21st Aug 2015 07:00
Press Release | 21 August 2015 |
TechFinancials Inc.
("TechFinancials", the "Company" or the "Group")
Trading Update
TechFinancials (AIM: TECH), a software developer that supplies simplified trading solutions to online brokers, provides the following trading update ahead of the Group's Interim Results for the six months ended 30 June 2015, which are expected to be announced in the second half of September 2015.
Revenue has increased slightly from US$7.15 million in the first half of 2014 to US$7.34 million during the first half of this year. Operating performance improved marginally compared with the same period in 2014, but EBITDA, while positive, has been affected by an increase in necessary research and development expenditure.
Decisions made by the senior management of OptionFair at the end of the first quarter as well as the impact of complying with the new CySEC regulations have resulted in a lower than expected rate of customer conversion at the Company's B2C OptionFair business, primarily in the second quarter. While the Company has instigated changes to its management and operations in Cyprus to restore and improve its rate of customer conversion, the Board does not believe that these changes will take effect in time to enable OptionFair to achieve its anticipated level of business. Consequently the Company will not meet market expectations with regard to revenue and profit for the year to 31 December 2015. However, management expects OptionFair to return to a higher level of customer conversion and improved profitability in the next financial year.
Asaf Lahav, Group CEO of TechFinancials, said: "Whilst the performance of OptionFair is disappointing, the Group remains positive about the long term prospects for the B2C segment, as the new management structure takes shape. The Company's core B2B online trading software continues to perform well, and the Group is continually looking at opportunities in new domestic and overseas markets with high growth potential."
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For further information:
TechFinancials, Inc. | |
Asaf Lahav, Group Chief Executive Officer | |
Yuval Tovias, Chief Financial Officer | www.group.techfinancials.com |
Grant Thornton UK LLP (Nominated Adviser) | |
Melanie Frean/ Colin Aaronson | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7383 5100 |
Northland Capital Partners Limited (Broker) | |
Patrick Claridge/ David Hignell/ John Howes | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7382 1100 |
Argento Capital Markets Limited (Financial Adviser) | |
Alan MacKenzie / Jim McGeever | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7093 0353 |
Media enquiries:
Abchurch Communications Limited | |
Jamie Hooper / Canace Wong | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7398 7719 |
www.abchurch-group.com |
Notes to editors:
TechFinancials was formed in 2009 to create a simplified trading solution for online brokers wanting to provide a platform for retail customers to trade in Binary Options. Founders Asaf Lahav, Eyal Rosenblum, Eyal Alon and Jeremy Lange, are a group of four experienced senior executives with technology, FOREX and online marketing backgrounds, while Chairman Christopher Bell has 20 years' experience in the gambling industry and was the chief executive officer of Ladbrokes plc until 2010.
The Group's platform is based on a proprietary pricing engine, which enables online brokers to price and market short-term Binary Options and Exotic Options. The Group launched a beta version of its platform with two online brokers: OptionFair, the Group's own online regulated broker, and www.24option.com, one of the largest Binary Option broker in the world today, in April and July 2010, respectively. The Group subsequently launched a live version of the platform in January 2011. In 2014, around 18% of all deposits which are made to trade Binary Options globally were processed using the Group's software. In early 2014, TechFinancials began to focus on the Asian market, securing distribution in Japan and China. The Group has experienced substantial growth, with revenues of almost US$15.5 million in FY 2014, an increase of approximately 85% compared to FY 2013.
Binary Options are well-suited to retail customers because no in-depth knowledge of the financial markets is required in order to trade. Sometimes referred to as an "all-or-nothing option", Binary Options either pay a fixed amount or nothing at all, depending on whether a certain condition is fulfilled when the option expires. By contrast, traditional or "Vanilla" options can have a range of outcomes. Binary Options can also serve as a gateway to more professional financial trading products such as FOREX.
Since the simplified Binary Options market was first introduced in 2008 by etrader.co.il, it has experienced significant growth, both in number of online brokers operating in the market and trading volumes. That growth is set to continue as the online trading market becomes better established and subject to increased regulation, which will result in larger and better known financial organisations entering the Binary Options market. It is estimated that the global trading of Binary Options will reach approximately US$13.61 billion for 2014 and US$29.81 billion in 2016. Europe is currently the world's leading market for Binary Options.
About OptionFair
The Group's own online broker, OptionFair (www.OptionFair.com), operates as a broker regulated by CySEC since September 2013. It serves retail customers based principally in Europe. Launched in 2010, OptionFair was one of the first online Binary Options brokers to be established and offers Binary Options referenced to a wide range of financial instruments and assets. OptionFair utilises the technology developed by TechFinancials and also assists TechFinancials in trialing and evaluating products that it has under development.
OptionFair is now one of the leading EU regulated online Binary Options brokerages, generating revenues of US$4.1 million in H1 2014, an increase of approximately 160% compared to H1 2013. This growth was achieved by concentrating on multiple European markets, with a particular focus on the Eastern European market. In addition, in October 2014 OptionFair started to offer TechFinancials' new simplified FOREX trading platform in beta mode to a number of its customers.
The Group plans to use some of the proceeds from the Placing for OptionFair to enter new regulated markets which the Directors believe have significant growth potential, such as the US and Japan.
Related Shares:
TECH.L