Foreign Collusion, Naked Shorting (Counterfeiting) & Money Laundering — All Illicit Wealth
New Mexico State Investment Council v Bank of America
Since 2005, the Wall Street banks that comprise the major dealers of credit default swaps (“CDS”) have been engaged in a conspiracy to manipulate the CDS “final auction price,” the benchmark price used to value all CDS contracts market-wide at settlement.
PDF (133 pages): New Mexico State Investment Council v Bank of America
Dead Banker’s Aides Guilty Over Secret Credit Suisse Stash
Gaspard Sebag, 24 June 2021
Late M&A banker Jean-Marc Forneri’s Swiss lawyer and wealth manager were found guilty of helping him conceal assets and dodge taxes in a French crackdown on those who facilitate financial crime.
The Swiss lawyer, John Metzger, was given an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine of 300,000 euros ($359,000) by the Paris criminal court on Thursday and the wealth manager, Michel Glas, got a one-year suspended term and a 150,000 euro penalty. Continue reading “Article: Dead Banker’s Aides Guilty Over Secret Credit Suisse Stash”
Deutsche Bank Revamps Controls as New Lapses Threaten Turnaround
Steven Arons, 15 June 2021
Deutsche Bank AG revamped the units seeking to detect and prevent financial crimes after a number of recent compliance issues risk undermining progress in Chief Executive Officer Christian Sewing’s turnaround plan.
Chief Administrative Officer Stefan Simon, in a memo to employees Tuesday, announced a reorganization of his business into six units, with the aim of reshaping the bank’s anti financial crime efforts. As part of the changes, Mary Kirwan, a former Credit Suisse Group AG executive, and Jan-Gerrit Iken from Commerzbank AG will join. Continue reading “Article: Deutsche Bank Revamps Controls as New Lapses Threaten Turnaround”
Credit Suisse scandals prompt Switzerland to think unthinkable: punish bankers
John O’Donnell and Brenna Neghaiwi, Reuters, 28 May 2021
Exasperation with Credit Suisse following a string of scandals is prompting Switzerland to rethink a system in which top bankers have been largely untouchable.
Credit Suisse’s heavy losses from the collapse of family office Archegos and the decimation of billions of client investments backed by insolvent British financier Greensill have angered regulators and triggered a rare discussion among lawmakers about fining bankers.
How to Combat Money Laundering in Europe
Jesper Berg, 24 May 2021
Good luck finding a major bank in Europe that hasn’t breached money laundering regulations.
In Denmark, the two largest banks, Danske Bank and Nordea, are both currently subject to criminal investigations. BNP Paribas received the highest-ever fine in 2014, when it settled with U.S. authorities and had to pay $9 billion for sanctions violations. Many others — from HSBC and Standard Chartered in the U.K. to Deutsche Bank and UBS and Credit Suisse — have had to answer for offenses.
These cases show that living up to money laundering regulations is difficult, but not doing so is one of the biggest risks to a bank’s reputation. Banks and authorities share the same goal — to stop the bad guys — but both are struggling to find a way forward. While the European Union has proposed establishing a dedicated authority on the crime, company expenses to combat laundering are ballooning. Continue reading “Article: How to Combat Money Laundering in Europe”
Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance faces scrutiny from UK’s Serious Fraud Office
Stuart Burns , 18 May 2021
The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has gone public investigating charges that Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance (Gupta Family Group Alliance) holding company and subsidiaries, such as Liberty Steel, has been involved in fraud, fraudulent trading and money laundering.
As such, that has almost certainly put the end to refinancing efforts, at least for parts of the group in the UK. Continue reading “Article: Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance faces scrutiny from UK’s Serious Fraud Office”
S&P Settles SEC’s Stale
Valuation Charges
Credit Suisse
Alicia McElhaney, 17 May 2021
S&P Dow Jones Indices has settled with the SEC over charges that it published stale valuations of a volatility-related index.
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced Monday that S&P had agreed to pay a $9 million fine without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings.
The regulator’s charges had centered on the S&P 500 VIX Short Term Futures Index ER, a volatility-tracking product that S&P licensed to certain issuers, including Credit Suisse, which used the S&P product for an exchange-traded note that tracked the index. Continue reading “Article: S&P Settles SEC’s Stale Valuation Charges”
UK targets Gupta’s GFG Alliance in fraud probe linked to Greensill
Huw Jones, Eric Onstad, 14 May 2021
Tycoon Sanjeev Gupta’s commodities empire is being investigated by Britain’s Serious Fraud Office in a probe that encompasses the conglomerate’s links to collapsed lender Greensill Capital, the SFO said on Friday.
The probe piles pressure on Gupta, who has been scrambling to refinance his international web of businesses in steel, aluminium and energy after supply chain finance firm Greensill filed for insolvency in March. Continue reading “Article: UK targets Gupta’s GFG Alliance in fraud probe linked to Greensill”
British Fraud Unit Is Investigating Gupta and Greensill
Stanley Reed, 14 May 2021
Britain’s financial crime unit is investigating suspected fraud and money laundering involving the businesses of Sanjeev Gupta, whose global metals empire ballooned in recent years with the aid of billions of dollars in financing from the failed firm Greensill Capital.
The Serious Fraud Office said Friday it was looking into potential fraud “in relation to the financing and conduct of the business of companies” within the Gupta Family Group Alliance, “including its financing arrangements with Greensill Capital UK.”
