CFTC Orders JPMorgan To Pay $65 Million To Settle Swap Rate Manipulation Charge

WASHINGTON - JPMorgan Chase Bank will have to pay a $65 million civil penalty to settle charges that it attempted manipulating ISDAfix benchmark swap rates between 2007 and 2012, the U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission said on Monday.

The derivatives regulator said the bank made false reports and attempted to manipulate the U.S. Dollar International Swaps and Derivatives Association Fix to benefit its derivatives positions.

JPMorgan was not immediately available for comment. ISDAfix rates are used to help value the cash settlement of options on interest rate swaps and other products. Pension funds and local governments often rely on products priced off the benchmark rate to help hedge against future interest rate changes.

The benchmark swap rates and spreads that are published daily indicate the prevailing mid-market rate, at a specific time of day, for the fixed leg of a standard fixed-for-floating interest rate swap.Other big banks including Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Barclays PLC and Citigroup Inc had to settle similar charges relating to ISDAfix benchmark case with the regulator in 2015 and 2016.

Reuters

Reporting by Tim Ahmann and Diptendu Lahiri; Writing by Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Bill Trott and Arun Koyyur