Bank interest payable
Dividend on redeemable preference shares
Other charges

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Group

2013
£000

983
991
42 
–
20

2,036

Group

2013
£000

1,473
73
128
3
3
76

1,756

2012
£000

1,485
673
306
23
–

2,487

2012
£000

1,314
242
165
11
3
548

2,283

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

Interest payable to clients relates to interest paid or accrued to clients in relation to title transfer funds (refer to note 19). 

IT development
IT support
Sales, marketing and client support
Dealing
Management and administrative

Group

2013
Number

2012
Number

341
65
415
35
149

1,005

313
55
415
41
136

960

106  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

107

 
NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

10. TAxATION
10(a) Tax on continuing 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

Continuing tax expense in the income statement (note 10(b))

Group

2013
£000

43,680
4,197
174

2012
£000

46,756
2,738
(265)

48,051

49,229

2,409

(646)

50,460

48,583

10(b) Reconciliation of the total tax charge  
Corporation tax is calculated at 23.83% (2012: 25.67%) of the estimated assessable profit in the UK. Taxation outside the UK 
is calculated at the rates prevailing in the respective jurisdictions. The tax expense in the income statement for the year can 
be reconciled to the income statement as set out below:

Continuing profit before taxation

Continuing profit multiplied by the UK standard rate of corporation tax of 23.83% (2012: 25.67%)
Expenses not deductible for tax purposes
Impact of previously unrecognised timing differences
Higher / (lower) taxes on overseas earnings
Adjustment in respect of prior years

Total tax expense reported in the income statement

The effective tax rate is 26.3% (2012: 26.2%). 

10(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
Share-based payments
Other timing differences

2013
£000

2012
£000 

192,208

185,717

45,803
1,892
1,428
1,163
174

47,674
1,193
–
(19)
(265)

50,460

48,583

Group

2013
£000

727
1,767
2,062
4,914

9,470

2012
£000

2,019
1,810
3,415
4,671

11,915

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

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 deduction until 
the awards vest. The excess of tax relief in future years over the amount charged to the Income Statement is recognised as a 
credit directly to equity. The movement in the deferred income tax assets included in the Statement of Financial Position is 
as follows:

At the beginning of the year
Income statement (charge) / credit (note 10 (d))
Tax credited / (debited) directly to equity
Foreign currency adjustment

At the end of the year

10(d) Deferred income tax – income statement credit 

T he deferred income tax (charge) / credit included in the 

Income Statement is made up as follows:

(Accelerated) / decelerated capital allowances
Tax losses available for offset against future tax
Share-based payments
Other timing differences

Income statement (charge) / credit

T he deferred tax credited / (charged) to equity during the 

year is as follows:

Share-based payments

Group

2013
£000

11,915
(2,409)
13
(49)

2012
£000

11,264
646
(101)
106

9,470

11,915

Group

2013
£000

2012
£000

(1,292)
–
(1,360)
243

(2,409)

357
(3,071)
(197)
3,557

646

13

(101)

Closing deferred tax on UK temporary differences has been calculated at the substantively enacted rate of 23% (2012: 24%). 
The effect of the change in UK corporation tax to 23% from 1 April 2013 on the deferred tax assets is a deferred income tax 
charge of £275,000 (2012: £373,000), which is included in the movements above. 

10(e) 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 judgment with respect to the recognition of deferred tax assets (refer to note 10(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 payable may be materially lower than the amount accrued and could therefore improve the overall 
profitability and cash flows of the Group in future periods. 

On 1 April 2013 the main rate of corporation tax reduced from 24% to 23%. A further 2% reduction to 21% at 1 April 2014 
and 20% on 1 April 2015 is expected to be legislated in the Finance Bill 2013. The Group will assess the impact of the 
reductions in line with its accounting policy in respect of deferred tax at each reporting date.

108  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

109

 
NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

11. DIsCONTINUED OPERATIONs
There were no discontinued operations in the year ended 31 May 2013.

The discontinued operations presented for the year ended 31 May 2012 related to the closure of the Sport business, 
extrabet. On 12 July 2011 the Group completed a redundancy consultation process with the employees of extrabet and  
all extrabet employees unable to find a role within the Group were made redundant as of 19 July 2011 and the business  
was closed.

12. EARNINGs PER ORDINARY sHARE
Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the profit for the year attributable to ordinary equity holders of the 
Company 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. The following reflects the 
income and share data used in the earnings per share computation:

Loss from discontinued operations

Net trading revenue
Other net operating expense
Exceptional closure credit 
Administrative expenses

Loss before tax from discontinued operations

Tax credit

Loss after tax from discontinued operations

2012
£000

159
(47)
261
(761)

(388)

14

(374)

Continuing earnings attributable to equity shareholders of the Company
Discontinued earnings attributable to equity shareholders of the Company

Total earnings attributable to equity shareholders of the Company

There were no items of cumulative income or expense recognised in other comprehensive income relating to the 
discontinued operations in the year ending 31 May 2012.

The operating cash flows for the year ending 31 May 2012 disclosed in the table below are included in the Group statement 
of cash flows. 

Weighted average number of shares

Basic 
Dilutive effect of share-based payments

Diluted

Cash flows from discontinued operations

Operating cash flows
Investing cash flows
Financing cash flows

Total cash flows from discontinued operations

Year ended  
31 May 2012
£000

(467)
–
–

(467)

Earnings per share
Basic earnings per share from continuing operations
Basic loss per share from discontinued operations

Basic earnings per share

Diluted earnings per share
Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations
Diluted loss per share from discontinued operations

Diluted earnings per share

13. DIvIDENDs

Declared and paid during the year:
Final dividend for 2012 at 16.75p per share (2011: 14.75p)
Interim dividend for 2013 at 5.75p per share (2012: 5.75p)

Proposed for approval by shareholders at the AGM:
Final dividend for 2013 at 17.50p per share (2012: 16.75p)

Group

2013
£000

2012
£000

141,692
–

137,166
(374)

141,692

136,792

Group

2013

2012

363,172,810 361,915,111
3,404,455

2,016,025

365,188,835 365,319,566

Group

2013

2012

39.02p
–

37.90p

(0.10p)

39.02p

37.80p

38.80p
–

37.54p
(0.10p)

38.80p

37.44p

Company and Group
2012
£000

2013
£000

60,769

20,846

53,051

20,859

81,615

73,910

63,767

60,769

110  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

111

The final dividend for 2013 of 17.50 pence per share amounting to £63,767,000 was approved by the Board on 19 July 2013 
and has not been included as a liability at 31 May 2013. This dividend will be paid on 22 October 2013 to those members on 
the register at the close of business on 20 September 2013.

NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

14. PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT 

15. INTANGIBLE AssETs

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Group

Cost:
At 1 June 2011
Foreign currency adjustment
Additions
Written off

At 31 May 2012
Foreign currency adjustment
Additions
Written off

At 31 May 2013

Accumulated depreciation:
At 1 June 2011
Foreign currency adjustment
Provided during the year
Written off

At 31 May 2012
Foreign currency adjustment
Provided during the year
Written off

At 31 May 2013

Net book value – 31 May 2013

Net book value – 31 May 2012

Net book value – 1 June 2011

Leasehold 
improvements
£000

Office 
equipment, 
fixtures and 
fittings
£000

Computer 
and other 
equipment
£000

Total
£000

32,320
146
4,709
(2,481)

34,694
321
4,432
(1,549)

14,938
90
2,387
(1,693)

15,722
(118)
2,483
(116)

17,971

37,898

10,373
131
3,027
(1,693)

11,838
(181)
3,286
(116)

15,559
127
5,934
(2,481)

19,139
(211)
6,050
(1,549)

14,827

23,429

3,144

3,884

4,565

14,469

15,555

16,761

15,224
47
2,145
(732)

16,684
340
1,616
(1,188)

17,452

4,257
22
2,423
(732)

5,970
(52)
2,321
(1,188)

7,051

10,401

10,714

10,967

2,158
9
177
(56)

2,288
99
333
(245)

2,475

929
(26)
484
(56)

1,331
22
443
(245)

1,551

924

957

1,229

Group

Cost:
At 1 June 2011
Foreign currency adjustment
Additions
Written off

At 31 May 2012
Foreign currency adjustment
Additions
Written off

At 31 May 2013

Accumulated amortisation:
At 1 June 2011
Foreign currency adjustment
Provided during the year
Written off

At 31 May 2012
Foreign currency adjustment
Provided during the year
Written off

At 31 May 2013

Net book value – 31 May 2013

Net book value – 31 May 2012

Net book value – 1 June 2011

Client lists and 
customer
relationships
£000

Goodwill
£000

Trade 
and 
domain
names
£000

Development
costs
£000

Software
and licences
£000

235,638
37
–
–

235,675
(162)
–
–

235,513

128,210
–
–
–

128,210
–
–
–

128,210

107,303

107,465

107,428

65,519
(400)
–
(61,966)

3,153
(1,182)
–
–

1,097
122
–
–

1,219
(227)
3,966
(963)

1,971

3,995

63,985
(250)
972
(61,966)

2,741
(1,154)
369
–

1,956

15

412

1,534

1,097
122
–
–

1,219
(222)
97
(963)

131

3,864

–

–

2,499
58
1,649
–

4,206
(337)
3,386
–

7,255

60
–
595
–

655
(525)
1,765
–

1,895

5,360

3,551

2,439

Total
£000

316,468
(103)
3,037
(62,875)

256,527
(2,011)
11,261
(1,110)

11,715
80
1,388
(909)

12,274
(103)
3,909
(147)

15,933

264,667

5,914
72
3,259
(909)

8,336
(78)
3,885
(147)

199,266
(56)
4,826
(62,875)

141,161
(1,979)
6,116
(1,110)

11,996

144,188

3,937

120,479

3,938

115,366

5,801

117,202

Goodwill primarily relates to the purchase of IG Group plc by IG Group Holdings plc – detail is provided in note 17.  
The client list acquired with the business of Ideal CFDs (refer note 16(a)) is being amortised on a sum-of-digits basis over  
three years. 

Development costs are entirely internally generated intangible assets. Software and licenses relate entirely to external 
purchases. Domain names relate to the purchase of domain names to support the Group’s global rebrand project and 
include IG.com.

The expected useful lives of each class of intangible asset are set out in note 41 ‘Accounting Policies’.

16. INvEsTMENT IN sUBsIDIARIEs 
16(a) Acquisition of the client list and business of Ideal CFD Financial Services Pty Limited (Ideal)
In January 2013, the Group exercised the call option over the remaining 10% of IG Markets South Africa Limited (IGMSA) 
that transferred to the vendor of Ideal on completion of the original transaction. The amount paid of £1.3 million was based 
on a multiple of eight times average pro forma annual post-tax profits of IGMSA over the period from 1 September 2010 to 
30 November 2012. 

This had no impact on the goodwill associated with Ideal as the present value of the forecast redemption amount was 
recorded in the calculation of goodwill at the time of the original transaction. In total the consideration paid for IGMSA  
was £4.1 million. 

112  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

113

 
NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

16. INvEsTMENT IN sUBsIDIARIEs (CONTINUED) 
16(b) Parent company – investment in subsidiaries

At cost

At the beginning of the year
Additions(1)

At the end of the year

Company

2013
£000

2012
£000

438,128
21,849

433,078

5,050

459,977

438,128

(1)  Additions in the year ended 31 May 2013 comprise the investment relating to equity-settled share-based payments for subsidiary employees of £4,309,000  

(2012: £5,005,000) and the purchase of shares in the Company’s immediate subsidiary, IG Group Limited, of £17,540,000 (2012: £45,000)

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

Name of Company

Subsidiary undertakings held directly:
IG Group Limited
IG Jersey Cashbox Limited

Subsidiary undertakings held indirectly:
IG Index Limited
IG Markets Limited
extrabet Limited
IG Markets South Africa Limited
IG Australia Pty Limited
IG Asia Pte Limited
North American Derivatives Exchange Inc
IG Markets Securities Limited(3)
Market Data Limited
Market Risk Management Inc
IG Infotech (India) Private Limited
IG Nominees Limited
IG Knowhow Limited
IG Finance
IG Finance Two
IG Finance Three
IG Finance Four
IG Finance 5 Limited
IG Finance 6 Limited
IG Finance 7 Limited
IG Finance 8 Limited
IG Finance 9 Limited
Fox Sub Limited
Fox Sub Two Limited
Fox Japan Holdings(3)
IG US Holdings Inc
Market Data Japan KK
FXOnline Japan Co., Limited(3)

Country of 
incorporation

Holding

Voting rights

Nature of business

UK
Jersey

Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares

UK
UK
UK
UK
Australia
Singapore
US
Japan
UK
US
India
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar
US
Japan
Japan

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
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%(1)
100%

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

Holding company
Dormant

Spread betting
CFD trading and foreign exchange
Non-trading
CFD trading
Australia sales and marketing office
CFD trading and foreign exchange
Exchange
CFD trading and foreign exchange
Data distribution
Market maker
Software development
Nominee company
Software development
Financing
Financing
Financing
Financing
Financing
Financing
Financing
Financing
Financing
Financing
Financing
Holding company
Holding company
Holding company
Non-trading

(1)  IG Group Limited had preference shares in issue at 31 May 2012. These preference shares were redesignated as ordinary share capital during the year ended  

31 May 2013

(2)  The Group purchased the non-controlling interest during the year ended 31 May 2013 and now owns 100% of this Company (refer to note 16(a))
(3)  IG Markets Securities Limited, Fox Japan Holdings and FXOnline Japan Co., Limited have a year-end of 31 March

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Employee Benefit Trusts: 
IG Group Holdings plc Inland Revenue Approved Share Incentive Plan (UK Trust) 
IG Group Limited Employee Benefit Trust (Jersey Trust)

The following UK entities, all of which are 100% owned by the Group, are not subject to an audit by virtue of s479A of the 
Companies Act 2006 relating to subsidiary companies: IG Nominees Limited, IG Finance, IG Finance Two, IG Finance Three, 
IG Finance Four, IG Finance 5 Limited, IG Finance 6 Limited, IG Finance 7 Limited, IG Finance 8 Limited, IG Finance 9 Limited, 
and extrabet Limited.

