H1 Results Put Optimal Payments on Track for Listing on LSE’s Main Board
Wednesday,26/08/2015|10:27GMTby
Andy Traveller
The payments solutions provider's revenues were up 40.2% YoY, taking it a step closer to its goal of trading on the LSE's Main Market .
Optimal Payments (LSE AIM: OPAY), the Isle of Man-based provider of online payment solutions, today released positive half year results for the six months ended June 30, 2015.
Going into the numbers, the company announced that revenues were up 40.2% YoY from $159.1 million in H1 2014 to $223.0 million in H1 2015, with an adjusted EBITDA up 27.9% YoY to $49.9 million.
Adjusted profit after tax increased by 18.7% to $37.3 million, compared to $31.4 million for the corresponding period in 2014. Adjusted diluted EPS increased 11.4% to $0.12, marginally higher than $0.11 in H1 2014, while statutory fully diluted EPS amounted to $0.01, down from $0.10 a year earlier.
Optimal Payments operates subsidiary brands, providing the NETBANX gateway solution, NETELLER e-money payments, and a free P2P money transfer service. Revenues were up across all businesses.
Accordingly, the NETELLER Stored Value business saw revenues rise by 20.1% YoY to $49.8 million in spite of the weakness of the euro against the USD.
Revenues of the NETBANX Straight Through Processing (STP) business were also strong, coming in 47.4% higher than the same period in 2014 at $173.0 million. The NETBANX results incorporate revenue from the acquisition and integration of US businesses Meritus and GMA, which the company acquired in H2 2014, with both businesses trading strongly.
The results do not take account of the acquisition of the Skrill Group, which was completed on August 10, 2015.
The results do not take account of the acquisition of the Skrill Group, which was completed on August 10, 2015 - after the end of the H1 period. The deal, worth approximately $1.2 billion (€1.1 billion), will help cement Optimal Payments as a comprehensive provider of payment solutions with the ability to process over 100 payment types in more than 20 languages and over 40 currencies.
Skrill Group is a provider of online payment and e-money solutions, boasting one of the deepest market penetrations in Europe, amongst prepaid online voucher providers.
The group also acquired FANS Entertainment (FANS), a mobile platform developer based in Montreal, to offer an application with Analytics for merchants to engage more directly with their customers.
As a result of these initiatives, the company incurred restructuring costs of $4.1 million and acquisition costs of $12.4 million during the first half year of 2015.
The strong results put Optimal Payments - which is already listed on London’s AIM exchange for smaller, growing companies - on track to seek admission of its ordinary shares to listing on the premium segment of the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and admission to trading on the London Stock Exchange’s (LSE) Main Market for listed securities. This would mean that the company’s shares would then be eligible for inclusion in the FTSE 250 Index of the LSE.
Strong performance was achieved in the period in which we also completed the negotiations to acquire Skrill, which positions us as a key player in the global payments industry.
Commenting on today’s results, Joel Leonoff, President & CEO, said: “Our first half results show continued strong performance with growth in NETELLER and NETBANX including a significant contribution from the integration of Meritus & GMA, the US centric businesses we acquired last year. This was achieved in the period in which we also completed the negotiations to acquire Skrill, a transformational transaction for us and for our shareholders and one which positions us as a key player in the global payments industry.”
“Current trading continues to be strong and we believe that the consolidated business places us in a much stronger position in the payments landscape and are eagerly looking forward to our future as a combined entity," he concluded.
Optimal Payments (LSE AIM: OPAY), the Isle of Man-based provider of online payment solutions, today released positive half year results for the six months ended June 30, 2015.
Going into the numbers, the company announced that revenues were up 40.2% YoY from $159.1 million in H1 2014 to $223.0 million in H1 2015, with an adjusted EBITDA up 27.9% YoY to $49.9 million.
Adjusted profit after tax increased by 18.7% to $37.3 million, compared to $31.4 million for the corresponding period in 2014. Adjusted diluted EPS increased 11.4% to $0.12, marginally higher than $0.11 in H1 2014, while statutory fully diluted EPS amounted to $0.01, down from $0.10 a year earlier.
Optimal Payments operates subsidiary brands, providing the NETBANX gateway solution, NETELLER e-money payments, and a free P2P money transfer service. Revenues were up across all businesses.
Accordingly, the NETELLER Stored Value business saw revenues rise by 20.1% YoY to $49.8 million in spite of the weakness of the euro against the USD.
Revenues of the NETBANX Straight Through Processing (STP) business were also strong, coming in 47.4% higher than the same period in 2014 at $173.0 million. The NETBANX results incorporate revenue from the acquisition and integration of US businesses Meritus and GMA, which the company acquired in H2 2014, with both businesses trading strongly.
The results do not take account of the acquisition of the Skrill Group, which was completed on August 10, 2015.
The results do not take account of the acquisition of the Skrill Group, which was completed on August 10, 2015 - after the end of the H1 period. The deal, worth approximately $1.2 billion (€1.1 billion), will help cement Optimal Payments as a comprehensive provider of payment solutions with the ability to process over 100 payment types in more than 20 languages and over 40 currencies.
