Plus500 has launched a fresh round of shareholder returns after posting its highest customer income in five years, fueled by a rapid expansion across the United States.

The FTSE 250 fintech reported first-half revenue of $462.9m, representing a 12 per cent increase year-on-year. Customer income—a metric capturing revenue generated directly from client trading activity—climbed 24 per cent to $461m.

The growth was driven by the group's accelerated US scaling strategy, which targeted segments beyond its traditional over-the-counter (OTC) operations, including futures and physical share dealing. The push into non-OTC products comes as contract-for-difference providers across the industry have sought to diversify beyond their core European markets, where leverage restrictions introduced by regulators in recent years have constrained margins. Non-OTC revenue surged 30 per cent year-on-year to nearly $70m, accounting for 15 per cent of total group revenue. Plus500 indicated the division is on track to generate $140m in annual revenue.

On Monday, the trading group announced an additional $182.5m (£135m) in investor returns, comprising a $100m share buyback and $82.5m in dividends. This brings the total capital returned to shareholders since the company's 2013 IPO to $3.1bn, equivalent to a 12,000 per cent total shareholder return over the thirteen-year period—making it the best-performing stock across the FTSE All-Share Index during that timeframe.

Plus500 enters the sports predictions market

During the first half, Plus500 introduced event-based prediction contracts—financial derivatives in which users pay a fixed amount based on a yes-or-no outcome of a future event. The offering has primarily centered on major US sporting events, including football, basketball, and baseball. The move places Plus500 among a growing field of trading platforms exploring event contracts, a category that has drawn increased attention from US regulators as retail interest in prediction markets has expanded.

Despite the revenue increase, group earnings before tax edged up just one per cent to $188m, reflecting the company's decision to increase marketing investment in an effort to attract higher-value clients. Operating costs rose by a fifth to $278.5m, driven by a $16m increase in marketing expenditure. The higher spend reflects a broader industry pattern among online brokers competing for customers with larger deposits and longer retention, as customer acquisition costs have climbed across the sector.

Chief executive David Zruia said he expects full-year performance to align with market expectations of $811.5m in revenue and earnings before tax of $365.1m.