17. IMPAIRMENT OF GOODWILL
17(a) Analysis of goodwill 
Goodwill has been allocated for impairment testing purposes to the cash-generating units (CGUs), as follows:

UK – Financial
Australia – Financial 
US – Nadex 
South Africa – Ideal CFDs

Group

2013
£000

100,012
934
4,998
1,359

2012
£000

100,012
934
4,931
1,588

107,303

107,465

Goodwill arising on the purchase of IG Group plc by IG Group Holdings plc on 5 September 2003 was previously allocated 
according to the profitability of the Financial and Sport CGUs at that date. Goodwill disclosed as Australia – Financial arose 
on the acquisition of the non-controlling interest in IG Australia in the year ended 31 May 2006. Goodwill arising on the 
acquisitions of each of Nadex and Ideal CFDs has been allocated to the separate US and South African CGUs respectively.

17(b) Impairments in the year ended 31 May 2013 
During the year ended 31 May 2013 there was no indication of an ‘impairment trigger’ existing on any of the CGUs. 

17(c) Impairment testing at period end 
The goodwill associated with the UK, Australian, US and South African CGUs has been subject to an impairment test at  
31 May 2013 as set out in the following disclosures.

Methodology utilised in the impairment testing 
For the purposes of impairment testing of goodwill, the carrying amount of each CGU 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 upon value-in-use calculated as the total of the present value of 
projected five-year future cash flows and a terminal value.

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
•	 The	discount	rate
•	 The	long-term	growth	rate	used	for	the	terminal	value	calculation	
•	 Client	recruitment	and	retention	rates
•	 Average	revenue	per	client

Projected future cash flows for each CGU were based upon the Board-approved budget for the year ending 31 May 2014 and 
forecasts to the year ending 31 May 2018 extrapolated from the budget. Cash flows beyond the year ending 31 May 2014 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 2012 year-end impairment review. The revenue growth rates assumed 
are consistent with the long-term growth rates of the Group’s businesses measured over a five-year period.

114  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

115

NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

17. IMPAIRMENT OF GOODWILL (CONTINUED) 
The cash flows for the US and South African CGUs were translated into sterling using year-end exchange rates.

18. TRADE RECEIvABLEs

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)
US

South Africa

2013
Discount 
rate

2012
Discount 
rate

2013
Years 4-5  
growth rate

2012
Years 4-5  
growth rate

11.5%
14.9%

16.2%

12.0%
15.3%

23.2%

4.0%
21.0%

10.0%

4.0%
32.0%

16.0%

2013

2012

g

2.2%
1.9%

4.9%

g

2.0%
2.0%

4.5%

Client recruitment and retention 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 UK and Australian CGUs represent approximately 50% and 15% of the Group’s net trading revenue and reported a 
segment operating profit, after the allocation of central costs, of £110.2 million and £36.6 million respectively for the year 
ended 31 May 2013 (refer to note 4, ‘Segment information’). The Board-approved budget for the year ending  
31 May 2014 and longer-term financial forecasts for both these CGUs forecast a similar level of performance to continue.  
As a result the recoverable amount of the UK and Australian CGUs is significantly in excess of the carrying value and 
accordingly the outcome of the impairment review is not considered to be sensitive to the assumptions used.

The South Africa CGU generated in the current financial year and is forecast to generate, in the Board-approved budget 
for the year ending 31 May 2014, a direct contribution that is more than sufficient to support the goodwill carrying value. 
Accordingly the outcome of the impairment review is not considered to be sensitive to the assumptions used. 

The US business and thus CGU is in the early stages of development and remains a long-term project for the Group. The 
Directors have therefore performed a sensitivity analysis around the assumptions used in the value-in-use calculation – 
should the use of the exchange platform not continue to provide economic benefits and Nadex client recruitment and 
retention not reach the levels required to generate sufficient profits within the five-year forecast period then the Directors 
would have to consider the carrying amount of the US CGU.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Group

2013
£000

283,940
15,003
1,693

2012
£000

206,997
12,920
2,425

300,636

222,342

Amounts due from brokers(1)
Other amounts due to the Group(2)
Amounts due from clients(3)

(1)  Amounts due from brokers represent balances with brokers where the combination of cash held on account and the valuation of financial derivative open positions 

results in an amount due to the Group. At 31 May 2013 the actual broker margin requirement was £245.7 million (2012: £196.0 million)

(2)  Other amounts due to the Group include balances that will be transferred to the Group’s own cash from segregated client funds on the following working day in 

accordance with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ‘CASS’ rules and similar rules of other regulators in whose jurisdiction the Group operates. At  
31 May 2013 this also includes amounts due from banking counterparties or held within segregated client funds in relation to monies transferred by clients to the 
Group that remain unsettled at the year-end. The Group is required to segregate these client funds at the point of client funding and not at cash settlement
(3)  Amounts due from clients arise when a client’s total funds deposited with the Group are insufficient to cover any trading losses incurred and are stated net of an 

allowance for impairment (refer to note 37) 

19. CAsH AND CAsH EQUIvALENTs 

Gross cash and cash equivalents(1)
Less: Segregated client funds(2)

Own cash and title transfer funds(3)

Group

Company

2013
£000

2012
£000

921,869
(823,524)

960,894
(732,738)

98,345

228,156

2013
£000

245
–

245

2012
£000

151
–

151

(1)  Gross cash and cash equivalents includes the Group’s own cash as well as all client monies held including both segregated client and title transfer funds
(2)  Segregated client funds comprise individual client funds held in segregated client money established under the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ‘CASS’ 
rules and similar rules of other regulators in whose jurisdiction the Group operates. Such monies are not included in the Group’s Statement of Financial Position

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

monies is unconditionally transferred to the Group (refer to note 23)

The Group’s total available liquidity including undrawn committed borrowing facilities is disclosed in note 20 to the  
Financial Statements.

116  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

117

NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

20. LIQUIDITY ANALYsIs AND RIsk MANAGEMENT 
The following section provides an analysis of the Group’s available liquidity, the liquidity requirements that result from the 
Group’s business model, and sets out the key measures used by the Group to monitor and manage the level of liquidity 
available to the Group. 

The key measures used by the Group are explained below:

Liquid assets: These are total liquid assets that the Group can access. These include cash held at bank (both own cash and 
title transfer funds) as well as at broker, the liquid assets buffer held by the Group and other cash amounts due to the Group. 

Own funds: These are liquid assets less title transfer funds. Title transfer funds are client monies held by the Group under a 
Title Transfer Collateral Arrangement (TTCA). 

Available liquid assets: Certain of the Group’s funds are not immediately available for the purposes of central market risk 
management as they are required to provide regulatory capital balances in regulated subsidiaries. Additionally the Group’s 
overseas businesses also require working capital balances to both fund daily operations and to ensure sufficient liquidity 
is available to fund the local client segregation requirements. Available liquid assets are therefore liquid assets less both 
amounts held in overseas subsidiaries and amounts due from segregation to the Group – each of which are not considered 
immediately available to the Group. 

Net available liquidity: This is the remaining liquidity available to the Group after the funding of the broker margin 
requirement associated with market risk management. 

Total available liquidity: This measure is the total of the Group’s liquid assets and the Group’s undrawn committed  
banking facilities. 

20(a) Liquid assets and own funds 
‘Liquid assets’ and ‘own funds’ are the key measures the Group uses to monitor the overall level of liquid assets available to 
the Group. The derivation of both liquid assets and own funds is shown in the following table:

Own cash and title transfer funds(1)
Amounts due from brokers(2)
Financial investments – liquid assets buffer(3)
Other amounts due to the Group(4)

Liquid assets

Analysed as: 
Own funds
Title transfer funds

Note

19
18
22
18

23

2013
£000

98,345
283,940
50,468
15,003

2012
£000

228,156
206,997
–
12,920

447,756

448,073

429,291
18,465

388,221
59,852

(1) Own cash and title transfer funds represent cash held on demand with financial institutions (refer to note 19)
(2)  Amounts due from brokers represent balances with brokers where the combination of cash held on account and the valuation of financial derivative open 
positions results in an amount due to the Group. These positions are held to hedge client market exposures in accordance with the Group’s market risk 
management (refer to note 37(a))

(3)  Financial investments represent UK Government Treasury Bills and Gilts held in accordance with the BIPRU 12 liquidity standards and the Group’s regulatory 

oversight by the FCA. This is the Group’s liquid assets buffer

(4)  Other amounts due to the Group include balances that will be transferred to the Group’s own cash from segregated client funds on the following working 

day in accordance with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ‘CASS’ rules and similar rules of other regulators in whose jurisdiction the Group operates. 
At 31 May 2013 this also includes amounts due from banking counterparties or held within segregated client funds in relation to monies transferred by  
clients to the Group that remain unsettled at the year-end. The Group is required to segregate these client funds at the point of client funding and not at 
cash settlement

The following notes have been provided in order to further explain the derivation of liquid assets and own funds. The 
generation of own funds from operations is disclosed in note 20(d).

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

20(b) The Group’s liquidity requirements 
The Group requires liquidity for each of: the full segregation of client monies; the funding of regulatory and working capital 
in overseas businesses; the funding of margin requirements at brokers to hedge the underlying client positions under both 
normal and stressed conditions; the funding of a liquid assets buffer; and amounts associated with general working capital. 

The available liquid assets measure excludes cash amounts tied up in both the requirement to segregate client funds and in 
regulatory and working capital of overseas businesses as they are not considered to be available for the purposes of central 
market risk management. 

These requirements are analysed in the following table:

 Liquid assets

L ess amounts required to ensure appropriate client money 
segregation – other amounts due to the Group(1)
L ess amounts required for regulatory and working capital of 
overseas businesses(2)

Note

20(a)

18

Available liquid assets

Less broker margin requirement(3)

Net available liquidity 

Of which held as a liquid assets buffer(4)

22

As at 31 May 2013 As at 31 May 2012
£000

£000

447,756

448,073

(15,003)

(12,920)

(32,542)

400,211

(245,689)

154,522

50,468

(21,064)

414,089

(195,954)

218,135

–

(1)  Refer to note 20(a) for details of the amounts included in this balance. These cash balances are not immediately available to the Group for the purposes of 

broker margin payments

(2)  The Group’s regulated subsidiaries in Singapore, Japan, South Africa and the US all have minimum cash holding requirements associated with their 

respective regulatory capital requirements. Additionally the Group’s regulated business or subsidiaries in Australia, Singapore, Japan, South Africa and the 
US are required to segregate individual client funds in segregated client money bank accounts. This daily segregation requirement occurs prior to the release 
of funds from the UK (note: market risk management is performed centrally for the Group in the UK) in relation to the associated hedging positions held at 
external brokers. Accordingly cash balances are held in each of the overseas businesses in order to ensure client money segregation obligations are met. 
These regulatory or working capital cash balances are not available to the Group for the purposes of market risk management

(3)  Positions are held with external brokers in order to hedge client market risk exposures in accordance with the Group’s market risk management policies 

(please refer to note 37)

(4)  The liquid assets buffer is not available to the Group in the ordinary course of business, however utilisation is allowed in times of liquidity stress and therefore 

it is considered as available for the purposes of overall liquidity planning

The reduction in net available liquidity from £218.1 million at 31 May 2012 to £154.5 million at 31 May 2013 primarily results 
from a £49.7 million increase in the year-end broker margin requirement. At 31 May 2013 £50.5 million of the net available 
liquidity is held in a liquid assets buffer in accordance with BIPRU 12. 

The following notes have been provided in order to further explain the derivation of available liquid assets and net  
available liquidity.

118  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

119

 
 
NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

20. LIQUIDITY ANALYsIs AND RIsk MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) 
20(c) Liquidity management and 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 has carried out an Individual Liquidity Adequacy Assessment (‘ILAA’) 
during the year, and while this applies specifically to the Group’s FCA regulated entities, it provides the context in which 
liquidity is managed on a continuous basis for the whole Group.

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 all individual client funds are required to 
be placed in segregated client money accounts. A result of this policy is that short-term (less than one week) liquidity ‘gaps’ 
can potentially arise in periods of very high client activity or significant increases or falls in global financial market levels. 

During periods of significant market falls the Group will be required to fund margin payments to brokers prior to the release 
of funds from segregation, and in periods of significant market increases or increased client activity the Group will be 
required to fund higher margin requirements at brokers to hedge increased underlying client positions. These additional 
requirements are funded from the Group’s liquidity available for market risk management while these individual client 
positions are open, as individual client funds remain in segregated client money bank accounts.

In order to mitigate this and other liquidity risks, the Group regularly stress tests its three-year liquidity forecast to validate 
the appropriate level of committed unsecured bank facilities held. At the year-end, these amounted to £180.0 million  
(2012: £180.0 million). These facilities were drawn to a maximum of £25.0 million for a period of 22 days in April 2013 where 
the broker margin requirement reached a level of £294.7 million and the Group held a liquid assets buffer of £50.5 million. 
Other than for testing purposes these facilities were not drawn upon during the prior financial year. As well as the three-year 
liquidity forecast, the Group also produces more detailed short-term liquidity forecasts and detailed stress tests such that 
appropriate management actions or liquidity facility drawdown can occur prior to a period of liquidity stress. 

