Trading Statement

IG Group Holdings plc
26 May 2006

26 May 2006

                             IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC

                                Pre-close Update



IG Group Holdings plc ('IG' or 'the Group') issues the following trading update
in respect of the year ending 31 May 2006.



Throughout the financial year trading has been strong.  Revenues, numbers of
clients trading and numbers of transactions have all shown substantial
progressive increases.  The Board anticipates that it will report revenue in
excess of £85m (2005: £62m) and EBITDA* in excess of £50m (2005: £35m),
representing increases of at least 37% and 42%, respectively.



IG's UK financial spread betting business has seen a substantial increase in the
rate of recruitment of clients.  The number of clients recruited in the second
half of the financial year will exceed that in the first half by more than 50%.
Annual revenue growth for this business is anticipated to exceed 30%.



The Group's Australian business continues to achieve sustained high levels of
growth and will report year on year revenue growth comfortably in excess of
100%.



IG's London-based CFD business is anticipated to report growth of approximately
60% and has substantially increased its worldwide network of introducers during
the year.



The Group's sports division continues to make good progress and will report
revenue growth of approximately 30%.



During the final quarter of the financial year the Group implemented a number of
its planned initiatives.  Its Singapore office received its licence from the
Monetary Authority of Singapore and commenced trading in April.  The Group's
innovative sports fixed odds offering, extrabet.com, was launched in late March.
  None of these initiatives is expected to deliver material revenue in the
current financial year and it is too early to assess their full potential.  The
Group will provide an update on the progress of these initiatives when it
reports its preliminary results on 24 July 2006.



Nat le Roux has indicated to the Board that he wishes to step down from his
position as Chief Executive, which he has held for slightly over four years, in
order to pursue other interests.  He will remain on the Board as non-executive
deputy chairman and, in addition, will continue to work as a consultant to the
Group for, on average, one day per week.  He will primarily assist with ongoing
overseas initiatives.



Tim Howkins, who has been Finance Director of the Group for approximately seven
years and has worked closely with Nat in formulating and implementing the
strategy of the Group, will succeed Nat as Chief Executive.  The Board has
appointed an executive search agency to seek a replacement Finance Director and
the succession of Chief Executive will take place once a suitable candidate is
in place.  A further announcement will be made once an appointment has been
made.



Jonathan Davie, Chairman of IG, said: 'During Nat le Roux's four years as Chief
Executive, IG Group's profits have grown at a compound annual rate of more than
35% and we have put in place the building blocks to enable us to address a
worldwide client base.  Tim Howkins has played a major part in the strategic
planning and management of the company over this period and is ideally qualified
to take the business forward.  I am delighted that Nat has agreed to remain on
the Board as non-executive deputy chairman.'



Nat le Roux and Tim Howkins will hold a dial-in conference call for investors
and analysts at 9.30am UK time on 26 May 2006.  Those wishing to register for
this conference call should contact Nick Henderson at Financial Dynamics on +44
(0)20 7269 7114 or at [e-mail].



The Board's strategic objectives are twofold.  First, to continue to deliver
high levels of growth in earnings per share, achieved, inter alia, by increasing
the size and breadth of the client base both geographically and in terms of the
instruments and underlying markets traded.  Second, to continue to maintain the
low level of volatility of revenues and earnings achieved over the last three
years by means of strong risk management policies.  The Board believes that it
has achieved good progress in the past year and that it is increasingly well
placed to continue to deliver on these objectives.  The Board is confident of
the Group's prospects as it enters the next financial year.



* EBITDA represents earnings before exceptional administrative costs,
depreciation, amortisation charges, taxation, interest payable on debt and
interest receivable on corporate cash balances and includes interest receivable
on clients' money net of interest payable to clients





For further information please contact:


IG Group                                             020 7896 0011
Nat le Roux
Tim Howkins


Financial Dynamics                                   020 7269 7200
Robert Bailhache
Nick Henderson

www.iggroup.com


Notes for editors



IG Group Holdings plc offers speculative betting and trading opportunities in
equities, equity indices, currencies, metals, commodities, interest rates,
sports, politics and other markets.  It has offices in London, Melbourne and
Singapore and clients in approximately 100 countries.  The Group has a number of
brands.  IG Index is the UK's leading provider of financial spread betting.  IG
Markets offers CFDs to a worldwide client base.  Binarybet.com is the market
leader in binary betting, an innovative form of short term betting on financial
and sports markets, which IG introduced to the UK market.  Extrabet.com offers
clients conventional fixed odds betting on sport and financial markets, but with
the ability to close their bets in order to take profits or cut losses before
the end of the event being bet on.  The Group offers more than 10,000 discrete
financial markets, the widest range of any spread betting or CFD provider
worldwide.  Almost 90% of client transactions are done on-line using the Group's
Internet, mobile or direct market access platforms.  The Group derives
significant global revenues from arrangements with third parties including
stockbrokers, financial advisors and portfolio management companies, who
introduce clients to the Group.



Tim Howkins is 43 years old.  He joined IG in 1999 as Finance Director, since
when he has played an instrumental role in the development of the Group.  He has
worked closely with the current Chief Executive in formulating and implementing
the strategic plans of the Group.  Tim is qualified as a chartered accountant
and member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation and has a first class degree
in mathematics and computer science.












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