Cantor Fitzgerald

What Cantor Fitzgerald does

Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. is a privately held global financial services firm founded in 1945, headquartered in New York, with 10,000+ employees across more than 30 offices in the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel. The firm operates across five core business lines: Investment Banking (ECM, DCM, M&A advisory, SPAC underwriting, convertibles issuance, ATM offerings), Equities (sales & trading, electronic execution via the Precision algo suite, derivatives, portfolio trading, convertibles), Fixed Income (US Treasuries as a Primary Dealer, structured products, credit, repo financing via HelixRepo), Prime Services (multi-asset clearing, execution, securities lending, margin financing through the Cantor Prime Portal), and Asset Management (traditional and alternative strategies following the 2025 acquisition of UBS's O'Connor platform with approximately $11 billion in invested assets).

The firm's underlying technology infrastructure is proprietary and spans multiple asset classes: eSpeed (a fully electronic trading platform originating as the world's first screen-based marketplace for US Government Securities in 1972), Precision (customizable algorithmic trading for US equities, FX, and US Treasuries), HelixRepo (repo trading and reporting), the Cantor Prime Portal (multi-asset, multi-currency reporting for finance, margin, risk, custody, and stock loan), Aqua (large-order execution), Cantor Direct (electronic trading connectivity), and Tracker Quants (index strategy analytics). Cantor generates revenue across professional services fees (investment banking), transaction-based fees (trading and prime services), and recurring asset management fees, serving an institutional client base of 7,000+ accounts reached through a 200+ person sales and trading force in New York, London, and Hong Kong.

Cantor's business model is anchored by regulatory privilege as one of only 25 US Primary Dealers for the Federal Reserve, durable institutional distribution, and an 80-year track record that includes top-ranked SPAC underwriting status and $125B+ raised in convertibles over 25+ years. The firm has been a recognized pioneer in electronic trading since 1972 and continues to expand into adjacent verticals including digital assets (Bitcoin Financing Business launched May 2025), real-world asset tokenization (via the Securitize SPAC), and alternative asset management (O'Connor acquisition). Following Howard Lutnick's 2025 confirmation as US Secretary of Commerce, Cantor transitioned ownership to the Lutnick family trusts and appointed Pascal Bandelier, Sage Kelly, and Christian Wall as Co-CEOs.

Name

Cantor Fitzgerald

Legal name

Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.

Website

https://cantor.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Cantor Fitzgerald is a privately held global financial services firm founded in 1945 offering investment banking, equities and fixed income trading, prime services, and asset management to 7,000+ institutional clients across 30+ offices, with US Primary Dealer status and a top-ranked SPAC underwriting franchise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Banking and Capital Markets

NAICS

Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (52315), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523), Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Investment Advice (6282), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro primary industry

Capital Raising Advisory (Equity & Equity-Linked) (FSAEAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Equity Capital Advisory (Private Equity Placements, Growth Capital) (BPAHAOAE), Real Estate Capital Markets Advisory (Debt/Equity Placement, Refinancing) (BPAJANAE), Securities Borrowing & Lending (Equities/Bonds) (FSACAIAC), Commercial Real Estate Brokerage (Leasing & Sales) (FSAEAJAB), Real Estate Portfolio & Fund Management (Institutional/REIT/PE) (BPAJAMAJ)

Keywords

• Investment banking services
• Equities trading
• Fixed income securities
• Prime brokerage
• Asset management

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices38 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Investment Banking: Equity capital markets (IPOs, follow-ons, PIPEs, RDs, CMPOs, bought deals), debt capital markets, M&A advisory, SPAC underwriting and advisory, convertibles issuance, and ATM offerings. Cantor has completed thousands of transactions raising hundreds of billions since 2016.
2. Equities Trading & Execution: Agency execution, matched principal transactions, electronic trading, derivatives trading, convertibles trading, and portfolio trading services for institutional investors across global markets
3. Fixed Income Trading: Trading and broking of US Treasuries (as primary dealer), structured products, mortgage-backed securities, credit products (investment grade, high yield, distressed), municipal bonds, with repo financing services
4. Asset Management: Traditional and alternative investment solutions including real assets, private markets, tax-advantaged real estate, growth and core equity, value and income equity, multi-asset, cash management, and impact/sustainability strategies for institutional and high-net-worth clients
5. Prime Services: Full-service prime brokerage including multi-asset clearing, execution, financing (margin, securities lending, repo, synthetic financing, fully paid lending), capital introduction, and outsourced trading desk services