Additionally the Group’s Japanese business, IG Markets Securities Limited, has a Yen 300 million (£2.5 million) liquidity facility 
as at 31 May 2013 (2012: Yen 300 million (£2.5 million)).

Please refer to section (e) of this note for details of the subsequent events with regards to the liquid assets buffer and the 
liquidity facility.

A number of measures are used by the Group for managing liquidity risk, one of which is the level of total available  
liquidity. For this purpose total liquid resources are calculated as set out in the following table inclusive of undrawn 
committed facilities:

Liquid assets
Undrawn committed banking facilities(1)

Total available liquidity (including facilities)(2)

2013
£000

2012
£000

447,756
180,000

448,073

180,000

627,756

628,073

(1)  Drawdown of the committed banking facilities is capped at 80% of the actual broker margin requirement on the drawdown date. Available drawdown was 

£180.0 million and £156.8 million at 31 May 2013 and 31 May 2012 respectively based on the broker margin requirements on those dates

(2)  Stated inclusive of the liquid assets buffer of £50.5 million (2012: nil) that is held by the Group in satisfaction of the FCA requirements to hold a ‘liquid 

asset buffer’ against potential liquidity stress under BIPRU 12. Utilisation of the liquid assets buffer is allowed in times of liquidity stress and therefore it is 
considered as available for the purposes of overall liquidity planning

The Group’s total available liquidity enables the funding of large broker margin requirements when required – the level of 
available liquid assets that can be utilised for market risk management at 31 May 2013 should be considered in light of the 
intra-year high broker margin requirement of £297.5 million (2012: £277.1 million), the requirement to hold a liquid assets 
buffer, the continued growth of the business, the Group’s commitment to segregation of individual clients money as well as 
the final proposed dividend for the year ending 31 May 2013, all of which draw upon the Group’s liquidity. 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

20(d) Own funds generated from operations 
The following cash flow statement summarises the Group’s generation of own funds during the year and excludes all cash 
flows in relation to monies held on behalf of clients. Additionally both amounts due from brokers and the liquid assets buffer 
have been treated as ‘cash equivalents’ and included within ‘own funds’ in order to provide a clear presentation of the 
Group’s available cash resources. The derivation of own funds is explained in note 20(a). A narrative explanation of the key 
cash flows disclosed in the following cash flow statement is provided within the Operating and Financial Review: 

Operating activities
Profit before tax
Depreciation and amortisation
Other non-cash adjustments 
Income taxes paid

Own funds generated from operations
Movement in working capital 

Inflow / (outflow) from investing activities
Interest received
Purchase of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets
Purchase of non-controlling interests

(Outflow) / inflow from financing activities
Interest paid
Equity dividends paid to equity holders of the parent
Other outflow from financing activities

Total outflow from investing and financing activities

Increase in own funds

Own funds at 1 June
Exchange losses on own funds

Own funds at 31 May

2013
£000

2012
£000

192,208
12,166
4,247
(53,247)

155,374
(13,081)

2,172
(16,762)
(1,319)

(3,175)
(81,615)
(33)

185,329(1)
10,760
2,140
(57,554)

140,675
21,906

2,004
(9,141)
–

(2,013)
(73,910)
(264)

(100,732)

(83,324)

41,561

79,257

388,221
(491)

309,228
(264)

429,291

388,221

(1)  Profit before tax is stated inclusive of discontinued operations in the year ended 31 May 2012 for the purposes of the cash flow statement

20(e) Subsequent events 
Subsequent to the year-end, in accordance with the phased transfer agreed with the FCA for the Group to hold a liquid 
assets buffer of up to £100.0 million by August 2013, the Group has purchased £32.3 million of additional BIPRU 12 qualifying 
assets (please refer to note 39 for further details). Following this purchase the Group now holds £83.1 million of BIPRU 12 
qualifying assets within the liquid assets buffer. 

Further, the Group has on 19 July 2013 completed the renegotiation of the liquidity facilities with a syndicate of three banks. 
In doing so the Group has increased the size of the overall facility to £200.0 million and established a longer-term liquidity 
funding arrangement. Of the total facility £120.0 million is available for a period of one year and £80.0 million is available for 
three years respectively from the facility signing date. Please refer to note 39. 

A final dividend of 17.50 pence per share amounting to £63,767,000 was approved by the Board on 19 July 2013. 

In the Directors’ opinion the Group has sufficient liquidity available to meet operational requirements under both normal 
and stressed conditions. Liquidity management is also dependent on credit risk management previously described.

120  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

121

NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

21. CAsH GENERATED FROM OPERATIONs 

24. OTHER PAYABLEs

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Operating activities

Group

Company

2013
£000

2012
£000

2013
£000

2012
£000

Note

Operating profit / (loss)
Adjustments to reconcile operating profit to net cash generated from operating activities:

191,928

185,126

(3,122)

(1,018)

Net interest income on segregated client funds
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment
Amortisation of intangible assets 
Non-cash foreign exchange gains in operating profit
Share-based payments
Recovery of trade receivables
(Increase) / decrease in trade and other receivables
(Decrease) / increase in trade and other payables
Decrease in provisions
Other non-cash items

14
15

(8,188)
6,050
6,116
(2,399)
4,309
1,043
(79,415)
(52,228)
(202)
(612)

(10,252)
5,934
4,826
(2,190)
5,005
2,563
42,274
2,572
(714)
(228)

–
–
–
–
4,309
–
84,801
(3,641)
–
–

–
–
–
–
–
–
50,088
26,864
–
(565)

Cash generated from operations

66,402

234,916

82,347

75,369

(1)  The operating profit disclosed for the year ending 31 May 2012 is stated inclusive of discontinued operations. Cash flows from discontinued operations are 

disclosed in note 11 to the financial statements

22. FINANCIAL INvEsTMENTs

UK Government securities

Group

2013
£000

50,468

2012
£000

–

The UK Government securities are held by the Group in satisfaction of the FCA requirements to hold a ‘liquid asset buffer’ 
against potential liquidity stress under BIPRU 12.

All financial investments are shown as current assets as they have a maturity of less than one year and are held as ‘available-
for-sale’. The fair value of securities held is based on closing market prices at the year-end as published by the UK Debt 
Management Office.

23. TRADE PAYABLEs

Amounts due to title transfer clients
Other trade payables

Group

2013
£000

18,465
582

2012
£000

59,852

1,224

19,047

61,076

Accruals
Other taxes and social security
Amounts due to Group companies (note 35(b))
Dividends on redeemable preference shares

Included within accruals are amounts in relation to employee bonuses. 

25. PROvIsIONs

At the beginning of the year
Income statement charge
Utilised in the year
Released in the year

At the end of the year
Current

Total

Group

Company

2013
£000

51,534
2,244
–
3

2012
£000

62,652
2,160
–
3

2013
£000

6,164
–
26,293
3

2012
£000

6,212
–
26,759
3

53,781

64,815

32,460

32,974

Group

2013
£000

1,353
–
(1,353)
–

–
–

–

2012
£000

3,418
126
(1,408)

(783)

1,353
1,353

1,353

During the prior year agreement was reached with the lessor, for the early surrender of the lease of the Group’s previous 
London headquarters. The provision was settled in full in the year ended 31 May 2013. 

26. LITIGATION 
On 27 March 2013, the High Court dismissed the claim against IG Markets Limited, which dated from late 2010, in relation to 
the insolvency of Echelon Wealth Management Limited, a former client of IG Markets Limited. No provision had been made 
in the Group statement of financial position as at 31 May 2012.

Subsequently the plaintiffs chose not to appeal and have paid a substantial contribution to the legal costs incurred by the 
Group as disclosed in note 5.

27. REDEEMABLE PREFERENCE sHAREs

Allotted, called up and fully paid:

40,000 preference shares of £1 each

Company and Group
2012
£000

2013
£000

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% (2012: 8%).

122  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

123

 
 
NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

28. sHARE CAPITAL

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

At 1 June 2011
Issued during the year 

At 31 May 2012
Issued during the year 

At 31 May 2013

(ii) B shares (0.001p)

At 31 May 2012 and 31 May 2013

Number of 
shares

Ordinary 
share 
capital
£000

Share 
premium 
account
£000

362,233,554
1,081,469

363,315,023
1,579,901

364,894,924

65,000

18
–

18
–

18

–

206,246
45

206,291
467

206,758

–

During the year ended 31 May 2013 1,579,901 (2012: 1,081,469) ordinary shares with an aggregate nominal value of  
£79 (2012: £54) were issued following the exercise of Long-Term Incentive Plan awards for a consideration of £467,000  
(2012: £45,000). 

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. 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

29. 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:

1,207,619 (2012: 1,143,616) ordinary shares of 0.005p each

Purchased during the year:
97,075 (2012: 67,047) ordinary shares of 0.005p each

Exercised / re-allocated during the year:
81,283 (2012: 3,044) ordinary shares of 0.005p each

At the end of the year:
1,223,411 (2012: 1,207,619) ordinary shares of 0.005p each

Company and Group
2012
£000

2013
£000

1,508

1,223

441

298

(493)

(13)

1,456

1,508

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 2013, 559,762 ordinary shares  
(2012: 519,570) were held in the trust and at the year-end have reduced shareholders’ equity by £3,241,022 (2012: £2,126,392). 
These include 252,580 ordinary shares (2012: 237,530) which were not allocated to employees and are available for future SIP 
awards. The market value of the shares held conditionally at the year-end was £1,462,438 (2012: £972,115).

The Group has a Jersey resident Employee Benefit Trust which holds shares in the Company. At 31 May 2013, the trust held 
512,075 (2012: 512,075) ordinary shares which are available to satisfy awards under the SIP and value-sharing plan schemes. 
The shares held at the year-end have reduced shareholders’ equity by £26 (2012: £26). The market value of the shares held 
conditionally at the year-end was £2,964,914 (2012: £2,221,797).

The Group has an Australian resident Employee Equity Plan Trust in order to hold shares in the Company in respect of 
awards under a SIP. At 31 May 2013, 12,412 ordinary shares (2012: 7,907) were held in the trust and at the year-end have 
reduced shareholders’ equity by £71,865 (2012: £59,424). These include nil ordinary shares (2012: nil) which were not 
allocated to employees and are available for future SIP awards. The market value of the shares held conditionally at the  
year-end was nil (2012: nil).

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 and 
16,941 B shares respectively. During the year ended 31 May 2013, 237 (2012: nil) B shares were sold by B shareholders to the 
Trust. The Trust sold 28,905 (2012: nil) ordinary shares in order to realise the funds necessary to purchase these B shares. The 
Trust unconditionally held 63,859 (2012: 63,622) B shares at the year-end. The Trust also held 1,141 (2012: 1,378) B shares and 
139,162 (2012: 168,067) ordinary shares which it may sell in order to satisfy its obligations to B shareholders, all of whom are 
current or former employees.

124  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

125

NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

30. OTHER REsERvEs
The share-based payments 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 taxation. The foreign currency translation reserve includes amounts 
in relation to the translation of overseas subsidiaries. The available-for-sale reserve includes unrealised gains or losses in 
respect of financial investments.

Share-
based
payments
£000
(note 31)

Foreign
currency
translation
£000

Own shares
held in
Employee
Benefit
Trusts
£000
(note 29)

Other
reserves
£000

Available-for-
sale reserve
£000

Total other
reserves
£000

Group

At 1 June 2011
Equity-settled employee share-based payments
Excess of tax deduction benefit on share-based payments

recognised directly in equity (note 10)

Foreign currency translation on overseas subsidiaries
Exercise of Australian share incentive plans
Exercise of US share incentive plans
Purchase of own shares

At 31 May 2012
Equity-settled employee share-based payments
Excess of tax deduction benefit on share-based payments

recognised directly in equity (note 10)

Foreign currency translation on overseas subsidiaries
Exercise of Australian share incentive plans
Exercise of US share incentive plans
Exercise of UK share incentive plans
Purchase of own shares
Acquisition of non-controlling interest
Loss on financial investments

24,596
5,005

59,102
–

(1,223)
–

(2,302)
–

(101)

–
(13)
(10)
–

–

774
–
–
–

–

–
13
–
(298)

–

–
–
–
–

29,477
4,309

59,876
–

(1,508)
–

(2,302)
–

13
–
(5)
(20)
(488)
–
–
–

–
(4,575)
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
5
–
488
(441)
–
–

–
–
–
–
–
–
199
–

At 31 May 2013

33,286

55,301

(1,456)

(2,103)

–
–

–
–
–
–

–
–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
(38)

(38)

80,173
5,005

(101)

774
–
(10)
(298)

85,543
4,309

13
(4,575)
–
(20)
–
(441)
199
(38)

84,990

Company

At 1 June 2011
Equity-settled employee share-based payments

Exercise of Australian share incentive plans
Exercise of US share incentive plans
Purchase of own shares

At 31 May 2012
Equity-settled employee share-based payments

Exercise of Australian share incentive plans
Exercise of US share incentive plans
Exercise of UK share incentive plans
Purchase of own shares

Own shares
held in
Employee
Benefit
Trusts
£000
(note 29)

Share-
based
payments
£000
(note 31)

Total other
reserves
£000

20,122
5,005

(13)
(10)
–

25,104
4,309
(5)
(20)
(488)
–

(1,223)
–

13
–
(298)

(1,508)
–
5
–
488
(441)

18,899
5,005

–
(10)
(298)

23,596
4,309
–
(20)
–
(441)

At 31 May 2013

28,900

(1,456)

27,444

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

31. EMPLOYEE sHARE PLANs
The Company operates three employee share plans; a Share Incentive Plan (SIP), a value-sharing plan (VSP) and a Long-Term 
Incentive Plan (LTIP) all of which are equity-settled. The final awards made under the LTIP vested on 25 September 2012. The 
expense recognised in the income statement in respect of share-based payments was £4,414,000 (2012: £5,005,000).