The announcement is the first indication that British authorities may pursue criminal charges against Mr. Gupta, the metals trader who runs the loose collection of businesses that bear the family name, and his ties to the finance firm founded by Lex Greensill.
That company, which expanded quickly over the past decade, collapsed spectacularly in March, entangling SoftBank and Credit Suisse and igniting a political scandal in Britain.
The Gupta companies and Greensill Capital were closely intertwined, and Mr. Gupta and Mr. Greensill were entrepreneurs who got rich as their businesses expanded. Greensill built up its so-called supply chain finance business by lending money against the sales of Mr. Gupta’s companies.
Greensill then packaged the loans into securities to be sold to investors by Credit Suisse and other firms. Greensill’s collapse was partly caused by regulators’ and insurance companies’ concerns that it was overreliant on loans to the Gupta group.
Under Armour Sold Some Clothes Early
Matt Levine, 04 May 2021
One theory is that the price of a share of stock reflects the present value of its future cash flows in perpetuity. People buy stock today not because they expect high profits tomorrow, but because they expect high profits over the long run. Investment decisions that cost money today, but that will bring in much more money in five years, increase the net present value of the stock, so the shareholders should support them.
Another theory is that public markets are myopically focused on the short term. Investors care only about this quarter’s earnings; they buy stocks whose earnings go up each quarter and sell stocks whose earnings go down. A decision that reduces earnings today, in exchange for higher earnings in the future, is bad, and shareholders will punish a company that makes those decisions. Continue reading “Article: Under Armour Sold Some Clothes Early”
Credit Suisse Basically Headquartered In Court These Days
JON SHAZAR, 30 April 2021
Thomas Gottstein has been CEO of Credit Suisse for 63 weeks. There is no doubt that the overwhelming majority of them, and indeed all of the last eight or so, have been waking nightmares. Surely, however, there have been some consecutive five-day calendrical periods that he has enjoyed the job he has presumably been pining and preparing for most if not all of his professional career, some Fridays when he walked out of his office with a genuine spring in his step and ability to enjoy the weekend as much as any Swiss can enjoy such a frivolity.
This was not that week.
Bank of America Corp. Credit Suisse Group AG and Credit Agricole SA were fined about 28.5 million euros ($34 million) by European Union regulators for colluding in chatrooms on trading of U.S. supra-sovereign, sovereign and agency bonds. Continue reading “Article: Credit Suisse Basically Headquartered In Court These Days”
Deutsche Bank Avoids Archegos Meltdown, Reports Profit Surge
Patricia Kowsmann, 28 April 2021
Deutsche Bank AG reported its strongest quarter in seven years thanks to activity at its investment bank, while the lender escaped the implosion of Archegos Capital Management that badly hit some rivals.
The news sent Deutsche Bank shares up 10% on Wednesday, their highest level since May 2018. Also helping its bottom line were lower charges on bad loans, as customers seemed to be weathering the pandemic effects better than expected.
The bank benefited from frenzied investor activity in financial markets. Its business advising clients on fundraising and mergers and acquisitions also boomed, as companies repositioned growth plans during the pandemic. A cost-savings plan imposed to turn the lender around following years of bad results is also helping. The bank reported a cost-to-income ratio of 77% compared with 89% a year ago. Continue reading “Article: Deutsche Bank Avoids Archegos Meltdown, Reports Profit Surge”
BofA Hit Hardest as EU Fines Bond-Trading Trio $34 Million
Aoife White, 28 April 2021
Bank of America Corp. Credit Suisse Group AG and Credit Agricole SA were fined about 28.5 million euros ($34 million) by European Union regulators for colluding on trading of U.S. supra-sovereign, sovereign and agency bonds.
Bank of America got the largest individual penalty of 12.6 million euros, while Credit Suisse was fined 11.9 million euros and Credit Agricole was ordered to pay more than 3.9 million euros. Deutsche Bank AG participated in the cartel but dodged a potential penalty of about 21.5 million euros because it was the first to inform the EU about the illegal behavior. Continue reading “Article: BofA Hit Hardest as EU Fines Bond-Trading Trio $34 Million”
EU Fines Trio of Banks $34 Million for Bond-Trading Cartel
Aoife White, 28 April 2021
Bank of America Corp., Credit Suisse Group AG and Credit Agricole SA were fined a total of about 28.5 million euros ($34 million) by European Union regulators for colluding on trading of U.S. supra-sovereign, sovereign and agency bonds.
Bank of America got the largest individual penalty of 12.6 million euros. Credit Suisse was fined 11.9 million euros and Credit Agricole was ordered to pay more than 3.9 million euros. Deutsche Bank AG participated in the cartel but wasn’t fined because it was the first to inform the EU about the illegal behavior. Continue reading “Article: EU Fines Trio of Banks $34 Million for Bond-Trading Cartel”
Market Manipulation Case Reopening Adds to Credit Suisse’s Woes
Alicia McElhaney, 28 April 2021
Although appellate court judges threw out some claims against the bank, they said that market manipulation allegations were “plausible.”
Credit Suisse is having another rough week.
A U.S. Appeals Court reopened a 2018 case alleging that Credit Suisse had engaged in market manipulation of some exchange-traded notes that short the VIX, a popular proxy for volatility. Continue reading “Article: Market Manipulation Case Reopening Adds to Credit Suisse’s Woes”