(Kitco News) - It’s not quite a billion dollars, but the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced Tuesday that it has settled its spoofing charges with JPMorgan Chase & Company.
The CFTC said that the bank will pay a record $920 million fine for manipulating precious metals markets duringan eight-year period that involved involved hundreds of thousands of spoof orders.
“This action sends the important message that if you engage in manipulative and deceptive trade practices you will be caught, punished, and forced to give up your ill-gotten gains,” said. Division of Enforcement Director James McDonald.
“Spoofing is illegal—pure and simple,” added. CFTC Chairman Heath P. Tarbert. “This record-setting enforcement action demonstrates the CFTC’s commitment to being tough on those who intentionally break our rules, no matter who they are. Attempts to manipulate our markets won’t be tolerated.”
In the press release the CFTC said that from at least 2008 through 2016 the bank, through numerous traders on its precious metals and Treasuries trading desks, including the heads of both desks placed hundreds of thousands of orders with the intent of cancelling them before they could be executed.
“Through these spoof orders, the traders intentionally sent false signals of supply or demand designed to deceive market participants into executing against other orders they wanted filled,” the CFTC said. “JPMS, a registered futures commission merchant, failed to identify, investigate, and stop the misconduct.”
Shares of JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM) were trading at $95.31 as of 2:30 p.m. ET, down nearly 1% on the day.