Interactive Brokers Posts Strong Business Metrics in February, DARTs Drop YoY

Interactive Brokers LLC (NASDAQ:IBKR), a global electronic multi-asset broker and market-maker listed on Nasdaq, has reported its volumes for the month ending February 2017, which showed mixed results across a number of notable metrics, according to an Interactive Brokers statement.

During February 2017, the number of DARTs were reported at 678,000, which correlated to a decline of -12.0 percent year-on-year from 767,000 in February 2016. Over a month-on-month basis, Interactive Brokers reversed the narrative after seeing a more upbeat performance in DARTs relative to the prior month with February’s figure jumping approximately 5 percent relative to 646,000 reported back in January 2017.

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Despite the decline in DARTs over a yearly interval, the equity balance in customers’ accounts during February 2017 totaled $92.9 billion, representing an increase of 41.0 percent year-on-year from $66.1 billion in the same month a year earlier. In addition, Interactive Brokers bested its January 2017 equivalent, having notched a gain of 4.0 percent month-on-month from just $89.4 billion in the prior month.

Interactive Brokers’ ending client margin loan balances also came in at $19.5 billion in February 2017, or 4.0 percent higher month-on-month from $18.7 billion in January 2017. Across a yearly interval, the figure moved higher by 34.0 percent year-on-year when weighed against $14.6 billion in February 2016.

Business highlights, according to the company’s press release, also showed that a total of 398,000 customer accounts were active at IB during February 2017. The figure was marginally higher by 2.0 percent month-on-month when compared to January 2017 (391,000 accounts), and 17.0 percent higher year-on-year from 340,000 accounts in the previous year.

On average, Interactive Brokers charged clients in February 2017 commission fees of $3.95 per order, including exchange, clearing and regulatory fees, with the key products metrics coming out at $2.36 for stocks, $6.01 for equity options and $6.38 for futures orders.