Financial and Business News

Despite Monthly Dip in Trades, Retail Traders Drive Interactive Brokers Accounts Up 31%

Wednesday, 01/04/2026 | 16:48 GMT by Tareq Sikder
  • Daily Average Revenue Trades rose 25% yearly to 4.3M, with client accounts reaching 4.7M.
  • Client equity rises 38% yearly to $789 billion, while margin loans and credit balances grow strongly.
Headquarters of Interactive Brokers, Source: Wikipedia
Headquarters of Interactive Brokers, Source: Wikipedia

Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. reported its electronic brokerage metrics for March, showing continued growth in client activity and accounts, a key indicator of retail participation.

Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!).

Daily Average Revenue Trades reached 4.329 million. This was 25% higher than a year earlier and 1% lower than the previous month. The firm ended the month with 4.754 million client accounts, up 31% year-on-year and 2% higher than February.

Retail Trading Activity Remains Steady Monthly

Ending client equity stood at $789.4 billion. This was 38% higher than a year earlier but 4% lower than the prior month. Client margin loan balances totaled $86.0 billion, rising 35% year-on-year but declining 4% month-on-month.

Client credit balances reached $168.8 billion, including $6.5 billion in insured bank deposit sweeps. This was 35% higher than a year earlier and 4% higher than the previous month.

Activity per account remained steady. The annualized average cleared DARTs per client account stood at 199. The average commission per cleared commissionable order was $2.74, including exchange , clearing, and regulatory fees.

Execution Costs Remain Low, Trades Elevated

The company also reported a small mark-to-market loss on its U.S. government securities portfolio for the quarter. Its internal currency basket, known as the GLOBAL, declined slightly during both the month and the quarter.

Execution data showed the average U.S. stock trade size remained elevated in March. The firm said the “total cost of executing and clearing U.S. Reg.-NMS stocks” for its professional clients was low, measured against a VWAP benchmark, with a similarly modest cost over the longer term.

Broker Integrates Digital Assets Multi-Platform

Beyond traditional securities, Interactive Brokers has also been expanding its platform to include digital assets. The broker has made crypto-asset trading available to eligible individual investors in the European Economic Area through Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited, an authorised crypto-asset provider.

The platform supports 11 crypto-assets alongside stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, and mutual funds. The firm said the launch is intended to simplify trading and improve transparency.

Clients can now transfer existing cryptocurrency holdings into accounts linked to the platform, allowing trading of digital assets without prior liquidation. The broker has gradually expanded its crypto offering over recent years, including launches via Paxos and in the UK, integrating digital assets into its broader multi-asset platform.

Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. reported its electronic brokerage metrics for March, showing continued growth in client activity and accounts, a key indicator of retail participation.

Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!).

Daily Average Revenue Trades reached 4.329 million. This was 25% higher than a year earlier and 1% lower than the previous month. The firm ended the month with 4.754 million client accounts, up 31% year-on-year and 2% higher than February.

Retail Trading Activity Remains Steady Monthly

Ending client equity stood at $789.4 billion. This was 38% higher than a year earlier but 4% lower than the prior month. Client margin loan balances totaled $86.0 billion, rising 35% year-on-year but declining 4% month-on-month.

Client credit balances reached $168.8 billion, including $6.5 billion in insured bank deposit sweeps. This was 35% higher than a year earlier and 4% higher than the previous month.

Activity per account remained steady. The annualized average cleared DARTs per client account stood at 199. The average commission per cleared commissionable order was $2.74, including exchange , clearing, and regulatory fees.

Execution Costs Remain Low, Trades Elevated

The company also reported a small mark-to-market loss on its U.S. government securities portfolio for the quarter. Its internal currency basket, known as the GLOBAL, declined slightly during both the month and the quarter.

Execution data showed the average U.S. stock trade size remained elevated in March. The firm said the “total cost of executing and clearing U.S. Reg.-NMS stocks” for its professional clients was low, measured against a VWAP benchmark, with a similarly modest cost over the longer term.

Broker Integrates Digital Assets Multi-Platform

Beyond traditional securities, Interactive Brokers has also been expanding its platform to include digital assets. The broker has made crypto-asset trading available to eligible individual investors in the European Economic Area through Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited, an authorised crypto-asset provider.

The platform supports 11 crypto-assets alongside stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, and mutual funds. The firm said the launch is intended to simplify trading and improve transparency.

Clients can now transfer existing cryptocurrency holdings into accounts linked to the platform, allowing trading of digital assets without prior liquidation. The broker has gradually expanded its crypto offering over recent years, including launches via Paxos and in the UK, integrating digital assets into its broader multi-asset platform.

About the Author: Tareq Sikder
Tareq Sikder
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Tareq is a financial writer with 15 years of experience covering global markets. His work spans technical analysis, forex broker reviews, and market sentiment, with a focus on topics relevant to retail traders. He joined Finance Magnates in 2023. At Finance Magnates, he serves as News Editor, covering retail forex and CFD brokers, cryptocurrency exchanges, fintech firms, and regulatory developments shaping the trading industry. He holds an Honours degree in Information Technology from Anfell College, London. Education: Honours degree Information Technology, Anfell College, London

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