Share Incentive Plan (SIP)  
SIP awards are made available to all UK, Australian and US employees. The Executive Committee has responsibility for 
setting the terms of the award which are then approved by the Remuneration Committee.

The UK and Australian awards invite all employees to subscribe for up to £1,500 / A$3,000 of partnership shares, with the 
Company matching on a one-for-one basis. All matching shares vest after three years as long as the employee remains 
employed with the Group for the term of the award. Shares awarded under the scheme are held in trust in accordance  
with local tax authority rules. Employees are entitled to receive dividends on the shares held in trust for as long as they 
remain employees. 

The US award invites employees to invest a maximum of 5% of their salary bi-annually to the award. The award runs for a 
six-month period and at the end of this period, the employees are invited to purchase shares in IG Group Holdings plc at a 
discount of 15% to the scheme price, being the lower of the opening share price and the closing share price for the period.

The maximum number of SIP shares that vest based on the awards made are:

Share 
price at 
award

Expected 
vesting date

At the 
start of 
the year
Number

Awarded 
during the year

Lapsed 
during 
the year
Number Number

Exercised 
during the year
Number

At the end 
of the year
Number

288.00p
367.42p
483.85p

489.90p
443.74p
444.77p
456.00p
432.02p

22 Jul 2012
9 Feb 2013
21 Jul 2013

5 Aug 2013
28 Jul 2014
1 Aug 2014
27 Jul 2015
22 Aug 2015

42,846
3,377
50,155

3,751
60,509
4,510
–
–

–
–
–

–
–
–
90,939
6,136

(521)
–
(4,959)

(354)
(6,417)
–
(6,129)
(472)

(42,325)
(3,377)
(2,480)

(354)
(2,748)
(451)
(3,284)
–

–
–
42,716

3,043
51,344
4,059
81,526
5,664

Award date

22 Jul 2009
9 Feb 2010
21 Jul 2010

5 Aug 2010
28 Jul 2011
1 Aug 2011
27 Jul 2012
22 Aug 2012

165,148

97,075

(18,852)

(55,019)

188,352

Country of award

UK
Australia
UK

Australia
UK
Australia
UK
Australia

Total

Of the above SIP awards exercised during the year ending 31 May 2013, the average exercise price was: 

Country of award 
UK 
Australia 
UK 
Australia 
UK 
Australia 
UK 

Award date 
441.20p 
22 Jul 2009 
491.90p 
9 Feb 2010 
460.49p 
21 Jul 2010 
449.70p 
5 Aug 2010 
469.27p 
28 Jul 2011 
457.80p 
1 Aug 2011 
27 July 2012  456.32p

Value-sharing plan (VSP)  
The VSP award was introduced during the year ended 31 May 2011 to replace the LTIP award. VSP awards are conditional 
awards made available to Executive Directors and other senior staff. The Remuneration Committee has responsibility for 
agreeing any awards under the plan and for setting the policy for the operation of the plan, including agreeing performance 
targets and which employees should be invited to participate. Participants do not pay to receive awards or to receive release 
of shares. The VSP performance targets vest after three years with a pre-defined number of shares allocated, for each 
£10.0 million of surplus shareholder value created over the three-year period above a hurdle. Half of the shares vest after 
three years and can be exercised at that date, with the remaining half being deferred for a further year, conditional upon 
continued employment at the vesting date. The VSP is based upon two performance conditions, Total Shareholder Return 
(TSR) and profit before taxation.

126  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

127

NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

31. EMPLOYEE sHARE PLANs (CONTINUED)
The maximum number of VSP shares that vest based on the awards made are:

Award date

29 Oct 2010
29 Oct 2010
20 July 2011

20 July 2011
1 Aug 2012
1 Aug 2012

Total

Awarded 
during the year
Number

Lapsed 
during the 
year
Number

Exercised 
during the year
Number

At the end 
of the year
Number

Share 
price at 
award

Expected 
vesting date

528.50p
528.50p
450.00p

450.00p
449.70p
449.70p

22 Oct 2013
22 Oct 2014
31 Jul 2014

31 Jul 2015
31 Jul 2015
31 Jul 2016

At the 
start of 
the year
Number

2,052,754
2,052,812
3,387,935

3,387,918
–
–

–
–
–

–
3,829,060
3,829,095

(220,755)
(244,372)
(323,494)

(347,166)
(65,454)
(65,454)

10,881,419

7,658,155

(1,266,695)

–

–
–
–
–
–

–

1,831,999
1,808,440
3,064,441

3,040,752
3,763,606
3,763,641

17,272,879

Further information on the Group’s VSP awards are given in the Directors’ Remuneration Report.

Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP)  
LTIP awards were made available to Executive Directors and other senior staff in the years ended 31 May 2005 to 31 May 2010 
which were then replaced by the VSP award. 

LTIP awards allowed the award of nil cost or nominal cost shares which were legally classified as options and vested when 
specific performance targets were achieved, conditional upon continued employment at the vesting date. For each award 
a minimum performance target has to be achieved before any shares vest and the awards vest fully once the maximum 
performance target is achieved. 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Fair value of equity-settled awards  
The fair value of the 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 £18,365,223 (2012: £19,025,911). 

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 VSP awards made under the growth in profit before tax criteria, the fair value is determined to be the share price at the 
date of grant after a deduction for the expected present value of future dividends, over the vesting period. For VSP awards 
made under the Total Shareholder Return (TSR) criteria, fair value is calculated using a Monte-Carlo pricing model. Please 
refer to the Director’s Remuneration Report for more information.

The inputs below were used to determine the fair value of the VSP award issued on 1 August 2012:

Share price at grant date (pence)
Three-month average market capitalisation at award date (£bn)
Expected life of awards (years)
Risk-free sterling interest rate (%)
IG expected volatility (%)(1)
Benchmark index expected volatility (%)
Expected dividend yield (%)(2)

449.70
1.636
2.75
0.13
29
25
4.6

(1) Based on historical TSR volatility of IG Group Holdings plc measured daily over a period prior to the date of grant and commensurate with the remaining  

performance period

(2)  Based on historical TSR volatility of the FTSE 350 Financial Services Index measured daily over a period prior to the date of grant and commensurate with the 

remaining performance period

The maximum number of LTIP awards that can be exercised are: 

The weighted average fair values per award granted are as follows:

Award date

4 Oct 2006
23 Jul 2007
14 Aug 2007

30 Sep 2008
25 Sep 2009

Total

Share 
price at 
award

Expected 
vesting date

261.75p
312.25p
311.00p

313.75p
318.80p

4 Oct 2009
23 Jul 2010
14 Aug 2010

30 Sep 2011
25 Sep 2012

At the 
start of 
the year
Number

32,639
210,684
14,700

90,886
3,182,417

3,531,326

Awarded 
during the year
Number

Lapsed 
during the 
year
Number

Exercised 
during the year
Number

At the end 
of the year
Number

–
–
–

–
–

–

–
–
–

–
(1,247,553)

–
(13,096)
–

(10,348)
(1,556,462)

32,639
197,588
14,700

80,538
378,402

(1,247,553)

(1,579,906)

703,867

Of the above LTIP awards exercised during the year ending 31 May 2013, the average exercise price was: 

Award date 
23 Jul 2007 
30 Sept 2008 
25 Sept 2009 

Average exercise price 
585.90p 
439.55p 
455.00p

Year ended 31 May 2013

Year ended 31 May 2012

At the 
beginning 
of the year

Awarded 
during the year

Lapsed 
during 
the year

Exercised 
during the year

At the end 
of the year

279.09p

266.29p

238.61p

290.50p

192.01p

267.13p

263.86p

188.44p

217.70p

279.09p

32. CAPITAL COMMITMENTs
Capital expenditure contracted for at the year-end but not yet incurred is as follows:

Property, plant and equipment
Intangible assets 

Group

2013
£000

189
162

351

2012
£000

470

603

1,073

128  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

129

 
NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

33. OBLIGATIONs UNDER LEAsEs 
Operating lease agreements  
The Group and Company have entered into commercial leases on certain properties. Future minimum rentals payable under 
non-cancellable operating leases are as follows:

35(b) Company 
The Company pays for certain expenses incurred by subsidiaries and received preference dividends from IG Group Limited 
of £41.2 million (2012: £128.9 million). In the year ending 31 May 2013, post the receipt of the dividend, the preference shares 
held in IG Group Limited were redesignated as ordinary shares. 

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

2013
£000

2012
£000 

4,419
15,547
19,626

2,712
12,917
20,829

39,592

36,458

2013
£000

2012
£000 

2,242
9,472
16,033

512
8,949
17,626

27,747

27,087

34. TRANsACTIONs WITH DIRECTORs 
The Group had no transactions with its Directors other than those disclosed in the Directors’ Remuneration Report.

35. RELATED PARTY TRANsACTIONs 
35(a) Group 
There were no related party transactions during the current or prior year. 

The Directors are considered to be the key management personnel of the Group in accordance with IAS 24. The Directors’ 
Remuneration Report 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

2013
£000

2,558(1)
175(1)
1,346

4,079

2012
£000 

4,229
185
1,689

6,103

(1) Includes £140,000 and £21,000 respectively for loss of office for A R MacKay (2012: £nil). For further information refer to the ‘Directors’ Remuneration Report’

The Company had the following amounts outstanding with subsidiaries at the year-end:

Loans to related parties
Loans from related parties

2013
£000

2012
£000 

163,576
26,293

144,190
26,759

All amounts remain outstanding at the year-end and are repayable on demand. A number of intercompany amounts were 
subject to offset arrangements during the year.

36. FINANCIAL INsTRUMENTs
Accounting classifications and fair values – Group 
The table overleaf 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 (note 19).

‘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 Group 
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. 

‘Trade payables – due to clients’ represent balances where the combination of client cash held on account and the valuation 
of financial derivative open positions results in an amount payable by the Group. ‘Trade payables – due to clients’ are 
reported net in the Group Statement of Financial Position as the Group adjusts the gross amount payable to clients (ie 
monies held on behalf of clients) for profits or losses incurred on a daily basis consistent with the legal right and intention to 
settle on a net basis.

‘Redeemable preference shares’ are disclosed in note 27.

‘Financial investments’ represent UK government securities held by the Group in satisfaction of the FCA requirements to 
hold a Liquid Assets Buffer against potential liquidity stresses (see note 22).

130  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

131

NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

36. FINANCIAL INsTRUMENTs (CONTINUED)
The Group’s financial instruments are classified as follows:  

Financial instrument valuation hierarchy 
The hierarchy of the Group’s financial instruments carried at fair value is as follows:

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Group

As at 31 May 2013
Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Financial investments

Trade receivables – due from brokers
Non-exchange traded instruments
Exchange-traded instruments

Total trade receivables – due from brokers
Trade receivables – due from clients
Trade receivables – other amounts due from clients

Financial liabilities
Trade payables – due to title transfer clients
Redeemable preference shares

Group

As at 31 May 2012
Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Financial investments

Trade receivables – due from brokers
Non-exchange traded instruments
Exchange-traded instruments

Total trade receivables – due from brokers
Trade receivables – due from clients
Trade receivables – other amounts due from clients

Financial liabilities
Trade payables – due to title transfer clients
Redeemable preference shares

FVTPL – 
held for 
trading
£000

Loans and 
receivables
£000

Other 
amortised cost
£000

Available-
for-sale
£000

Total carrying 

amount Fair value
£000

£000

–
–

98,345
–

(1,071)
(826)

(1,897)
–
–

95,579
190,258

285,837
1,693
15,003

(1,897)

400,878

–
–

–
–

–
–
–

–

–
50,468

98,345
50,468

98,345
50,468

–
–

–
–
–

94,508
189,432

283,940
1,693
15,003

94,508
189,432

 283,940
1,693
15,003

50,468

449,449

449,449

–
–

–

–
–

–

18,465
40

18,505

–
–

–

18,465
40

18,465
40

18,505

18,505

FVTPL – 
held for 
trading
£000

Loans and 
receivables
£000

Other 
amortised cost
£000

Available-
for-sale
£000

Total carrying 

amount Fair value
£000

£000

–
–

228,156
–

(6,244)
(4,599)

(10,843)
–
–

175,710
42,130

217,840
2,425
12,920

(10,843)

461,341

–
–

–
–

–
–
–

–

–
–

–

–
–

–

59,852
40

59,892

–
–

–
–

–
–
–

–

–
–

–

228,156
–

228,156
–

169,466
37,531

206,997
2,425
12,920

169,466
37,531

206,997
2,425
12,920

450,498

450,498

59,852
40

59,852
40

59,892

59,892

Group

As at 31 May 2013
Financial assets

Trade receivables – due from brokers
Financial investments

Level 1(1)
£000

Level 2(2)
£000 

Level 3(3) Total fair value
£000 

£000

(826)
50,468

(1,071)
–

–
–

(1,897)
–

(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

(3)  Valued using techniques that incorporate information other than observable market data that is significant to the overall valuation

There have been no changes in the valuation techniques for any of the Group’s financial instruments held at fair value in 
the year. During the year ended 31 May 2013, there were no transfers (2012: none) between Level 1 and Level 2 fair value 
measurements, and no transfers into or out of Level 3 fair value measurements. 