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Cantor Fitzgerald is a global financial services firm providing investment banking advisory and capital raising (ECM, DCM, M&A, SPACs, convertibles, ATM offerings), institutional equities sales and trading, fixed income trading as a US Primary Dealer, prime brokerage and financing, equity research, and traditional and alternative asset management. The firm serves corporations, financial sponsors, and institutional investors worldwide through a 200-person sales force and proprietary electronic trading platforms.

Product overview

Cantor Fitzgerald operates as a diversified financial services firm offering multiple product lines and sub-brands. The core business segments include Investment Banking (providing ECM, M&A advisory, debt capital markets, SPACs, and convertibles), Equities (sales & trading, research, derivatives, portfolio trading, and electronic trading via Precision algorithms), Fixed Income (US Treasury products, structured products, credit products), Prime Services (prime brokerage, clearing, and financing via Cantor Prime Portal), and Asset Management. The company also maintains a portfolio of specialized sub-brands and acquired companies including Ad/Fin (digital advertising analytics), Aqua (institutional trading services), Cantor Direct (electronic trading connectivity), Cantor Fitzgerald Capital and CCRE (real estate finance), CFSecured (financing and custody), Helix Financial Systems (securities finance software), Precision (algorithmic trading), Rodin (REIT services), and acquired brands such as Efficient Market Advisors, Flippin Bruce & Porter, and Smith Group Asset Management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cantor Prime Portal: Multi-asset, multi-currency reporting platform providing flexible data reporting, real-time and end-of-day finance, margin, risk, custody, stock loan, cash management, and operations data.
• Precision
• Precision Algo Suite
• Cantor Fitzgerald Asset Management
• Tracker Quants
• HelixRepo

