JPMorgan, UBS Said Among Banks Queried in Libor Probe
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) and Barclays Plc (BARC) are among seven banks subpoenaed in New York and Connecticut’s investigation into alleged manipulation of Libor, according to a person familiar with the matter and company filings.
Subpoenas were sent in recent weeks to five of the banks, Deutsche Bank AG (DBK), Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc and HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA) in addition to JPMorgan and Barclays, the person said yesterday. Citigroup Inc. (C) and UBS AG (UBSN) received subpoenas earlier this year as part of the investigation.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen are jointly investigating alleged manipulation of the London interbank offered rate by lenders. RBS, UBS, Lloyds Banking Group Plc (LLOY) and Deutsche Bank are among the lenders regulators in Europe, Asia and the U.S. are investigating. The U.S. is conducting a criminal investigation.
Confidence in Libor, a benchmark for financial products valued at $360 trillion worldwide, has been dented by Barclays’s admission that it submitted false London and euro interbank offered rates. Robert Diamond resigned as Barclays’ chief executive after the bank was fined 290 million pounds ($454 million).
False Submissions
Derivatives traders requested the false submissions in the Libor and Euribor setting process, as they were “motivated by profit and sought to benefit Barclays’ trading positions,” the U.K. Financial Services Authority said.
The investigation by Schneiderman and Jepsen could broaden to include additional banks, said the person.
Jennifer Givner, a spokeswoman for Schneiderman, and Jaclyn Falkowski, a spokeswoman for Jepsen, declined to comment on the subpoenas.
Sarah Binnie, a spokeswoman for Edinburgh-based RBS, said the bank continues to receive requests from various regulators investigating the setting of Libor and other interest rates. The lender is cooperating with the investigations and “keeping relevant regulators informed,” she said in e-mail.
“It is not possible to estimate with any certainty what effect these investigations and any related developments may have on the group,” Binnie said.
Information Requests
Kathryn Hanes, a spokeswoman for Deutsche Bank, said the lender has received subpoenas and requests for information from some regulators and governmental entities in the U.S. in connection with setting interbank rates and is cooperating.
New York-based Citigroup said in a regulatory filing that subsidiaries “have received additional requests for information and documents from various U.S. and non-U.S. governmental agencies, including the offices of the New York and Connecticut attorneys general.”
UBS said in a regulatory filing that numerous agencies, including “various state attorneys general” are investigating whether there were improper attempts to manipulate Libor and other rates. A second person familiar with the matter said the bank received a subpoena from New York in February. Both declined to comment because the matter is private.
New York-based JPMorgan dropped almost 1 percent on the news. JPMorgan closed at $37.07 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. London-based Barclays’s American depositary receipts fell 6 cents to $11.47. One receipt equals four shares. Zurich-based UBS fell 3 cents to $10.71 in New York. Frankfurt- based Deutsche Bank rose 9 cents to $30.78.
‘Actively Reviewing’
Joe Evangelisti, a JPMorgan spokesman, Juanita Gutierrez, a spokeswoman at HSBC, and Barclays spokesman Michael O’Looney declined to comment on the subpoenas. HSBC said in a 2012 interim report that it is “the subject of regulatory demands” and is cooperating with the investigations.
In addition to Schneiderman and Jepsen, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is “actively reviewing the Libor matter” and has issued subpoenas, spokeswoman Jenn Meale said yesterday in e-mails. Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office said in July it was also conducting a Libor investigation and was working with other state agencies.
Libor is derived from a survey of banks conducted each day on behalf of the British Bankers’ Association in London. Lenders are asked how much it would cost them to borrow from one another for 15 different periods, from overnight to one year, in currencies including dollars, euros, yen and Swiss francs. After a set number of quotes are excluded, those remaining are averaged and published for each currency by the BBA before noon.
To contact the reporter on this story: David McLaughlin in New York at dmclaughlin9@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew Dunn at adunn8@bloomberg.net
JPMorgan, Barclays Said Among Banks to Get N.Y. Libor Subpoenas
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Pedestrians pass in front of the JP Morgan Chase & Co. headquarters in New York.
Pedestrians pass in front of the JP Morgan Chase & Co. headquarters in New York. Photographer: Scott Eells/Bloomberg
Aug. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Arthur Levitt, former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and a Bloomberg LP board member, discusses the investigation into alleged manipulation of Libor. He speaks with Francine Lacqua on Bloomberg Television's "City Central." (Source: Bloomberg)
Aug. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Richard Bove, an analyst at Rochdale Securities, talks about the London interbank offered rate, Libor, scandal. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. are among seven banks subpoenaed in New York and Connecticut's investigation into alleged manipulation of Libor, according to a person familiar with the matter and company filings. Bove speaks with Stephanie Ruhle and Scarlet Fu on Bloomberg Television's "Market Makers. (Source: Bloomberg)
JPMorgan, Barclays Said Among Banks to Get N.Y. Libor Subpoenas
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Traffic passes the offices of Barclays Capital in New York.
Traffic passes the offices of Barclays Capital in New York. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
JPMorgan, Barclays Said Among Banks to Get Libor Subpoenas
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Workmen raise the JP Morgan Chase Inc. flag outside company headquarters in New York.
Workmen raise the JP Morgan Chase Inc. flag outside company headquarters in New York. Photographer: Peter Foley/Bloomberg
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