Citigroup has received a fine of $650,000 for violations made in the operation of its Direct Borrowing Program (DBP).
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) imposed the penalty on the investment bank for failures in disclosure and supervision relating to ‘hard-to-borrow’ securities.
An investigation by FINRA found that Citigroup’s DBP borrowed over 770 securities from over 2,300 clients which were used in the group’s short selling strategy.
The organisation was found to have failed to provide clients with sufficient information relating to the DBP.
According to FINRA, participating clients were not informed that they could face higher taxes through lending or that brokers would receive commission for the duration of the loan.
James S Shorris, FINRA executive vice-president and executive director of enforcement, said: “Before offering a product to customers, brokerage firms must reasonably ensure that the customers are aware of all of the potential risks associated with the transaction.
“In this case, Citigroup failed to maintain a supervisory system that ensured that such disclosures were made to customers by the firm's registered representatives and in the firm's marketing materials.”
The investigation focussed on securities lent between January 1st 2005, and November 30th 2008.
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