Plus500 to Acquire Hedge Capital Markets, Enter SEC-Regulated US Market

Online trading company Plus500 Ltd (LON:PLUS) has conditionally agreed to acquire Hedge Capital Markets Inc., a US broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). The acquisition, announced today, marks Plus500's entry into the SEC-regulated segment of the US market.

Hedge was founded in 2021 by Kyle Al-Rawi and Yash Khandelwal to serve a new generation of US retail investors and to offer access to exchange-listed securities, including stocks and ETFs.

The deal is expected to strengthen the foundations for the launch of Plus500's US 'super-app' in Q1 2027. It will complement the group's existing US operations and create a multi-asset ecosystem, providing new and existing US customers with a broader suite of trading and investment solutions. The acquisition also enables direct access to SEC-regulated US securities markets, expanding Plus500's US product suite to include stocks, options, ETFs and other exchange-listed securities, alongside futures and prediction markets.

The acquisition will be funded entirely from Plus500's existing cash resources, which stood at over $860m as of 30 June 2026. Closing is subject to customary conditions, including the expiration of the required notice period and approval by FINRA under Rule 1017.

Plus500 has established a new hub in New York to work alongside its Chicago operations. The New York team, headed by senior executives with deep knowledge of the US market, will be reinforced by Hedge personnel joining the group, who bring specialist securities expertise and an established regulatory footprint.

David Zruia, Chief Executive Officer of Plus500, said the acquisition strengthens the company's CFTC-regulated business and provides direct access to the US securities market. He added that with the New York hub and the Hedge team, Plus500 has the people, licences and technology to accelerate growth, and that the deal paves the way for the expected launch of the US 'super-app' in Q1 2027.