Skrill Group is a provider of online payment and e-money solutions, boasting one of the deepest market penetrations in Europe, amongst prepaid online voucher providers.
The group also acquired FANS Entertainment (FANS), a mobile platform developer based in Montreal, to offer an application with Analytics for merchants to engage more directly with their customers.
As a result of these initiatives, the company incurred restructuring costs of $4.1 million and acquisition costs of $12.4 million during the first half year of 2015.
The strong results put Optimal Payments - which is already listed on London’s AIM exchange for smaller, growing companies - on track to seek admission of its ordinary shares to listing on the premium segment of the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and admission to trading on the London Stock Exchange’s (LSE) Main Market for listed securities. This would mean that the company’s shares would then be eligible for inclusion in the FTSE 250 Index of the LSE.
Strong performance was achieved in the period in which we also completed the negotiations to acquire Skrill, which positions us as a key player in the global payments industry.
Commenting on today’s results, Joel Leonoff, President & CEO, said: “Our first half results show continued strong performance with growth in NETELLER and NETBANX including a significant contribution from the integration of Meritus & GMA, the US centric businesses we acquired last year. This was achieved in the period in which we also completed the negotiations to acquire Skrill, a transformational transaction for us and for our shareholders and one which positions us as a key player in the global payments industry.”
“Current trading continues to be strong and we believe that the consolidated business places us in a much stronger position in the payments landscape and are eagerly looking forward to our future as a combined entity," he concluded.
Robinhood Shares Surge 11% as Fintech Seeks Independence From Kalshi in Prediction Markets
Marketing in 2026 Audiences, Costs, and Smarter AI
Marketing in 2026 Audiences, Costs, and Smarter AI
As brokers eye B2B business and compete with fintechs and crypto exchanges alike, marketers need to act wisely with often limited budgets. AI can offer scalable solutions, but only if used properly.
Join seasoned marketing executives and specialists as they discuss the main challenges they identify in financial services in 2026 and how they address them.
Attendees of this session will walk away with:
- A nuts-and-bolts account of acquisition costs across platforms and geos
- Analysis of today’s multi-layered audience segments and differences in behaviour
- First-hand account of how global brokers balance consistency and local flavour
- Notes from the field about intelligently using AI and automation in marketing
Speakers:
-Yam Yehoshua, Editor-In-Chief at Finance Magnates
-Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X
-Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer, Consulting | Fractional CMO
-Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive
-Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance
-Tony Cross, Director at Monk Communications
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #FintechMarketing #AI #DigitalStrategy #Fintech #Innovation
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As brokers eye B2B business and compete with fintechs and crypto exchanges alike, marketers need to act wisely with often limited budgets. AI can offer scalable solutions, but only if used properly.
Join seasoned marketing executives and specialists as they discuss the main challenges they identify in financial services in 2026 and how they address them.
Attendees of this session will walk away with:
- A nuts-and-bolts account of acquisition costs across platforms and geos
- Analysis of today’s multi-layered audience segments and differences in behaviour
- First-hand account of how global brokers balance consistency and local flavour
- Notes from the field about intelligently using AI and automation in marketing
Speakers:
-Yam Yehoshua, Editor-In-Chief at Finance Magnates
-Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X
-Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer, Consulting | Fractional CMO
-Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive
-Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance
-Tony Cross, Director at Monk Communications
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #FintechMarketing #AI #DigitalStrategy #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
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Much like their traders in the market, brokers must diversify to manage risk and stay resilient. But that can get costly, clunky, and lengthy.
This candid panel brings together builders across the trading infrastructure space to uncover the shifting dynamics behind tools, interfaces, and full-stack ambitions.
Attendees will hear:
-Why platform dependency has become one of the most overlooked risks in the trading business?
-Buy vs. build: What do hybrid models look like, and why are industry graveyards filled with failed ‘killer apps’?
-How AI is already changing execution, risk, and reporting—and what’s next?
-Which features, assets, and tools gain the most traction, and where brokers should look for tech-driven retention?
Speakers:
-Stephen Miles, Chief Revenue Officer at FYNXT
-John Morris, Co-Founder at FXBlue
-Matthew Smith, Group Chair & CEO at EC Markets
-Tom Higgins, Founder & CEO at Gold-i
-Gil Ben Hur, Founder at 5% Group
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #Trading #Fintech #FintechInnovation #TradingTechnology #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
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🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Much like their traders in the market, brokers must diversify to manage risk and stay resilient. But that can get costly, clunky, and lengthy.
This candid panel brings together builders across the trading infrastructure space to uncover the shifting dynamics behind tools, interfaces, and full-stack ambitions.
Attendees will hear:
-Why platform dependency has become one of the most overlooked risks in the trading business?
-Buy vs. build: What do hybrid models look like, and why are industry graveyards filled with failed ‘killer apps’?
-How AI is already changing execution, risk, and reporting—and what’s next?
