Online broker E*TRADE has reported a 42 per cent increase in some types of derivatives trading among UK investors.

The explosion in spread betting has seen the value of the largest player in the sector, IG Group, triple since it came back to the market in May 2005 after a period in private equity hands.

WorldSpreads Group, the UK financial spread betting firm, is set to float on AIM in a 20 mln stg IPO

Spreadex will pay clients 10% gross interest per annum on unencumbered funds on your deposit account.

Buyers swooped on London Capital Group, 16 pence better at 301-1/2, after the financial services and online spread betting company said it expects the first-half pretax profit to be 50 pct ahead of its original expectations