Fund Manager Artemis Buys Over 5% Stake in CFDs Broker Plus500

Popular fund manager Artemis Investment Management has acquired over 5 per cent of the shares in Plus500 (LON: PLUS), thus becoming one of the largest shareholders in the London-listed company.

Plus500’s New Major Shareholder

According to the latest TR-1 filing, the fund manager now holds about 3.523 million ordinary shares in the company.

TR-1 is a standard UK major shareholding notice when a holder crosses a threshold, such as 3 or 5 per cent. It indicates a change in voting rights, but does not specify whether the change came solely from market purchases, internal transfers between funds, or shifts in the denominator.

Although the TR-1 disclosure does not specify any acquisition cost, Artemis’ holdings in the contracts for differences (CFDs) broker are valued at £110.6 million, based on the current market price of PLUS shares.

Plus500 shares also touched their peak last June. Although the share price corrected from its peak, it has rallied over 23 per cent year to date.

According to the filings, BlackRock is the largest shareholder in Plus500, holding about a 6 per cent stake in the company. American asset manager Capital Group also bought a 5.44 per cent stake in the London-listed retail broker earlier this year. JPMorgan holds a 5.1 per cent stake in Plus500.

Read more: IG CEO Made $4.5 Million in FY25, but Still Earns Less Than Top Plus500 Executives

A Cash-Rich Company

Meanwhile, the London-listed broker is also ramping up its share buyback efforts. Last month, it kicked off a $90 million buyback programme, which is part of its plan to distribute $165 million to its shareholders. The other $75 million will be distributed as dividends.

Plus500 went public on the London Stock Exchange in July 2013 and launched its first buyback programme in 2017. Since then, the company has authorised share buybacks worth about $925 million, thus reducing its share capital.

In H1 2025, Plus500 generated $209.3 million in revenue with an EBITDA of $91.3 million. Customer deposits on the platform also jumped to $3.1 billion, a record for the company.

The broker is also cash rich, as it has maintained a healthy level of cash reserves. At the end of June, its balance sheet showed around $900 million in cash, which the company aims to use “to pursue organic and inorganic growth initiatives, while delivering attractive and sustainable shareholder returns.”

Read more stories on Plus500:

• Plus500 Can Now Offer “Regulated Access” to the European Futures Market
• Plus500 Marks Latin America Presence with a Representative Office in Colombia
• Plus500 to Kick Off $90 Million Share Buyback Programme Today