-Which features, assets, and tools gain the most traction, and where brokers should look for tech-driven retention?
Speakers:
-Stephen Miles, Chief Revenue Officer at FYNXT
-John Morris, Co-Founder at FXBlue
-Matthew Smith, Group Chair & CEO at EC Markets
-Tom Higgins, Founder & CEO at Gold-i
-Gil Ben Hur, Founder at 5% Group
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #Trading #Fintech #FintechInnovation #TradingTechnology #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Educators, IBs, And Other Regional Growth Drivers
Educators, IBs, And Other Regional Growth Drivers
When acquisition costs rise and AI generated reviews are exactly as useful as they sound, performing and fair partners can make or break brokers.
This session looks at how these players are shaping access, trust and user engagement, and what the most effective partnership models look like in 2025.
Key Themes:
- Building trader communities through education and local expertise
- Aligning broker incentives with long-term regional strategies
- Regional regulation and the realities of compliant acquisition
- What’s next for performance-driven partnerships in online trading
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Zander Van Der Merwe, Key Individual & Head of Sales at TD Markets
-Brunno Huertas, Regional Manager – Latin America at Tickmill
-Paul Chalmers, CEO at UK Trading Academy
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #BrokerGrowth #FintechPartnerships #RegionalMarkets
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
When acquisition costs rise and AI generated reviews are exactly as useful as they sound, performing and fair partners can make or break brokers.
This session looks at how these players are shaping access, trust and user engagement, and what the most effective partnership models look like in 2025.
Key Themes:
- Building trader communities through education and local expertise
- Aligning broker incentives with long-term regional strategies
- Regional regulation and the realities of compliant acquisition
- What’s next for performance-driven partnerships in online trading
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Zander Van Der Merwe, Key Individual & Head of Sales at TD Markets
-Brunno Huertas, Regional Manager – Latin America at Tickmill
-Paul Chalmers, CEO at UK Trading Academy
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #BrokerGrowth #FintechPartnerships #RegionalMarkets
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
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📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
The Leap to Everything App: Are Brokers There Yet?
The Leap to Everything App: Are Brokers There Yet?
As the arms race to bundle investing, personal finance, and wallets under super apps grows fiercer, brokers are caught between a rock and a hard place.
This session explores unexpected ways for industry players to collaborate as consumer habits evolve, competitors eye the traffic, and regulation becomes more nuanced.
Speakers:
-Laura McCracken,CEO | Advisory Board Member at Blackheath Advisors | The Payments Association
-Slobodan Manojlović,Vice President | Lead Software Engineer at JP Morgan Chase & Co.
-Jordan Sinclair, President at Robinhood UK
-Simon Pelletier, Head of Product at Yuh
Gerald Perez, CEO at Interactive Brokers UK
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As the arms race to bundle investing, personal finance, and wallets under super apps grows fiercer, brokers are caught between a rock and a hard place.
This session explores unexpected ways for industry players to collaborate as consumer habits evolve, competitors eye the traffic, and regulation becomes more nuanced.
Speakers:
-Laura McCracken,CEO | Advisory Board Member at Blackheath Advisors | The Payments Association
-Slobodan Manojlović,Vice President | Lead Software Engineer at JP Morgan Chase & Co.
-Jordan Sinclair, President at Robinhood UK
-Simon Pelletier, Head of Product at Yuh
Gerald Perez, CEO at Interactive Brokers UK
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
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🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Mind The Gap: Can Retail Investors Save the UK Stock Market?
Mind The Gap: Can Retail Investors Save the UK Stock Market?
As the dire state of listing and investment in the UK goes from a financial services problem to a national challenge, the retail investing industry is taken to task.
Join a host of executives and experts for a candid conversation about the future of millions of Brits, as seen from a financial services standpoint:
-Are they happy with the Leeds Reform, in principle and in practice?
-Is it the government’s job to affect the ‘saver’ mentality? Is it doing well?
-What can brokers and fintechs do to spur UK investment?
-How can the FCA balance greater flexibility with consumer protection?
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Nicola Higgs, Partner at Latham & Watkins
-Dan Lane, Investment Content Lead at Robinhood UK
-Jack Crone, PR & Public Affairs Lead at IG
-David Belle, Founder at Fink Money
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #RetailInvesting #UKFinance
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As the dire state of listing and investment in the UK goes from a financial services problem to a national challenge, the retail investing industry is taken to task.
Join a host of executives and experts for a candid conversation about the future of millions of Brits, as seen from a financial services standpoint:
-Are they happy with the Leeds Reform, in principle and in practice?
-Is it the government’s job to affect the ‘saver’ mentality? Is it doing well?
-What can brokers and fintechs do to spur UK investment?
-How can the FCA balance greater flexibility with consumer protection?
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Nicola Higgs, Partner at Latham & Watkins
-Dan Lane, Investment Content Lead at Robinhood UK
-Jack Crone, PR & Public Affairs Lead at IG
-David Belle, Founder at Fink Money
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #RetailInvesting #UKFinance
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
