Spire Europe, one of the region's biggest proprietary trading firms, posted a near-50% jump in its revenues, but a fall in its profits in 2015 – both of which it attributed in part to bulking up its trading team.

The London-based high-frequency trader, which is part of US research firm Tower Research Capital, reported revenues of £140.2 million for 2015, up from £94.6 million in 2014, according to accounts filed at Companies House in late September.