Group

As at 31 May 2012
Financial assets

Level 1
£000

Level 2
£000 

Level 3 Total fair value
£000 

£000

Trade receivables – due from brokers

(4,599)

(6,244)

–

(10,843)

Reconciliation of the movement in Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy 

Group

Financial liabilities
Trade payables – due to clients

At 1 June 
2012
£000

Gains or losses 
in revenue(1)
£000

Cash settled 
positions(2)
£000 

Transfers
£000

At 31 May 
2013(3)
£000 

–

20,984

(20,984)

–

–

(1)  Disclosed in trading revenue in the income statement. This represents client positions that have closed in the period as well as those open at the period end
(2)  Value of client positions that have cash settled in the period
(3)  Value of open, unsettled 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.  

Group

Financial liabilities
Trade payables – due to clients

At 1 June 
2011
£000

Gains or losses 
in revenue(1)
£000

Cash settled 
positions(2)
£000 

Transfers
£000

At 31 May 
2012(3)
£000 

–

18,077

(18,077)

–

–

(1)  Disclosed in trading revenue in the income statement. This represents client positions that have closed in the period as well as those open at the period end
(2)  Value of client positions that have cash settled in the period
(3)  Value of open, unsettled client positions at the period end disclosed in trading revenue in the income statement 

Accounting classifications and fair values – Company 
As at 31 May 2013, the Company held cash and cash equivalents of £245,000 (2012: £151,000) classified as ‘loans and 
receivables’ and redeemable preference shares of £40,000 (2012: £40,000) classified as ‘other amortised cost’.

Items of income, expense, gains or losses – Group 
Gains and losses arising from financial assets and liabilities classified as ‘fair value through the profit and loss, held for 
trading’ amounted to net gains of £361,857,000 (2012: £366,971,000).

132  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

133

NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

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 with reference to the liquidity and volatility 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 monitor its market exposure against these limits 
continuously. If exposures exceed these limits, the policy 
requires that 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 reduces the Group’s net market exposure prior 
to the Group hedging any residual net client exposures. 

Where the Group has residual 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.

Binary bets and options 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 Group aims 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 contracts 
means that risk on these markets at any point in time is not 
considered to be significant.

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.

36. FINANCIAL INsTRUMENTs 
(CONTINUED) 
Finance income (refer to note 8) totalled £2,036,000  
(2012: £2,487,000). An amount of £1,994,000  
(2012: £2,181,000) 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 
broker, and interest receivable calculated using the 
Effective Interest Rate methodology. 

Finance costs (refer to note 9) totalled £1,756,000  
(2012: £2,283,000). An amount of £283,000 represents 
interest expense on financial liabilities not at fair value 
through profit or loss (2012: £969,000). The remainder, 
£1,473,000 (2012: £1,314,000), represents fee expense 
arising from maintaining the Group’s committed  
bank facilities. 

37. FINANCIAL RIsk MANAGEMENT
Responsibility for risk management, including financial 
risks, resides at all levels within the Group, starting with the 
Board of Directors. Our Corporate Governance structure, 
including details of how the Board delegates responsibility 
for internal control and risk management to our Audit and 
Risk committees, is described in detail in the Corporate 
Governance section of the Annual Report. 

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.

Financial risks arising from financial instruments are 
analysed into market, credit, concentration and liquidity 
risks, and these are discussed below.

37(a) 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 under the ‘Market 
Risk Policy’ 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 utilises market position limits for ‘operational 
efficiency’ and does not take proprietary positions based 
on an expectation of market movements. As a result not all 
net client exposures are hedged and the Group may have a 
residual net position in any of the financial markets in which 
it offers products up to the market risk limit. 

134  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

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 was £16,459,000 (2012: £16,535,000), against an exposure limit of £16,500,000  
(2012: £16,500,000) and an average equity exposure limit for the year of £16,500,000 (2012: £16,500,000). As noted earlier 
in this section the Group’s market risk policy requires that when the exposure exceeds the exposure limit hedging is 
undertaken to bring the exposure back within that limit as soon as is practical. 

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 net trading revenue and equity is not significant, being less than the Group’s average daily net trading revenue 
from financial instruments (2013: £1,386,000; 2012: £1,401,000). Changes in market risk variables have no direct impact on the 
Group’s equity as the Group has no financial instruments designated in hedging relationships. 

Other market price risk 
The Group also has market price risk as a 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. 

The exposure to interest rate derivatives and commodities at the year-end are as follows:

Interest rate derivatives
Commodities

2013
£000

(2,492)
(6,177)

2012
£000 

11,278
6,717

No sensitivity analysis is presented for other market price risk as the impact of reasonably possible market movements on 
the Group’s net trading revenue is 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.

Foreign currency risk 
The Group is exposed to two sources of foreign currency risk.

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(b). The Group does not hedge translational exposures as they do not have a 
significant impact on the Group’s capital resources. 

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.

135

 
NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

37. FINANCIAL RIsk MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED)
37(a) Market risk (continued)  
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

2013
£000

577
3,026
(1,799)
231
(6,290)

2012
£000 

2,773
(8,037)
(5,348)
39
4,046

No sensitivity analysis is presented for foreign exchange risk as the impact of reasonably possible market movements on the 
Group’s net trading 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.

Non-trading interest rate risk 
The Group also has interest rate risk relating to financial instruments not held at fair value through profit or 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%)
Financial investments

Floating rate
Cash and cash equivalents
Trade receivables – due from brokers
Trade payables – amounts due to clients

Within 1 year

2013
£000

2012
£000

More than 5 years
2012
2013
£000
£000

Total

2013
£000

2012
£000

–
50,468

–
–

98,345
283,940
(18,465)

228,156
206,997
(59,852)

(40)
–

–
–
–

(40)
–

(40)
50,468

(40)
–

–
–
–

98,345
283,940
(18,465)

228,156
206,997
(59,852)

414,288

375,301

(40)

(40)

414,248

375,261

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. 

Interest rate risk sensitivity analysis 
A non-traded interest rate risk sensitivity analysis has been performed on net interest income on segregated client funds, 
based on the value of client funds held at the year-end, on the basis of a 0.25% (2012: 0.25%) per annum fall and a 0.5% 
(2012: 0.75%) rise in interest rates, at the beginning of the year, as these are considered ‘reasonably possible’. The impact of 
such a fall in interest rates would reduce net interest income on segregated client funds by approximately £2.4 million  
(2012: £2.0 million) per annum. The impact of such a rise in interest rates would increase net interest income on segregated 
client funds by approximately £4.2 million (2012: £5.5 million) per annum. Changes in risk variables have no direct impact on 
the Group’s equity as the Group has no financial instruments designated in hedging relationships.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

In addition, the majority of deposits are made on an 
overnight or breakable term basis which enables the Group 
to react immediately to any downgrading of credit rating 
or material widening of CDS spreads, and deposits of an 
unbreakable nature or requiring notice are only held with a 
subset of counterparties which have been approved by the 
Risk Committee. At 31 May 2013 there were no deposits 
held on an unbreakable basis (2012: £nil).

Client credit risk 
The Group operates a real-time mark-to-market trading 
platform, with client profits and losses being constantly 
updated on each client’s account.

Client credit risk principally arises when a client’s total 
funds deposited with the Group 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 ie due to high 
general market volatility or specific volatility relating to an 
individual financial instrument in which the client has an 
open position. Credit risk is mitigated in part through our 
client suitability criteria, supported by an extensive training 
program which aims to educate clients in all aspects of 
trading and risk management and which encourages them 
to collateralise their accounts at an appropriate level in 
excess of the minimum requirement.

37(b) 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.

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 eg 
on change in the financial institution’s corporate structure 
or a change in its external credit rating or credit default 
swap (CDS) price). Proposed maximum exposure limits for 
these financial institutions are then reviewed and approved 
by the Risk Committee.

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 
direct credit exposure. 

In respect of financial institution credit risk, the following 
key metrics are monitored on a daily basis:

•	 Balances	held	with	each	counterparty	group,	against	

limits approved by the Risk Committee

•	 Any	change	in	short-	and	long-term	credit	rating
•	 Any	change	in	CDS	price

The Group is responsible under various regulatory 
regimes for the stewardship of client monies. These 
responsibilities are defined in the Group’s Counterparty 
Credit Management Policy and include the appointment 
of and periodic review of institutions with which client 
money is deposited. The Group’s general policy is that all 
financial institutional counterparties holding client money 
accounts must have minimum short- and long-term ratings 
of A-2 and A- respectively, although in some operating 
jurisdictions where accounts are maintained to provide 
local banking facilities for clients it can be problematic 
to find a banking counterparty satisfying these minimum 
ratings requirements. In such cases the Group will seek 
to use a locally systemically important institution. These 
criteria also apply for the Group’s own bank accounts held 
with financial institutions. The Group also actively manages 
the credit exposure to each of its broking counterparties 
settling or recalling balances at each broker on a daily basis 
in line with the collateral requirements. 

136  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

137

NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

37. FINANCIAL RIsk MANAGEMENT 
(CONTINUED)
37(b) Credit risk (continued)  
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:

Clients subject to the Group’s ‘close-out monitor’ 
The Group’s management of client credit risk is supported 
by an automated liquidation process, the ‘close-out 
monitor’ (COM), whereby accounts which have broken 
the liquidation threshold are automatically identified. 
If the margin of a client which is subject to the COM 
liquidation process is eroded, the client is requested 
to deposit additional funds up to at least the required 
margin level and will 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, positions will be liquidated 
immediately, resulting in reduced credit risk exposure for 
the Group. 

In addition, a subset of clients has what are known as 
‘Limited Risk’ accounts. For such accounts a level is set in 
advance (the ‘guaranteed stop’ level) at which the deal 
will be closed, meaning a maximum client loss can be 
calculated at the opening of the trade. Clients placing 
trades with guaranteed stop levels pay a small premium on 
each transaction. The maximum loss is then the amount the 
client is required to deposit to open the trade, meaning 
that in most circumstances the client can never lose more 
than their initial margin deposit. Although no longer 
offered to new clients, the Group still has a significant 
number of clients with this type of account. This type of 
account results in the transfer of an element of market risk 
to the Group, which is managed under the Group’s Market 
Risk Policy, and only a subset of more liquid products are 
available to trade. Clients with any type of account may still 
choose to use guaranteed stops (where available and on 
payment of the premium).

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 2013, 98.83% 
(2012: 98.92%) of financial client accounts are subject to the 
automatic COM procedure or are ‘limited risk’ accounts. 

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 may offer credit limits with the result that 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. 

In addition to the waiver of payment of open losses on a 
trade, the Group may 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. 
Credit account limits are continuously reviewed by the 
Group’s Credit Department. Each client with a credit limit is 
also assigned a liquidation level, breach of which will result 
in closure of positions. Credit accounts are small in number, 
are not actively promoted and in general they are not 
made available to new clients. 

Risk-based tiered margins 
The Group applies a tiered margin requirement for 
equities and other instruments with risk-adjusted margin 
requirements dependent on several factors, including the 
volatility and liquidity of the underlying instrument. 

This has resulted in a 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 margins, in addition to the COM discussed 
earlier, contribute to the further mitigation of the Group’s 
client counterparty credit risk exposure.

Management of non-cash client collateral 
Previously the Group accepted non-cash collateral from 
clients in the form of shares or other securities which 
mitigate the Group’s credit risk. In these circumstances, 
clients retained title to the securities lodged while their 
trading account was operating normally, but were required 
to sign a collateral agreement which would allow the 
Group to take title and sell the securities in the event of the 
client defaulting on any margin obligations.

This service was previously only ever used by a small 
number of clients and ceased to be offered during the 
year for operational reasons. The fair value of collateral 
held at 31 May 2013 against amounts due from clients was 
therefore £nil (2012: £3,864,000). 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The following tables present further detail on the Group’s and the Company’s exposure to credit risk. External credit ratings 
are available for exposures to brokers and banks, and these are shown. No external credit rating of clients 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 individual client funds held in 
segregated client money accounts, or money market facilities established under the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) 
‘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

2013
£000

2012
£000

Trade receivables 
– due from brokers
2012
£000

2013
£000

Trade receivables 
– due from clients
2012
2013
£000
£000

Collateral held at 
fair value

2013
£000

2012
£000

Group

(note 19)

(note 18)

(note 18)

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+ & above
AA to AA-
A+ to A-
BBB+ to BBB-
BB+ to B
CCC
Unrated(1)

–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–

–

–
11,905
79,817
5,009
7
–
1,607

–
509
223,606
3,469
234
16
322

–
61,103
219,795
6
–
–
3,036

–
54,839
149,758
–
–
–
2,400

98,345

228,156

283,940

206,997

11,229
(10,836)

17,853
(17,202)

393

651

410
–
–
–
18

428

–
–
–
–
–
–
872

872

246
–
–
61
–

307

–
–
–
–
–
–
1,467

1,467

2,425

–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–

–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–

–

1,152
22
541
885
–
–
1,264

3,864

3,864

Total carrying amount

98,345

228,156

283,940

206,997

1,693

(1)  Balances are primarily related to the Group’s operations in South Africa. Prepayments and other receivables are all unrated (2012: all unrated)

The financial investments are UK Government securities held by the Group in satisfaction of the FCA requirements to hold a 
‘liquid asset buffer’ against potential liquidity stress under BIPRU 12. As such they are rated as AA+.

