News Centre

Economy Statement For The Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee Of The Securities Industry And Financial Markets Association

Date 30/04/2018

Over the past four quarters, real GDP has grown by 2.9 percent, the most rapid pace since early 2015.  At nearly nine years old, the current expansion is set to become the second-longest stretch of continuous economic growth in the postwar period.  Although the pace of U.S. economic growth moderated to an annual rate of 2.3 percent in the first quarter, compared with 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter, a rebound is expected in coming months and overall strong growth is forecast for the year as a whole.

Federal Court Enters $3.5 Million In Final Judgments Against Ryan Madigan Of Pittsford, New York, Randell A. Vest Of Fort Myers, Florida, And Colorado Company R2 Capital Group, LLC - Judgment Follows Partial Summary Judgment In Which Federal District Court Concluded That Ryan Madigan Engaged In Various Acts Of Commodities Fraud

Date 30/04/2018

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today announced that on April 11, 2018, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado entered Default Judgment against Defendants Randall A. Vest and his holding company, Bulletproof Vest, Inc. (Bulletproof Vest).  The judgment resolves a CFTC enforcement action filed on August 6, 2014, charging Defendants Ryan Madigan of Pittsford, New York; Vest of Fort Meyers, Florida; and Ryan Tomazin of Stamford, Connecticut with commodity futures and off-exchange retail foreign currency(forex) fraud and misappropriation (see CFTC Complaint and Press Release 6981-14, August 21, 2014).

US Treasury Announces Marketable Borrowing Estimates

Date 30/04/2018

The U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced its current estimates of privately-held net marketable borrowing[1] for the April – June 2018 and July – September 2018 quarters:

• During the April – June 2018 quarter, Treasury expects to borrow $75 billion in privately-held net marketable debt, assuming an end-of-June cash balance of $360 billion.  The borrowing estimate is $101 billion lower than announced in January 2018.  The decrease in borrowing is driven primarily by the higher end-of-March cash balance combined with the higher cash surplus during the quarter.2
• During the July – September 2018 quarter, Treasury expects to borrow $273 billion in privately-held net marketable debt, assuming an end-of-September cash balance of $350 billion.

Report On Foreign Portfolio Holdings Of U.S. Securities

Date 30/04/2018

The final results from the annual survey of foreign portfolio holdings of U.S. securities at the end of June 2017 were released today on the Treasury website at https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/tic/Pages/fpis.aspx. The survey was undertaken jointly by Treasury, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The next survey will cover holdings at the end of June 2018; preliminary data are expected to be released by February 28, 2019.

S&P Dow Jones Indices - Europe Dashboard

Date 30/04/2018

• A strong start to the earnings season and easing geopolitical tensions competed with concerns of a trade war to hold the market’s attention over April. Fundamentals won the day; the S&P Europe 350® gained.
• Energy led the way among equity sectors this month, outperforming in Europe by a whopping 8% in total return. Strong gains in energy prices fueled the sector, but it was a good month for commodities generally.
• All of our reported S&P Europe 350 equity strategy indices rose this month. Interestingly, Momentum and Enhanced Value both topped the charts – more typically, one outperforms when the other falters.

Office Of International Affairs Director Paul A. Leder To Leave SEC

Date 30/04/2018

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Paul A. Leder, Director of the Office of International Affairs (OIA), will leave the agency in June. Mr. Leder rejoined the agency as OIA Director in February 2014. OIA advises the Commission on cross-border enforcement and regulatory matters and coordinates the SEC's involvement with regulatory authorities outside the United States.

US Department Of Justice: Panasonic Avionics Corporation Agrees To Pay $137 Million To Resolve Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Charges

Date 30/04/2018

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (PAC), a subsidiary of multinational electronics company Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic), has agreed to pay a $137.4 million criminal penalty to resolve charges arising out of a scheme to retain consultants for improper purposes and conceal payments to third-party sales agents, in violation of the accounting provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

CFTC Orders Glencore Agriculture B.V. And Glencore Ltd. To Pay A $2 Million Penalty For Exceeding Cotton Futures Position Limits, Transacting Illegal EFPs, And Submitting Inaccurate Form 304s - Cotton Trading By Glencore Agriculture B.V. And Glencore Ltd. Was Under Common Control By Head Of Glencore Cotton Trading

Date 30/04/2018

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today issued an order filing and settling charges against Glencore Agriculture B.V.,f/k/a Glencore Grain B.V. (Glencore B.V.), located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and Glencore Ltd., located in Stamford, Connecticut, finding that on multiple trading days during May 2013, June 2013, May 2014, and June 2014, Glencore B.V. and Glencore Ltd. held net positions in the ICE Futures Cotton No. 2 contracts (cotton futures) that, on an aggregated basis, exceeded the speculative position limits established by the CFTC.  In addition, the CFTC Order finds that on twenty-four occasions between January 2013 and November 2015, Glencore B.V. and Glencore Ltd. executed exchange of futures for physical transactions (EFPs) opposite each other’s cotton futures trading accounts, even though their accounts were not independently controlled as required for such transactions not to constitute illegal wash trades.  And, on at least two occasions in 2013 and 2014, Glencore B.V. submitted to the CFTC a Form 304 that failed to represent accurately all required information, including its short cash sales commitments, according to the CFTC Order.

European Commission: Speech By Michel Barnier At The All-Island Civic Dialogue, Dundalk, 30 April 2018, Speech Delivered At Dundalk, Ireland

Date 30/04/2018

Taoiseach,
Tánaiste,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me first thank you, dear Leo, dear Simon, for inviting me to speak at this 4th All-Island Civic Dialogue. It is a privilege and honour to be here and a pleasure to be in Dundalk. 

I am not here in front of you as a technocrat from Brussels. I was elected from the region of Savoy, France. I will never forget what I learnt during that time from small businesses, farmers, the people on the ground. I have always worked with those people to make progress.

SEC: Panasonic Charged With FCPA And Accounting Fraud Violations

Date 30/04/2018

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Japan-based Panasonic Corp. will pay more than $143 million to resolve charges of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and accounting fraud violations involving its global avionics business.