Marex Group plc announced today it has agreed with Close Brothers to buy Winterflood Securities for £103.9 million in cash.
Founded in 1988, UK equity market maker Winterflood Securities services over 400 institutional clients. According to Marex, Winterflood represents 15% of the LSE traded volumes.
According to Close Brothers’ latest earnings reports, Winterflood has long held a top three rank among LSE counterparties, driven by high-frequency liquidity provision and execution services. Despite this position, it reported a £800k operating loss for the first half of 2025 which closed 31 January, following a £2.6 million loss in H1 2024.
Announcing the acquisition, Marex CEO Ian Lowitt said: “This acquisition gives us an opportunity to transform our existing equity market making business into a leading franchise”
He expects synergies via scale, technology integration, and access to new institutional clients.
The deal follows Marex’s strong start to 2025. For Q1, the firm reported revenues increased by 28% year-on-year? to US$467 million.
The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and expected to close in early 2026.