138  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

139

 
NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

37. FINANCIAL RIsk MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED)
37(b) Credit risk (continued)  
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 year:

Group

Balance at 1 June
Impairment loss for the year
– gross charge for the year
– recoveries

Write-offs
Foreign exchange

Balance at 31 May

2013
£000

2012
£000 

17,202

18,382

955
(1,389)
(6,228)
296

2,337
(1,226)
(1,779)
(512)

10,836

17,202

Credit risk – Company 
Held within prepayments and other receivables in the Statement of Financial Position of the Company are amounts payable 
to the Company from related parties that are unrated. Refer to note 35(b). The Company is not otherwise exposed to 
material amounts of credit risk. 

37(c) 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 
individual client funds held in segregated client money accounts established under the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority 
(FCA) ‘CASS’ rules and similar rules of other regulators in whose jurisdiction the Group operates. 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Analysis of credit exposures at carrying amount by geographical segment:

Group
As at 31 May 2013

Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Financial investments
Trade receivables – due from brokers
Trade receivables – due from clients

UK
£000

Europe
£000

Australia
£000

Japan
£000

Rest of 
World
£000

Total
£000

66,964
50,468
96,175
1,242

2,658
–
80,092
156

6,028
–
53,029
78

4,322
–
–
106

18,373
–

98,345
50,468
54,644 283,940
1,693

111

Total financial assets

214,849

82,906

59,135

4,428

73,128 434,446

Group
As at 31 May 2012

Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Financial investments
Trade receivables – due from brokers
Trade receivables – due from clients

UK
£000

Europe
£000

Australia
£000

Japan
£000

Rest of 
World
£000

Total
£000

163,022
–
71,001
2,134

51,788
–
71,306
141

483
–
20,741
150

1,980
–
–
–

–

10,903 228,156
–
43,949 206,997
2,425

–

Total financial assets

236,137

123,235

21,374

1,980

54,852 437,578

The Group’s largest credit exposure to any one individual broker at 31 May 2013 was £61,103,500 (AA- rated)  
(2012: £55,145,000, AA rated). Included in cash and cash equivalents, the Group’s largest credit exposure to any bank at 
31 May 2013 was £60,773,000 (A rated) (2012: £69,818,000, A+ rated). 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 2013 and 31 May 2012. 

37(d) 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. For further details refer to note 20.

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 may be longer.

140  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

141

NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

37. FINANCIAL RIsk MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED)

Amounts payable on demand:

37(d) Liquidity risk (continued) 
Amounts payable on demand:

As at 31 May 2013

Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Financial investments
Trade receivables – due (to) / from brokers
Trade receivables – due from clients
Trade receivables – other amounts due to the Group

Financial liabilities
Trade payables – due to clients

Derivative
£000

Non-
derivative
£000

Total
£000

–
–
(1,897)
–
–

98,345
50,468

98,345
50,468
285,837 283,940
1,693
15,003

1,693
15,003

(1,897)

451,346 449,449

–

(18,465)

(18,465)

(1,897)

432,881 430,984

Derivative trade receivables and payables disclosed in the table above represent the Group’s open positions with brokers. 
Non-derivative trade receivables and payables disclosed in the table above represent cash margin held at brokers, closed 
client debtors, UK Government securities 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 because 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 because 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.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Derivative
£000

Non-
derivative
£000

Total
£000

–
–
(10,843)
–
–

–

228,156 228,156
–
217,840 206,997
12,920
2,425

12,920
2,425

(10,843)

461,341 450,498

–

(59,852)

(59,852)

(10,843)

401,489 390,646

As at 31 May 2012

Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Financial investments
Trade receivables – due (to) / from brokers
Trade receivables – due from clients
Trade receivables – other amounts due to the Group

Financial liabilities
Trade payables – due to clients

Amounts payable over 5 years 
The Group has non-derivative cash flows payable over 5 years in relation to the redeemable preference shares at  
31 May 2013 and 2012, as disclosed in note 27.

Derivative and non-derivative cash flows by remaining contractual maturity – Company 
There were no Company derivative cash flows as at 31 May 2013 (2012: £nil).

At 31 May 2013 the Company held cash and cash equivalents of £245,000 (2012: £151,000) available on demand and 
redeemable preference shares of £40,000 (2012: £40,000) the terms of which are disclosed in note 27. 

142  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

143

NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

38. CAPITAL MANAGEMENT  
AND REsOURCEs
Capital management 
The Group is supervised on a consolidated basis by the 
UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Group’s 
operations in Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Africa and 
the United States, 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 FCA 
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 2012 ICAAP was approved by the Board in 
January 2013. 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 Pillar 1 regulatory capital resources 
requirement throughout the year. An analysis of the 
Group’s consolidated capital resources and capital 
resources requirement is provided in the ‘Operating and 
Financial Review’.

The following table summarises the Group’s capital 
adequacy on a consolidated basis.

Total Tier 1 capital
Less: Intangible assets
Less: Investment in own shares

2013
£m

508.4
(120.5)
(1.5)

2012
£m

448.7
(115.4)
(1.5)

Total capital resources (CR) 

386.4

331.8

C apital resources requirement (CRR) – 

Pillar 1

Surplus

(115.1)

(100.4)

271.3

231.4

39. sUBsEQUENT EvENTs
Subsequent to the year-end, in accordance with the phased 
transfer agreed with the FCA for the Group to hold a liquid 
assets buffer of up to £100.0 million by August 2013, the 
Group has purchased £32.3 million of additional BIPRU 12 
qualifying assets (please refer to note 20 for further details). 
Following this purchase the Group now holds £83.1 million 
of BIPRU 12 qualifying assets within the liquid assets buffer. 

Further, on 19 July 2013 the Group completed the 
renegotiation of the liquidity facilities with a syndicate of 
three banks. In doing so the Group has increased the size 
of the overall facility to £200.0 million and established a 
longer-term liquidity funding arrangement. Of the total 
facility £120.0 million is available for a period of one year 
and £80.0 million is available for three years respectively 
from the facility signing date.

40. 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 2013 were authorised for issue by the 
Board of the Directors on 23 July 2013 and the statements 
of financial position signed on the Board’s behalf by  
T A Howkins and C F Hill. 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) and IFRIC interpretations as they apply to the 
Financial Statements of the Group and of the Company for 
the year ended 31 May 2013 and applied in accordance 
with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006. The Group 
and Company Financial Statements have been prepared 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

under the historical cost convention, as modified by the 
revaluation of available-for-sale financial assets and financial 
assets and liabilities (including derivatives) at fair value 
through profit or loss.

The principal accounting policies adopted by the Group and 
the Company are set out in note 41.

41. ACCOUNTING POLICIEs
Basis of preparation 
The accounting policies which follow have been applied  
in preparing the Financial Statements for the year ended  
31 May 2013.

As permitted by Section 408(1)(b), (4) of the Companies 
Act 2006, the individual income statement of IG Group 
Holdings plc (the Company) has not been presented in 
these Financial Statements. The amount of profit for the year 
dealt with in the Financial Statements of IG Group Holdings 
plc is £124,340,000 (2012: £127,932,000). 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 (2012: £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 intercompany 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. Contingent 
or deferred consideration is remeasured at each statement 
of financial position date with periodic changes to the 
estimated liability recognised in the consolidated income 
statement. Acquisition-related costs are expensed as 
incurred. 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.

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. 

Non-controlling interests 
Where the Group and a non-controlling shareholder enter 
into a forward contract (symmetrical put and call options) 
under which the Group is required to purchase the non-
controlling interest for its fair value (formulae based 
valuation) at the forward date, the Group continues to 
recognise the non-controlling interest at the proportionate 
share of the acquiree’s identifiable net assets, until expiry 
of the arrangement. The forward liability is also recognised 
for management’s best estimate of the present value of the 
redemption amount with a corresponding entry in equity. 
The accretion of the discount on the liability is recognised as 
a finance charge in the consolidated income statement. The 
liability is remeasured to the final redemption amount with 
any periodic changes to the estimated liability recognised 
in the consolidated income statement. On expiry of the 
forward, the liability is eliminated as paid and any difference 
in the value of the non-controlling interest to the exercise 
price deducted from equity. 

On an acquisition by acquisition basis, non-controlling interests 
are measured either at fair value or at the non-controlling 
interest proportionate share of the acquiree’s net assets. 

The Group treats transactions with non-controlling interests 
as transactions with equity owners of the Group. For 
purchases from non-controlling interests, the difference 
between any consideration paid and the relevant share 
acquired of the carrying value of the non-controlling interest 
is recorded in equity. 

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145

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

41. ACCOUNTING POLICIEs (CONTINUED) 
Losses applicable to the non-controlling shareholder 
in a consolidated subsidiary’s equity may exceed the 
non-controlling interest in the subsidiary’s equity. The 
excess, and any further losses applicable to the non-
controlling shareholder, are allocated against the majority 
interest, except to the extent that the non-controlling 
shareholder 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 non-controlling shareholder‘s 
share of losses previously absorbed by the majority has  
been recovered.

Non-controlling 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.

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

– 

Office equipment, fixtures and fittings – 
– 
Computer and other equipment

 over the lease 
term of up to  
15 years
 over five years
 over two, three or 
five 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 business 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.

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:

Development costs
Software and licences – 

Trade names
C lient lists and 
customer 
relationships
Domain names

–  straight-line basis over three years

 straight-line basis over the contract 
term of up to five years
 sum of digits method over two years
 sum of digits method over  
three to five years

– 
– 

– 

 straight-line basis over 10 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 
property, plant and equipment 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 

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147

NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

41. ACCOUNTING POLICIEs (CONTINUED) 
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.

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 36 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 the financial derivative 
open positions included in trade receivables – due from 
brokers and trade payables – due to clients as shown 
in the statement of financial position and related notes. 
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 or 
loss are carried in the statement of financial position at 
fair value with gains or losses recognised in revenue in the 
consolidated income statement.

Determination of fair value 
Financial instruments arising from open client positions and 
the Group’s hedging positions are stated at fair value and 
disclosed according to the valuation hierarchy required by 
IFRS 7. Fair values are predominantly determined by reference 
to third party market values (bid prices for long positions and 
offer prices for short positions) as detailed below:

•	 	Level	1:	Valued	using	unadjusted	quoted	prices	in	active	

markets for identical financial instruments

•	 	Level	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

•	 	Level	3:	Valued	using	techniques	that	incorporate	

information other than observable market data that is 
significant to the overall valuation 

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 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

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, 
and when economic benefit is consumed. A provision for 
impairment is established where there is objective evidence 
of non-collectability.

Cash and cash equivalents 
Cash comprises cash on hand and demand deposits which 
may be accessed without penalty. Cash equivalents comprise 
short-term highly liquid investments that are readily 
convertible into known amounts of cash and which are 
subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value. 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.

The Group holds money on behalf of clients in accordance 
with the client money rules of the UK Financial Conduct 
Authority (FCA) and other regulatory bodies. Such monies 
are classified as either ‘cash and cash equivalents’ or 
‘segregated client funds’ in accordance with the relevant 
regulatory requirements. Segregated client funds comprise 
individual client funds held in segregated client money 
accounts or money market facilities. Segregated client 
money accounts hold statutory trust status restricting the 
Group’s ability to control the monies and accordingly such 
amounts and are not held on the Group’s statement of 
financial position. 

The amount of segregated client funds held at year-end is 
disclosed in note 19 to the Financial Statements. The return 
received on managing segregated client funds is included 
within net operating income.

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. Title transfers funds are accordingly 
held on the Group’s statement of financial position with a 
corresponding liability to clients within trade payables.

Financial investments 
Financial investments are held as available-for-sale and are 
non-derivative financial assets that are not classified as held 
for trading, designated at fair value through profit or loss, or 
loans and receivables. Financial investments are recognised 
on a trade date basis. They are initially recognised at fair 
value plus directly related transactions costs. They are 
subsequently carried at fair value. Fair value is the quoted 
market price of the specific investments held.

Financial investments available-for-sale are carried at fair 
value. Unrealised gains or losses are reported in equity (in 
the available-for-sale reserve) and in other comprehensive 
income, until such investments are sold, collected or 
otherwise disposed of, or until any such investment is 
determined to be impaired. On disposal of an investment, 
the accumulated unrealised gain or loss included in equity 
is recycled to the income statement for the period and 
reported in other income. Gains and losses on disposal are 
determined using the average cost method.

Interest on financial investments is included in interest using 
the Effective Interest Rate (EIR) method.

The effective interest rate is the rate that exactly discounts 
estimated future cash payments or receipts through 
the expected life of the financial instrument or, when 
appropriate, a shorter period to the net carrying amount 
of the financial asset or financial liability. When calculating 
the effective interest rate, the Group estimates cash flows 
considering all contractual terms of the financial instrument 
(for example, prepayment, call and similar options) but shall 
not consider future credit losses. The calculation includes 
all fees and points paid or received between parties to the 
contract that are an integral part of the effective interest 
rate (see IAS 18 Revenue), transaction costs, and all other 
premiums or discounts.

At the year-end date the Group considers whether there is 
objective evidence that a financial investment available-for-
sale is impaired. In the case of such evidence, it is considered 
impaired if its cost exceeds the recoverable amount. The 
recoverable amount for a quoted financial investment 
available-for-sale is determined by reference to the market 

148  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

149

 
NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

41. ACCOUNTING POLICIEs (CONTINUED) 
price. A quoted financial investment available-for-sale is 
considered impaired if objective evidence indicates that 
the decline in market price has reached such a level that 
recovery of the cost value cannot be reasonably expected 
within the foreseeable future.

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.

