Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Interactive Brokers (IBKR) Expands in Central Europe Region

Read MoreHide Full Article

Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (IBKR - Free Report) recently announced the opening of its Budapest office as well as Interactive Brokers Central Europe Zrt. Earlier on Dec 12, Hungary’s Central Bank, Magyar Nemzeti Bank, approved the brokerage license for Interactive Brokers Central Europe Zrt.

Interactive Brokers, which helps clients invest in stocks, derivatives, currencies, bonds and funds, serves more than one million clients across 220 countries and territories. Over the past few years, the company has become one of the foremost securities firms in the world with more than $8.5 billion in equity capital, $23 billion market capital, and $286.7 billion in client equity.

Thomas Peterffy, chairman of Interactive Brokers, said, "Establishing an office in Hungary is part of our continuing trend of opening entities around the world to support our growing global presence. We plan to make Budapest the center of our operations for Central Europe to keep pace with account growth, which has been rapid in both Western and Eastern Europe and around the world."

Notably, at present, more than 25% of the company's business comes in from Europe and Africa. As of Nov 30, 2020, Interactive Brokers’ client accounts have jumped 52% year on year, with more than 80% of growth coming in from outside of the United States.

Further, earlier this month, the company inked a deal to acquire Folio Investments Inc.’s “self-directed” retail brokerage division. The transaction will add nearly 70,000 current Folio Investments’ “self-directed” clients to Interactive Brokers.

With the opening of its new office in Budapest, the company will now be able to cater to the growing number of investors and wealth managers in the rapidly-growing central European region.

Shares of Interactive Brokers have rallied 16.6% over the past year, outperforming the industry's growth of 14.8%.

Currently, Interactive Brokers carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Other Stocks to Consider

Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR - Free Report) witnessed an upward earnings estimate revision of 26.3% for 2020 over the past two months. Its shares have gained 21.3% over the past year. At present, it sports a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Cowen Inc. recorded an upward earnings estimate revision of 23.6% for the ongoing year in the past two months. Its shares have appreciated 63.4 % in a year’s time. Currently, it carries a Zacks Rank of 2.

Evercore Inc. (EVR - Free Report) registered an upward earnings estimate revision of 38% for the ongoing year in two months’ time. Its shares have rallied 35.2 % in the past year. It carries a Zacks Rank of 2, currently.

Legal Marijuana: An Investor’s Dream

Imagine getting in early on a young industry primed to skyrocket from $17.7 billion in 2019 to an expected $73.6 billion by 2027.

Although marijuana stocks did better as the pandemic took hold than the market as a whole, they’ve been pushed down. This is exactly the right time to get in on selected strong companies at a fraction of their value before COVID struck. Zacks’ Special Report, Marijuana Moneymakers, reveals 10 exciting tickers for urgent consideration.

Download Marijuana Moneymakers FREE >>

Published in