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Plus500 continues its expansion in the Americas, but unlike last week, when it bought Hegde Capital Markets a US broker dealer. this week it’s headed to South America and Brazil in particular, where its struck a deal to buy Guru a broker-dealer based in the country, that is regulated buy the central bank of Brazil and CVM the Brazilian SEC.
The Sao Paulo-based business offers its clients access to stocks, fixed income securities, real estate funds, as well as futures and options, in what is one of the largest derivative markets in the world.
It has a mobile trading app and a predominantly retail client base which should make it a good fit for Plus500.
No financial terms were disclosed but Plus500 has deep pockets with approximately $860 million of cash and cash equivalents on its balance sheet.
Unlike some of its rivals Plus500’s strategy has been to make bolt-on acquisitions, to buy licences and market access, and to use its in-house technology and financial resources to build out its operations thereafter.
Something I wrote about for Good Money Guide Pro in my stock of the week article on Monday 19/10/2026.
Why has Plus500 chosen Brazil?
Brazil is almost as big as the United States; it has a population of 215 million and its the 5th largest country in the world.
Brazil’s economy is worth around $2.60 trillion per annum far smaller than the United States and even the UK. But Brazil is a developing economy in every sense of the word, and it is expected to become the 8th largest globally by 2027 based on current growth rates.
The country has abundant natural resources and commodities and a climate that is perfect for many forms of agriculture. And its financial services sector is also growing rapidly.
The country’s B3 exchange which was formed by a merger in 2008 is one of the busiest markets in the world with billions of derivative contracts traded per annum.
Contracts over the local currency, the Real, and the Bovespa stock index are particularly popular.
B3 is the third largest exchange in the world by trading volumes and the second largest in the Americas after the CME.
Speaking about the acquisition of Guru Plus500’s CEO David Zruia said :
“Brazil is one of the world’s most attractive trading markets, and acquiring Guru gives us the licence, the experienced local team and the regulatory framework to thrive.”
I am sure we will be writing about Plus500 again before too long.
With over 35 years of finance experience, Darren is a highly respected and knowledgeable industry expert. With an extensive career covering trading, sales, analytics and research, he has a vast knowledge covering every aspect of the financial markets.
During his career, Darren has acted for and advised major hedge funds and investment banks such as GLG, Thames River, Ruby Capital and CQS, Dresdner Kleinwort and HSBC.
In addition to the financial analysis and commentary he provides as an editor at GoodMoneyGuide.com, his work has been featured in publications including Fool.co.uk.
As well as extensive experience of writing financial commentary, he previously worked as a Market Research & Client Relationships Manager at Admiral Markets UK Ltd, before providing expert insights as a market analyst at Pepperstone.
Darren is an expert in areas like currency, CFDs, equities and derivatives and has authored over 260 guides on GoodMoneyGuide.com.
He has an aptitude for explaining trading concepts in a way that newcomers can understand, such as this guide to day trading Forex at Pepperstone.com
Darren has done interviews and analysis for companies like Queso, including an interview on technical trading levels.
A well known authority in the industry, he has provided interviews on Bloomberg (UK), CNBC (UK) Reuters (UK), Tiptv (UK), BNN (Canada) and Asharq Bloomberg Arabia.
