Italy’s €5bn bailout fund for ailing banks has failed to prevent further share sell offs April 12, 2016 Italy’s most sound financial institutions have poured cash into a €5bn (£4bn) bailout fund for the country's vulnerable lenders in an attempt to calm investor fears over the stability of the beleaguered sector. Shares in two of Italy’s most troubled banks bounced today however, with Monte dei Paschi di Siene and Banco Popolare shares climbing by 10 [...]
FCA bans RBS Libor submitter from working in financial services April 12, 2016 The FCA has banned former Royal Bank of Scotland staffer and Libor submitter Paul White from working in regulated financial services again, saying it would have fined him £250,000 "were it not for White's serious financial hardship". White, who worked as a Japanese Yen (JPY) and Swiss Franc (CHF) Libor submitter, is "not a fit and proper [...]
Standard Chartered is selling off $4.4bn worth of Asian assets, after announcing a $1.5bn loss in February April 11, 2016 Standard Chartered is mulling over the sale of at least $4.4bn (£3.1bn) of assets in Asia, it was revealed earlier today. The bulk of the assets potentially being sold are understood to relate to $1.4bn in stressed loans made to Indian firms, but the bank is also believed to be looking to offload some other [...]
Libor trial: Barclays trader thought compliance team knew of rate setting emails, court hears April 11, 2016 One of the former Barclays traders standing trial over conspiracy to manipulate the US dollar Libor rate says he thought the bank's compliance department had access to emails between traders and rate setters, a court heard today. Defence lawyers for Stylianos Contogoulas told the court: "These messages were not transmitted with a nod and a wink." The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has alleged that [...]
Libor scandal: Witnesses to be called this week in trial of five ex-Barclays employees accused of conspiring to rig Libor April 10, 2016 The first witnesses are due to testify this week in the trial of five ex-Barclays bankers who are accused of working together to rig Libor. Former Barclays traders Stylianos Contogoulas, Jay Merchant, Alex Pabon and Ryan Reich, along with one of Barclays' former Libor submitters Jonathan Mathew, have been charged with conspiracy to defraud on [...]
Libor scandal: Former Barclays banker did not benefit from changing the Libor rate and was only doing as he was told, court told April 8, 2016 One of the five former Barclays bank employees standing trial for manipulating Libor interest rates only did what he was told to by his boss and received no financial reward, a court heard today. Junior banker at Barclays' Jonathan Mathew, who joined at the age of 19 after achieving three A-levels, did not stand to gain from the profit made by [...]
The European Commission just refunded Societe Generale’s €218.6m of its Euribor rigging fine April 8, 2016 We're used to banks paying out multi-million pound fines for their various misdeeds when it comes to Libor/Euribor/FX rigging – but now one French bank has had a reprieve. Societe Generale said this morning that the European Commission had decided to refund €218.17m (£175.81m) of its €445.88m Euribor-rigging fine. Former employees of the bank, as [...]
Libor scandal: Top bosses must have known about rate rigging, alleges former Barclays trader April 7, 2016 A former Barclays banker who is currently standing trial accused of offences related to manipulating Libor has alleged that his bosses must have known about the rate-rigging scandal, a court was told today. Former Barclays traders Stylianos Contogoulas, Jay Merchant, Alex Pabon and Ryan Reich, along with one of Barclays' former Libor submitters Jonathan Mathew, [...]
EU referendum: Credit Suisse staff told to avoid discussions around Brexit April 7, 2016 Credit Suisse has asked its employees to avoid discussions around Britain's EU referendum. The Swiss lender has issued guidance telling staff not to attend or arrange client events where a so-called Brexit may be discussed, and not to talk about the issue in public. Read more: Credit Suisse: Brexit could benefit Jeremy Corbyn The memo was sent [...]
A drop in footfall means RBS, HSBC, and Barclays could all be about to close more branches around the country April 6, 2016 A continuing slide in the number of people using bank branches means three of Britain's biggest banks could be considering closing the doors on hundreds between them this year. RBS, HSBC, and Barclays have all said they are reviewing the number of branches they operate but were unable to comment on specific numbers. It was earlier reported by [...]