花旗將向投資者賠付5.90億美元
????花旗(Citigroup)又一筆金融危機(jī)期間的舊賬也達(dá)成了和解。 ????花旗將向在本輪金融危機(jī)前購買該行股票的投資者支付5.90億美元,了結(jié)一宗指控花旗管理層在2007年和2008年就該行經(jīng)營健康狀況誤導(dǎo)投資者的集體訴訟。2008年底花旗根據(jù)問題資產(chǎn)救助計(jì)劃(TARP)接受了400多億美元的納稅人資助。 ????花旗拒絕承認(rèn)存在任何過錯(cuò),但同時(shí)表示,達(dá)成和解符合公司的最大利益。這項(xiàng)和解仍有待法院批準(zhǔn)——過去花旗在這方面不太順利。該行在一份聲明中表示,它已經(jīng)改善了風(fēng)險(xiǎn)管理,并重申計(jì)劃回歸“銀行基本業(yè)務(wù)”,這也是花旗首席執(zhí)行官潘偉迪近來經(jīng)常掛在口頭的話。 ????花旗已經(jīng)加大力度清理金融危機(jī)以來爆出的訴訟案,這次和解正是這些努力的結(jié)果。僅僅過去一年,花旗已經(jīng)支付、或同意支付的罰金就已高達(dá)23億美元。該行表示,未來可能還有40億美元的法律賬,但并非所有訴訟都與樓市泡沫破裂及其后果有關(guān)。最近花旗表示,已經(jīng)收到了來自美國和其他外國監(jiān)管機(jī)構(gòu)關(guān)于倫敦銀行同業(yè)拆借利率(LIBOR)的質(zhì)詢;很多人都認(rèn)為這一關(guān)鍵借貸利率曾被大銀行操縱。 ????今年早些時(shí)候,花旗同意支付14億美元罰金,了結(jié)有關(guān)它與其他銀行不公對(duì)待瀕于止贖房主的指控。周三,負(fù)責(zé)監(jiān)督全美按揭和解執(zhí)行情況的機(jī)構(gòu)稱,根據(jù)和解協(xié)議,花旗已削減了按揭債務(wù)達(dá)5,400萬美元。 ????今年早些時(shí)候,花旗同意向美國聯(lián)邦當(dāng)局支付1.58億美元,了結(jié)有關(guān)花旗欺騙政府按揭計(jì)劃承保不符合條件貸款的指控。花旗還同意向美國證券交易委員會(huì)(Securities and Exchange Commission)支付2.85億美元,了結(jié)有關(guān)花旗在向投資者出售按揭債券的同時(shí)自己做空的指控。這項(xiàng)和解最初被一名法官駁回,目前仍在等待復(fù)審。 ????5.90億美元雖然是筆巨款,但對(duì)于花旗似乎仍是筆劃算的好買賣。這項(xiàng)和解涵蓋了從2007年2月至2008年4月購買花旗股票的投資者:同期花旗股價(jià)暴跌48%,給投資者造成的損失總計(jì)1,400億美元。 ????譯者:早稻米 |
????Citigroup put another piece of its financial crisis clean up bill behind it. ????The bank will pay $590 million to investors who bought the company's stock in the run-up to the financial crisis. The payment settles a class action lawsuit in which the bank's shareholders claimed Citi's management misled investors about the health of the bank in 2007 and 2008. Citi went on to receive more than $40 billion in taxpayer assistance in late 2008 as part of the TARP bailout fund. ????Citi denies it did anything wrong, but said it was in the best interests of the bank to settle. The settlement is still subject to court approval, which has tripped up Citi in the past. In a statement, the bank said it has improved its risk management. It also reiterated that the bank plans to return to "the basics of banking," which has been a common refrain recently for Citi CEO Vikram Pandit. ????The settlement appears to be part of Citi's stepped up to resolve its remaining financial crisis legal bills. In the past year, alone, Citi has agreed to $2.3 billion in payouts or penalties. The firm says it could face an additional $4 billion in legal bills, but not all of those cases are tied to the housing bust and its aftermath. Citi recently said that it has received inquiries from US and foreign regulators relating to the key lending rate LIBOR, which many contend was manipulated by giant banks. ????Earlier this year, Citi agreed to $1.4 billion in penalties to settle claims that it, along with other banks, had mistreated homeowners facing foreclosure. On Wednesday, the monitor overseeing the national mortgage settlement said Citi had completed $54 million in mortgage debt reductions as part of the deal. ????Citi also agreed to pay $158 million to federal authorities earlier this year to settle claims that it tricked a government mortgage program into insuring loans that were not eligible for the program. Citi also agreed to pay $285 million to settle Securities and Exchange Commission charges related to a mortgage bond that Citi sold to investors and bet against at the same time. That settlement was initially rejected by a judge, and is still pending review. ????While big, the $590 million seems like a good deal for Citi. The settlement covers investors who bought bank's stock from February 2007 to April 2008, a period in which Citi's shares plunged 48%, resulting in a collective $140 billion loss for investors. |