HSBC to pay $100 mln to settle U.S. probe into currency rigging

HSBC Holdings Plc on Thursday agreed to pay $101.5 million to settle a U.S. criminal probe into the rigging of currency transactions, which has already led the conviction of one of its former bankers. 

The payment includes a $63.1 million fine plus $38.4 million in restitution to a corporate client, according to a deferred prosecution agreement filed on Thursday with the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York.

In the settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, HSBC also agreed to bolster its internal controls, and admitted and accepted responsibility for wrongdoing underlying two criminal wire fraud charges filed on Thursday against the bank, according to the agreement.

Deferred prosecution agreements let companies avoid criminal charges so long as they comply with the terms.

Thursday’s sanctions came a month after HSBC was freed from a five-year deferred prosecution agreement over its alleged dealings with Mexican drug cartels and other money launderers, and conducting of transactions for customers in countries barred by U.S. sanctions. It was fined $1.92 billion in that case.

In currency markets, The dollar was a shade softer, The New Zealand dollar hit low

In currency markets, the dollar was a shade softer at 93.768 against a basket of competitors. It also edged down to 112.57 yen, having been as high as 113.43 on Friday.

The euro was a fraction firmer at $1.1737, aided by TV pictures of hundreds of thousands of people in Catalonia’s capital Barcelona demonstrating against moves to declare independence from Spain.

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont is expected to address the region’s parliament on Tuesday, when he could unilaterally declare independence.

The U.S. mission in Turkey and subsequently the Turkish mission in Washington mutually reduced visa services after a U.S. mission employee was detained in Turkey last week. 

The pound had popped higher on reports British Prime Minister Theresa May could sack Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson as she tries to reassert her authority after a series of political disasters. 

Sterling had been undermined by speculation that May herself could be ousted ahead of crucial Brexit talks between Britain and the EU. The initial spike could not be maintained, however, and the pound soon steadied around $1.3090. 

The New Zealand dollar hit a four-month low on Monday after a final vote count in the country’s tight general election released over the weekend failed to identify a clear winner. 

In commodity markets, gold gained 0.5 percent to $1,282.56 an ounce and off a two-month low touched on Friday. 

Oil prices regained some ground on expectations that Saudi Arabia would continue to restrain its output in order to support prices, and as the amount of rigs drilling for new oil in the United States dipped.

Brent futures gained 13 cents to $55.75 a barrel, while U.S. crude rose 17 cents to $49.46.