If a financial investment available-for-sale is determined 
to be impaired, the cumulative unrealised loss previously 
recognised in equity is recycled to profit for the period and 
reported in other 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. Provisions are in respect of onerous leases.

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 in the respective jurisdictions that have 
been enacted or substantively enacted by the statement of 
financial position date.

Deferred tax is 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.

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.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Revenue recognition 
Trading revenue represents gains and losses arising on client 
trading activity primarily in financial spread betting, contracts 
for difference or binary bets and the transactions undertaken 
to hedge the risk associated with client trading activity. 
Open client and hedging 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. The policies and methodologies 
associated with the determination of fair value have been 
discussed above under Financial Instruments. Trading 
revenue also includes spread, commission and funding 
charges made to clients in respect of the opening, holding 
and closing of financial spread bets, contracts for difference 
or binary bets.

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.

Trading revenue also includes member fees charged by the 
Group’s regulated futures and options exchange.

Trading revenue is reported gross of introductory broker 
commission as these amounts are directly linked to trading 
revenue. Introductory broker commission, along with betting 
duties paid, are disclosed as an expense in arriving at net 
operating income. 

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. 

Net trading revenue, disclosed on the face of the 
consolidated income statement and in the notes to the 
Financial Statements, represents trading revenue from 
financial instruments carried at fair value through profit 
and loss and has been disclosed net of introductory broker 
commission as this is consistent with the management 
information received by the Chief Operating Decision Maker. 

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 
Finance costs and interest expense on segregated client 
funds are 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.

Dividends 
Dividend distribution to the company’s shareholders is 
recognised as a liability in the Group’s Financial Statements 
in the period in which the dividends are approved by the 
Company’s shareholders.

Discontinued operations 
Discontinued operations consist of a single major line of 
business or a geographical area that have either been 
closed or sold during the period or are classified as held for 
sale at the year-end. The financial performance and cash 
flows of discontinued operations are separately reported in 
note 11.

In the year ended 31 May 2012 the Group’s Sport business 
was disclosed as a discontinued operation. There were no 
discontinued operations in the year ended 31 May 2013. 
Please refer to note 11 for additional detail. 

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151

NOTEs TO THE FINANCIAL sTATEMENTs 
(continued)

41. ACCOUNTING POLICIEs (CONTINUED)
Share-based payments 
The Company operates two employee share plans: a Share 
Incentive Plan and a value-sharing plan. Previously the Group 
operated a Long Term Incentive Plan (the last award of which 
was made in 2009), all of which are all equity-settled. 

For market-based vesting conditions, the cost of these 
awards is measured at fair value calculated using option 
pricing models (refer to note 31 for additional detail of 
the models and assumptions used for the various award 
schemes) 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.

For non-market based vesting conditions, 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.

The grant by the Company of options over its equity 
instruments to employees of the subsidiary undertakings in 
the Group is treated as a capital contribution. The fair value 
of the employee services received is recognised over the 
vesting period as an increase in the investment in subsidiary 
undertakings, with a corresponding credit to equity. 

Segment information 
The Group’s segmental information is disclosed in a manner 
consistent with the basis of internal reports regarding 
components of the Group that are regularly reviewed by 
the Chief Operating Decision Maker, who for the Group 
are the Executive Directors (CODM) in order to assess the 
performance and to allocate resources to those ‘operating 
segments’. The Group has therefore determined its 
operating segments based on the management information 
received on a regular basis by the Executive Directors of 
the IG Group Holdings plc Board as they are considered to 
be the CODM. Operating segments that do not meet the 
quantitative thresholds required by IFRS 8 are aggregated.

The Group envisages that the reportable segments may 
change as overseas businesses move towards operational 
maturity, breaking through the quantitative thresholds of 
IFRS 8. The segments are therefore subject to annual review 
and the comparatives restated to reflect any reclassifications 
within the segmental reporting. 

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 2012.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

New and amended standards adopted by the Group 
The Group has early adopted the following new or amended 
standards as of 1 June 2012:

•	  Amendment to IAS 1 ‘Presentation of items of Other 

Comprehensive Income’ (effective for periods beginning 
after 1 July 2012)

•	  Amendment to IAS 28 ‘Investment in Associates and Joint 

Ventures’ (effective 1 January 2013)

•	  Amendment to IFRS 7 ‘Disclosures – Offsetting Financial 
Assets and Financial Liabilities’ (effective 1 January 2013)

•	  Amendment to IAS 27 ‘Separate Financial Statements’ 

(effective 1 January 2013)

•	  Amendment to IAS 19 ‘Employee Benefits’  

(effective 1 January 2013)

The new standards and amendments above are not expected 
to have a material impact on the Group or Company.

Other new standards, amendments and interpretations, 
including those listed below, have been issued but are 
not effective for accounting periods beginning 1 June 
2012 and have not been early adopted by the Group: 

•	  IFRS 9 ‘Financial Instruments’, issued in November 

2009, amended 2010. This standard is the first step in 
the process to replace IAS 39, ‘Financial Instruments, 
recognition and measurement’. IFRS 9 introduces new 
requirements for classifying and measuring financial 
assets. The standard is not applicable until 1 January 2015 
and has not yet been endorsed by the EU. The Group has 
yet to assess the impact of IFRS 9

•	  IFRS 13 ‘Fair value measurement’  

(effective 1 January 2013) 

•	  IFRS 10 ‘Consolidated Financial Statements’  

(effective 1 January 2013)

•	 IFRS	11	‘Joint	Arrangements’	 

(effective 1 January 2013)

•	  IFRS 12 ‘Disclosure of Interests in Other Entities’  

(effective 1 January 2013)

•	  IAS 19 (revised 2011) ‘Employee benefits’ 

 (effective 1 January 2013) 

•	  Amendment to IFRS 7 ‘Financial instruments: Disclosures’ 

(effective 1 July 2013)

•	  IAS 32 ‘Financial instruments: Presentation’  

(effective 1 January 2014) 

152  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

153

INVESTOR RESOURCES AND OTHER INFORMATION

INvEsTOR 
REsOURCEs  
AND OTHER 
INFORMATION

Five-year summary 
example: buying a spread bet 
example: selling a cFd 
global oFFices 
shareholder and company inFormation 
cautionary statement 

156 
160 
162 
164 
166 
167

155

154  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

FIvE-YEAR sUMMARY

GROUP INCOME sTATEMENT 

For the year ended 31 May

Net trading revenue
Other net operating income

Net operating income
Administrative expenses
D epreciation, amortisation and amounts written  

off property, plant and equipment

Operating profit

Finance income
Finance costs

2013
£000

361,857
6,051

367,908
(163,804)

2012(1)
£000

366,812
2,358

369,170
(172,897)

2011(1)
£000

 312,721
5,875

318,596
(145,075)

2010
£000

298,551
1,172

299,723
(133,782)

2009
£000

257,089
377

257,466
(126,380)

(12,176)

(10,760)

(10,308) 

(8,654)

(6,423)

191,928

185,513

163,213 

157,287

124,663

2,036
(1,756)

2,487
(2,283)

2,401 
(2,411) 

2,664
(2,312)

2,887
(1,678)

Profit before taxation

192,208

185,717

163,203 

157,639

125,872

A mortisation and impairment of intangibles arising  

on consolidation

–

–

(150,703) 

(17,298)

(14,613)

Profit before taxation from continuing operations

192,208

185,717

12,500 

140,341

111,259

Tax expense

(50,460)

(48,583)

(32,792) 

(38,855)

(32,607)

Loss from discontinued operations

–

(374)

(5,002)

–

–

Profit / (loss) for the year

141,748

136,760

(25,294) 

101,486

78,652

(1) The 2012 and 2011 numbers have been restated to remove the discontinued Sport business and present as a discontinued operation
(2) In 2011, the Group presented adjusted administrative expenses and adjusted profit before taxation to adjust for the amortisation or impairment of intangible 
assets associated with the Group’s Japanese or Sport business. In the year ending 31 May 2013, the adjusted and unadjusted administrative expenses and 
profit before taxation are equivalent

INVESTOR RESOURCES AND OTHER INFORMATION: FIVE-YEAR SUMMARY

GROUP sTATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POsITION 

As at 31 May

Assets
Non-current assets

Property, plant and equipment
Intangible assets 
Deferred tax assets

Current assets
Trade receivables
Prepayments and other receivables
Cash and cash equivalents
Financial asset investments available-for-sale

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
Total shareholders’ equity
Minority interests

Total equity

2013
£000

2012
£000

2011
£000

2010
£000

2009
£000

 14,469
 120,479
 9,470

 15,555
 115,366
 11,915

 16,761
 117,202
 11,264

 9,632
 265,328
 14,264

 11,632
 260,607
 7,562

 144,418

 142,836

 145,227

 289,224

 279,801

 300,636
 10,278
 98,345
 50,468

 222,342
 9,745
 228,156
 –

 270,104
 8,199
 124,528
 –

 206,243
 7,084
 128,097
 –

 183,085
 4,928
 99,407
 –

 459,727

 460,243

 402,831

 341,424

 287,420

 604,145

 603,079

 548,058

 630,648

 567,221

 19,047
 53,781
 –
 24,289

 61,076
 64,815
 1,353
 28,652

 83,490
 45,149
 1,427
 37,060

 57,673
 44,825
 1,377
 38,863

 90,642
 27,326
 –
 36,560

 97,117

 155,896

 167,126

 142,738

 154,528

 –
 –
 40

 40

 –
 –
 40

 40

 –
 1,991
 40

 2,031

 11,463
 1,779
 40

 13,282

 16,740
 –
 40

 16,780

 97,157

 155,936

 169,157

 156,020

 171,308

 506,988
 –

 446,197
 146

 378,700
 201

 471,449
 3,179

 393,364
 2,549

 506,988

 447,143

 378,901

 474,628

 395,913

TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

 604,145

 603,079

 548,058

 630,648

 567,221

Each of the Statements of Financial Position presented above have been restated in order to be prepared consistently with 
the accounting policies disclosed in the Financial Statements for the year ended May 2013.

156  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

157

FIvE-YEAR sUMMARY (continued)

OTHER METRICs 

Year ended 31 May

Earnings per share

Basic earnings per share
Diluted earnings per share

Dividend per share
Interim dividend per share
Final dividend per share

Total dividend per share
Dividend payout ratio (against basic EPS)

Profit margin
Profit before taxation margin(2)

2013
£000

39.02p
38.80p

5.75p
17.50p

23.25p
60.0%

2012
£000

2011
£000

37.90p(1)
37.54p

32.86p(1)
32.57p

5.75p
16.75p

22.50p
60.0%

5.25p
14.75p

20.00p
61.4%

2010
£000

30.98p
30.77p

5.00p
13.50p

18.50p
59.7%

2009
£000

24.85p
24.74p

4.00p
11.00p

15.00p
60.4%

53.1%

50.6%

52.2%

52.8%

49.0%

(1) EPS presented for the continuing business. Adjusted and unadjusted EPS measures are equivalent
(2) Calculated as profit before tax divided by net trading revenue

INVESTOR RESOURCES AND OTHER INFORMATION: FIVE-YEAR SUMMARY

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2,659
136,063
55,889
37,914

2,560
143,304
67,593
48,029

2,341
133,580
71,344
49,246

2,425
120,689
81,155
55,674

CLIENT METRICs 

Year ended

Average revenue per client (£)
Number of active clients 
Number of accounts opened
Number of accounts trading for the first time

CLIENT METRICs – ExCLUDING IG MARkETs sECURITIEs (FORMERLY FxONLINE)

Year ended

Average revenue per client (£)
Number of active clients 
Number of accounts opened
Number of accounts trading for the first time

2013
£000

2,761
125,295
51,769
35,854

2012
£000

2,695
130,006
60,968
45,292

2011
£000

2,491
117,252
60,631
44,803

2010
£000

2,600
103,338
63,757
46,612

2,263
109,747
74,331
50,364

2009
£000

2,495
88,336
61,538
44,291

158  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

159

ExAMPLEs: BUYING A sPREAD BET

INVESTOR RESOURCES AND OTHER INFORMATION: ExAMpLES: BUYINg A SpREAD BET

INTRODUCTION
In this example, you decide to buy A plc (assumed to be a FTSE 100 company) at £100 per point, as you expect that A plc’s 
share price will rise. Later in the day the share price has indeed risen and you decide to close your position by selling A plc at 
our then current bid price. 

sTEP 4 
CLOsING THE POsITION
In the afternoon the A plc share price has indeed risen and you decide to close the position realising your profit on the bet. 
At this point A plc is trading in the market at 148.6/148.8p and our daily quote is 148.4p/150.0p. 

Your profit is the difference between the buying and selling prices, plus or minus any funding charges or other costs 
(discussed in Steps 3 and 5). 

Bet details  

You sell £100 per point at 148.4p (the bid price) 

Gross profit on the bet 

£390 (calculated as the market price movement of the share (148.6p – 144.7p) x £100 per point)

As long as your bet is open, your account will show any ‘running’ profit or loss on your open position (not illustrated below). 
You must have deposited sufficient funds to cover any running losses. 

Spread    

£20 (calculated as 148.6p – 148.4p x £100 per point)

You cannot place a bet without having any money in your account. In this example, we assume you have £1,000. It is 
important to note that you can make losses in excess of your initial deposit, if the market moves against you. 

Of course, had the market moved in the opposite direction, you would have made a loss of £100 for every penny the share 
price fell, which may have exceeded your initial deposit. 

sTEP 1  
OPENING THE POsITION 
A plc is trading in the market at 144.5p/144.7p and our quote for A plc on a Daily Funded Bet is 144.3p/144.9p. You decide 
to buy £100 per point at 144.9p, our offer price. In this example one point represents a 1p movement in the underlying share 
price, so your £100 per point bet is equivalent to buying 10,000 shares in A plc. 