Products and services

• Investment Banking Full suite of investment banking and capital-raising products and services including equity capital markets (IPOs, follow-ons, PIPEs, RDs, CMPOs, bought deals), debt capital markets, M&A advisory, SPAC underwriting and advisory, convertibles issuance, and ATM offerings for corporate clients and financial sponsors.
• Equities Sales & Trading Global Equities division providing institutional investors with agency execution, matched principal transactions, electronic trading, derivatives trading, convertibles trading, portfolio trading, and customized trading solutions across cash equities markets worldwide.
• Fixed Income Trading Fixed income sales and trading providing premier execution capabilities across US Treasuries (as primary dealer), structured products, mortgage-backed securities, credit products (investment grade, high yield, distressed), municipal bonds, with repo financing services for institutional clients.
• Equity Research In-depth equity research and specialized content focusing on healthcare and technology stocks, covering more than 500 companies across multiple sectors, providing innovative insights and expertise from leading analysts on the Street.
• Prime Services Full-service prime brokerage offering customized multi-asset clearing, execution, and financing capabilities (margin, securities lending, repo, synthetic financing, fully paid lending), capital introduction, and outsourced trading desk services via the Cantor Prime Portal technology platform for hedge funds, family offices, pension funds, and large institutions.
• Asset Management Traditional and alternative investment solutions including real assets, private markets, tax-advantaged real estate, growth and core equity, value and income equity, multi-asset, cash management, and impact/sustainability strategies for institutional and high-net-worth clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top-ranked bank on Wall Street for SPAC underwriting
• +2 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• SecuritizecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 July 2026Securitize completed SPAC merger with Cantor Equity Partners II (CEPT) raising approximately $400 million in gross proceeds. The combined company trades on NYSE under ticker SECZ starting July 2, 2026. Securitize tokenizes BlackRock's BUIDL fund ($3.1 billion+ in assets) and represents Cantor's entry into real-world asset tokenization infrastructure.
• Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2025Cantor established a new office in ADGM, the International Financial Centre of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, expanding its presence in the Middle East.
• Samsung SecuritiesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2025Cantor and Samsung Securities signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore strategic business opportunities across capital markets, brokerage, and financial strategies, reflecting shared commitment to expand cross-border financial services.
• Bitcoin Financing BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2025Cantor's Bitcoin Financing Business became fully operational in May 2025, executing initial trades and providing up to $2 billion of financing to institutional investors who hold Bitcoin, bringing scale and sophistication to crypto-backed financing.
• TethercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2025Tether and SoftBank Group partnered with Cantor Equity Partners to launch Twenty One Capital (NYSE: $XXI), a Bitcoin-native company through business combination with CEP. Twenty One launched with over 42,000 Bitcoin and plans to maximize Bitcoin ownership per share.
• SoftBank GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2025SoftBank Group partnered with Tether and Cantor Equity Partners to launch Twenty One Capital, a Bitcoin-native public company combining crypto treasury strategy with institutional backing.
• BlackRockcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024BlackRock selected Securitize (Cantor-backed SPAC target) as tokenization infrastructure partner for its BUIDL fund which has expanded to approximately $3.1 billion in total assets.
• Smith Group Asset ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2021Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors acquired the asset management business of Smith Group Asset Management, a Texas-based platform operating as a subsidiary under Stephen S. Smith's leadership, expanding CFIA's asset management offerings.
• Flippin, Bruce & PorterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2021Acquired in June 2021, Flippin, Bruce & Porter provides investment management including large cap, value equity, equity income, and balanced portfolio management services for institutional and high net worth individuals.
• Efficient Market AdvisorsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2017Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors acquired Efficient Market Advisors, LLC in March 2017. Founded in 2004, EMA specializes in construction of proprietary investment strategies using lower-cost, tax-efficient, liquid and transparent exchange-traded funds.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jefferies Financial Group: Mid-size full-service investment bank with comparable equities, fixed income, investment banking, and research franchises. Cantor Sage Kelly previously led healthcare IB at Jefferies, and the firms compete head-to-head in middle-market ECM, M&A advisory, and convertible securities underwriting.
• Stifel Financial: Publicly traded diversified financial services firm with overlapping institutional brokerage, investment banking, and asset management businesses. Competes directly with Cantor in middle-market ECM, fixed income sales & trading, and wealth management.
• Houlihan Lokey: Elite middle-market advisory firm with strong M&A and capital markets capabilities. Competes with Cantor's M&A advisory and ECM franchises for mid-cap sponsor-led and corporate transactions.
• Moelis & Company: Boutique M&A advisory and capital markets firm with global reach. Competes directly with Cantor's M&A advisory business for middle-market and large-cap strategic and sponsor transactions.
• Piper Sandler: Mid-size investment bank with comparable investment banking, equities, fixed income, and asset management services. Directly competes with Cantor in healthcare and technology ECM advisory, sector research, and institutional brokerage.
• BGC Group: Cantor's publicly traded former affiliate (NASDAQ: BGC), spun out in 2004 and merged with eSpeed in 2008. Operates a comparable global brokerage and financial technology platform across fixed income, FX, equities, and commodities, and is led by the same ownership lineage.
• Newmark Group: Cantor's publicly traded real estate services affiliate (NASDAQ: NMRK) providing commercial real estate brokerage, advisory, and capital markets services. Directly comparable to Cantor's CCRE and Rodin real estate franchises.
• Rothschild & Co: Independent privately held global financial advisory firm with comparable M&A advisory, equity advisory, and private wealth/asset management offerings. Competes with Cantor in cross-border mid-market M&A and ECM advisory mandates.

Broad incumbents

• Goldman Sachs: Bulge bracket global investment bank offering the full suite of investment banking, equities, fixed income, prime, and asset management services. Competes with Cantor across all major franchises but with materially larger scale, balance sheet, and mega-deal capabilities.

Emerging players

• Galaxy Digital: Publicly traded crypto-native financial services and asset management firm trading, lending, and advising on digital assets. Most directly comparable to Cantor's Bitcoin Financing Business, Twenty One Capital involvement, and broader digital asset capital markets build-out.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CantorRelief
• Instagraminstagram.com/cfrelieffund
• Xx.com/cantorfitzgerld
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cantor-fitzgerald

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A6 records

Investments23 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cantor Fitzgerald