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Regulatory Sanctions

Morgan Stanley, Citigroup Pay for Misleading Investors About Forex Program - SEC

January 24, 2017

[Photo: epSos de / Flickr]

 

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and Citigroup Global Markets have agreed to pay nearly $3 million apiece in disgorgement, prejudgment interest and penalties to settle SEC charges that they made false and misleading statements about a foreign exchange (forex) trading program they sold to investors.

 

SEC FINDINGS:  From August 2010 to July 2011, at a time that Citigroup held a 49% ownership interest in Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, registered reps at both firms were pitching a forex trading program known as “CitiFX Alpha” to Morgan Stanley customers. Written and verbal presentations failed to adequately disclose that investors could be subject to substantially more leverage than advertised, and that markups would be charged on each trade. The leverage and markups caused investors to suffer significant losses that were greater than anticipated.