Bet details  

You buy £100 per point of A plc at 144.9p (the offer price) 

Your initial deposit requirement(1) 

£723 (calculated as £100 (bet size) x 144.6p (the mid-price) x 5% (the deposit factor)) 

Spread(2)  

 £20 (calculated as the difference between the market price and our quote (144.9p – 
144.7p) x £100 per point)

(1) The deposit factor (and therefore deposit requirement) depends on your account type and other factors such as the volatility and liquidity of the  

underlying share

(2) Our dealing spread varies depending on the market and asset class traded and can be variable, especially in volatile market conditions. For examples please 

see our website, IG.com

sTEP 2 
When you open the position, you are required to have the initial £723 deposit requirement in your account. The available 
funds in your account will therefore fall from £1,000 to £277 (ie £1,000 – £723). The available funds remaining in your account 
need to be enough to cover any running losses you may incur, or you run the risk of being closed out of the bet. It is 
important to note that the £723 is held as a deposit against the risk of the open position and will be released on the closing 
of the position: it is still your money but is not available for withdrawal from the account while the position is open.

sTEP 3 
We will also reflect the impact of any corporate action on the underlying share, such as a dividend or a rights issue. In this 
example we have kept things simple and assumed no corporate actions occur; however for more details please see our 
website, IG.com. 

sTEP 5 
CALCULATING THE PROFIT OR LOss

Buying spread (Step 1) 

Selling spread (Step 4) 
Gross profit (Step 4) 
IG Index hedging gain(1)

Net gain 

Client

IG Index(1)

(£20.00)
(£20.00)
£390.00 
N/A

£20.00
£20.00
(£390.00)
£390.00

£350.00

£40.00

(1)  This simple example assumes IG Index is 100% hedged on the client trade and makes an equal and opposite gain on our broker position to the amount paid 
to the client. The cost of our hedging with the broker has been ignored for simplicity. Therefore our net profit is £40.00, which is recorded in trading revenue 
and is equivalent to the spread included in our quoted prices

For many markets (for example index futures) we build funding charges into the quote price. For share Daily Funded Bets 
we make funding adjustments each day at 10pm. We apply funding at the rate of one-month LIBOR +/- a spread (generally 
2.5%). In the example above, if the bet had remained open at 10pm, and assuming one-month LIBOR of 0.68%, a funding 
charge of £1.31 would have been applied against the client account and recorded as revenue for IG Index (calculated as 
(£100 x 150.0p (assumed closing price) x 3.18%) / 365 = £1.31). 

160  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

161

 
 
 
 
 
 
ExAMPLEs: sELLING A CFD

INVESTOR RESOURCES AND OTHER INFORMATION: ExAMpLES: SELLINg A CFD

INTRODUCTION
In this example, on day one you decide to sell a CFD for 20,000 shares in B plc (assumed to be a FTSE 100 company) as you 
expect B plc’s share price to fall. On day two the share price has indeed fallen, and you decide to close your position as you 
now believe the share price will rise again. 

sTEP 4
We will also reflect the impact of any corporate action on the underlying share, such as a dividend or a rights issue. In this 
example we have kept things simple and assumed no corporate actions occur; however for more details please see our 
website, IG.com. 

As long as your contract is open, your account will show any ‘running’ profit or loss on your open CFD position (not 
illustrated below). You must have deposited sufficient funds to cover any running losses. 

You cannot place a trade without having any money in your account. In this example, we assume you have £1,000. It is 
important to note that you can make losses in excess of your initial deposit requirement (referred to as ‘margin requirement’ 
in CFD trading), if the market moves against you. 

sTEP 1  
DAY ONE – OPENING THE POsITION 
The quoted bid/offer price for B plc is 80.25p/80.35p. 

sTEP 5 
DAY TWO – CLOsING THE POsITION 
On day two, the share price has fallen and you decide to close the position as you believe the price will now rise.  
The bid/offer price at that point is 78.25p/78.35p. 

Trade details 

Commission 

You buy a CFD for 20,000 shares at 78.35p (the offer price) 

£15.67 (calculated as 20,000 x 78.35p x 0.10%) 

Profit per individual share   

1.9p (the difference between the selling and buying price (80.25p - 78.35p)) 

Trade details 

You sell a CFD for 20,000 B plc shares at 80.25p (the bid price) 

Gross profit on the trade  

£380.00 (calculated as 20,000 x 1.9p) 

Your initial margin requirement(1)  

 £803 (calculated as 20,000 (number of shares) x 80.3p (the mid-price) x 5%  
(the margin percentage)) 

Commission(2) 

£16.05 (calculated as 20,000 (number of shares) x 80.25p (the bid price) x 0.10% (commission)) 

(1)  The margin percentage (and therefore margin requirement) depends on the size of your CFD position and other factors such as the volatility and liquidity of 

the underlying share. In this example we have used a margin requirement of 5%

(2) Commissions are variable, but for UK FTSE 100 CFDs (as assumed for B plc), this was 0.10% on 15 May 2012 

sTEP 2 
When you open the position, you are required to have enough funds in your account to cover the initial margin plus 
commission on the trade. In this example the margin requirement is £803 and the commission is £16.05, so the available 
funds in your account will fall from £1,000 to £180.95 (ie £1,000 – £803 – £16.05). It is important to note that the £803 is held 
as a margin requirement against the risk of the open position and will be released on the closing of the position: it is still 
your money but is not available for withdrawal from the account while the position is open.

sTEP 3 
Traditionally, clients who held long positions overnight would need to pay a funding charge, while clients with short positions 
would receive interest if held overnight. This charge or interest is calculated as the one-month sterling LIBOR rate +/- a 
spread. However, with current market interest rates lower than the spread, clients with short positions also incur a charge. As 
at 15 May 2012, the current LIBOR rate was 0.68%, while the spread was 2.5%, resulting in a net financing charge of 1.82% 
for short CFD positions held overnight (which for UK CFDs means those open at 10pm UK time). A corresponding long CFD 
position would incur a charge of 3.18%. This is re-calculated daily. 

Closing price (day one) 

80.75p 

Daily interest charged  

£0.81 (calculated as (20,000 x 80.75p x 1.82%)/365 days) 

Of course, had the market moved in the opposite direction, you would have made a loss of £100 for every penny the share 
price gained, which may have exceeded your initial margin outlay.

sTEP 6 
CALCULATING THE PROFIT OR LOss

Selling commission (Step 1) 

Financing charge (Step 3)
Buying commission (Step 5) 
Gross profit (Step 5)
IG Markets hedging gain(1)

Net gain 

Client

IG Markets(1)

(£16.05)
 (£0.81)
 (£15.67) 
£380.00
N/A

£16.05
£0.81
£15.67
(£380.00)
£380.00

£347.47

£32.53

(1) This simple example assumes IG Markets is 100% hedged on the client trade and makes an equal and opposite gain on our broker position to the amount 

paid to the client. The cost of our hedging with the broker has been ignored for simplicity. Thus our net profit is £25.58, which is recorded in trading revenue 
and consists of the commission and financing charges levied on the client

162  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

163

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GLOBAL OFFICEs

INVESTOR RESOURCES AND OTHER INFORMATION: gLOBAL OFFICES

LONDON (HEADQUARTERs)
IG (IG Index Limited and IG 
Markets Limited) 
Cannon Bridge House 
25 Dowgate Hill 
London
EC4R 2YA 
UK

DUBLIN
IG Markets Limited 
72 Charlemont Street
Dublin 2
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

AMsTERDAM
IG Nederland 
Paascheuvelweg 1 
1105 BE Amsterdam 
NETHERLANDS

DüssELDORF
IG Markets Limited 
Zweigniederlassung 
Deutschland
Berliner Allee 10 
40212 Dusseldorf
GERMANY

LUxEMBOURG
IG Markets Limited 
15, rue du fort Bourbon 
L1249 
LUXEMBOURG

MADRID
IG Markets Limited 
Paseo de la Castellana, 13 
Planta 1a, Derecha 
28046 Madrid
SPAIN

+44 (0)20 7896 0011
helpdesk.uk@ig.com
www.ig.com

MILAN
IG Markets Limited 
Via Paolo da Cannobio, 33, 
7° Piano
20122 Milano 
ITALY

+39 800 897 582
italiandesk@igmarkets.it
www.igmarkets.it

OsLO
IG Markets Limited 
Akersgata 20 
0158 Oslo
NORWAY

PARIs
IG Markets Limited 
17 Avenue George V 
75008 Paris 
FRANCE

sTOCkHOLM
IG Markets Limited 
Stureplan 2 
114 35 Stockholm 
SWEDEN

+22 400 200
info@igmarkets.no
www.igmarkets.no

+33 (0)1 70 98 18 18
info@igmarkets.fr
www.igmarkets.fr

+46 (0)8 5051 5000
kundservice@igmarkets.se
www.igmarkets.se

+1 800 995 362
helpdesk.uk@ig.com
www.ig.com

+31 (0)20 7946 610
info@igmarkets.nl 
www.igmarkets.nl

+49 (0)211 88 23 70 00
info@igmarkets.de
www.igmarkets.de

+352 24 87 11 17
info@igmarkets.lu
www.igmarkets.lu 

+34 91 414 15 15
info@igmarkets.es 
www.igmarkets.es 

CHICAGO
Nadex, Inc.
311 South Wacker Drive
Suite 2675
Chicago, IL 60606
US

jOHANNEsBURG
IG Markets South Africa Limited
The Place
1 Sandton Drive
Sandown
Sandton
2196, Johannesburg
SOUTH AFRICA

+1 312 884 0100
customerservice@nadex.com
www.nadex.com

+27 (0)11 467 8500
helpdesk@igmarkets.co.za
www.igmarkets.co.za

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

MELBOURNE
IG Australia Pty Limited
Level 15
55 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
AUSTRALIA

sINGAPORE
IG Markets Limited
9 Battery Road
#01-02 Straits Trading Building
SINGAPORE 049910

TOkYO
IG Markets Securities Limited 
Shiodome
City Center 10F
1-5-2 Higashi-Shinbashi
Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-7110
JAPAN

+(86 10) 8532 3886
RepOffice@igmarkets.com.cn
www.igmarkets.com.cn/en

+61 (3) 9860 1799
helpdesk@igmarkets.com.au
www.igmarkets.com.au

+(65) 6390 5118
helpdesk@igmarkets.com.sg
www.igmarkets.com.sg

+81 3 6704 8500
helpdesk@igmarkets.co.jp
www.igmarkets.co.jp

164  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

165

shaReholdeR and 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.investorcentre.co.uk/ecomms 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:

Computershare Investor Services PLC 
The Pavilions 
Bridgwater Road 
Bristol 
BS99 6ZZ, UK

Or contact them by telephone on: 0871 495 2032 (calls 
from some fixed networks cost no more than a geographic 
rate call (01 or 02, between 2p and 10p plus a call set-up 
fee in some cases) and may count towards any inclusive 
minutes in the same way. Calls from other fixed networks 
typically cost up to 10p per minute. From some mobile 
networks calls typically cost between 12p and 41p per 
minute). Lines are open 9am – 5.30pm, Monday – Friday.

2013 final dividend dates 
Ex dividend date   
Record date  
Last day to elect for DRIP    
AGM  
Payment date 

18 September 2013 
20 September 2013 
27 September 2013  
17 October 2013  
22 October 2013 

annual shaReholdeR calendaR 
(a) Company reporting 
Final results announced 
Annual Report published 
Annual General Meeting 

23 July 2013 
19 September 2013 
17 October 2013

(b) Dividend payment  
Interim    
Final 

February  
October 

inteRim RepoRt 
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. 

INVESTOR RESOURCES AND OTHER INFORMATION: SHAREHOLDER AND COMPANY INFORMATION

Registered Office  
Cannon Bridge House  
25 Dowgate Hill  
London  
EC4R 2YA 

Registered Number 
04677092 

cautionaRy statement 
Certain statements included in our 2013 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. 

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. 

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. 

maRKet shaRe 
Market share data has been provided by Investment 
Trends Pty Limited (website: www.investmenttrends.co.uk). 
Contact: Pawel Rokicki (email: pawel@investmenttrends.
com.au). Unless stated, market share data is sourced from 
the following current reports:

•	 Investment	Trends	May	2012	Australia	CFD	Report
•	 Investment	Trends	May	2013	France	CFD/FX	Report
•	 Investment	Trends	April	2013	Germany	CFD/FX	Report
•	 Investment	Trends	September	2012	Singapore	CFD/FX	

Report

•	 Investment	Trends	November	2012	UK	FSB/CFD	and	FX	

Report

company infoRmation 
Directors  
Executive Directors  
T A Howkins (Chief Executive)  
P G Hetherington  
C F Hill 

Non-executive Directors  
J R Davie (Chairman)  
S G Hill 
D M Jackson  
S J Tymms 
R P Yates (Senior Independent Director) 

Company Secretary 
B Messer 

Auditors  
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP  
7 More London Riverside 
London 
SE1 2RT

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  
Computershare Investor Services plc 
The Pavilions 
Bridgwater Road 
Bristol  
BS99 6ZZ

Brokers 
UBS Limited  
1 Finsbury Avenue  
London  
EC2M 2PP 

Numis Securities Limited  
10 Paternoster Square  
London  
EC4M 7LT 

166  |  IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC  |  2013 ANNUAL REPORT

167

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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