(Provisional Translation)
December 16, 2011
Financial Services Agency

Administrative Actions against UBS Securities Japan Ltd and UBS AG, Japan Branches

I. UBS Securities Japan Ltd

The Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission (SESC) conducted an inspection on UBS Securities Japan Ltd (hereinafter referred to as the “Company”), and found a violation of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (hereinafter referred to as the “FIEA”). On December 9, 2011, the SESC recommended to take administrative action against the Company.

On the basis of the violation, the FSA today issued the following administrative action against the Company based on Article 51 and Article 52 (1) of the FIEA.

  • 1. Descriptions of the Recommendation

    - Inappropriate actions related to Euroyen TIBOR (hereinafter referred to as “TIBOR”)

    A yen rates trader at the Rates Department of the Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities Division in the Company (at that time; hereinafter referred to as “Trader A”) had continuously conducted such approaches as requesting a person in charge of submitting the TIBOR rates of UBS AG, Tokyo Branch (hereinafter referred to as “Submitting Personnel”) to change its rates since around March 2007 at the latest, and also had continuously conducted such approaches as requesting persons in charge of submitting the TIBOR rates of other banks (hereinafter, including Submitting Personnel, referred to as “Submitting Personnel, etc.”) since around February 2007 at the latest, for the purpose of fluctuating TIBOR so as to give advantages to the Derivative Transactions related to yen rates that Trader A was conducting.

    The actions conducted by Trader A are acknowledged to be seriously unjust and malicious, and could undermine the fairness of the markets, considering that three-month TIBOR is the underlying asset of Three-month Euroyen Futures listed on Tokyo Financial Exchange Inc., Trader A conducted transactions of Three-month Euroyen Futures on Tokyo Financial Exchange Inc., and TIBOR is a significantly important financial index as a basic interest rate when banks raise or lend money. Therefore, the aforementioned actions conducted by Trader A are acknowledged to have a serious problem from the viewpoints of the public interest and protection of investors.

    Furthermore, Trader A had also continuously conducted inappropriate approaches, such as requesting to change the Yen-LIBOR rates that UBS group submitted, since around June 2007 at the latest.

    The Company's internal control system is also acknowledged to have a serious problem, since the approaches have been overlooked for long periods and no appropriate measures have been taken.

    As mentioned above, i) Trader A is acknowledged to have conducted approaches against Submitting Personnel, etc. for Market Derivatives Transactions, which he was conducting under the Company's proprietary trading legally defined as Financial Instruments Business, ii) the actions are acknowledged to be unjust and malicious, from the viewpoints of the public interest and protection of investors, and could undermine the fairness of the markets, iii) Trader A conducted approaches regarding not only TIBOR but also Yen-LIBOR, and iv) the Company's internal control system is acknowledged to have a serious problem. Therefore, the Company's actions are acknowledged to fall under Article 52, paragraph 1 (ix) of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, which stipulates “when a wrongful act or extremely unjust act has been conducted with regard to Financial Instruments Business, and when the circumstances are especially serious.”

  • 2. Description of Administrative Actions

    • (1) Business Suspension Order

      Suspend the Company's derivative transactions related to TIBOR and LIBOR from January 10 to January 16, 2012 (excluding transactions necessary for the termination of existing contracts, etc)

    • (2) Business Improvement Order

      • (a) Clarify the responsibility of the management and staff regarding the violation.

      • (b) Secure strict compliance by all the management and staff members.

      • (c) Take preventive measures against recurrence of the above-mentioned violations, including measures to improve the control environment for governance and business operation.

      • (d) Submit a written report to the FSA on the implementation of (i) the above measures ((a) - (c)) by January 16, 2012, and (ii) (b) and (c) by March 30, 2012, every three months thereafter, and at any times as needed in consideration of the implementation status.

II. UBS AG, Japan Branches

Based on the results of the inspection of UBS AG, Japan Branches (hereinafter referred to as the “Bank”) and the report it submitted, the Financial Services Agency (FSA) today took the following administrative actions against the Bank in order to ensure sound and appropriate business operations.

  • 1. Reasons for the Administrative Actions

    According to the on-site inspection (notification made on November 22, 2011) and a report submitted by the Bank pursuant to the provisions of Article 24(1) and Article 48 of the Banking Act, an employee of the Bank's Tokyo branch has continuously received approaches from an employee of UBS Securities Japan Ltd, including requests regarding the TIBOR rate submission.

    However, this was not reported to the Bank's management team as an inappropriate practice, indicating that there are problems related to the internal control system.

  • 2. Description of Administrative Actions

    Orders based on Article 47(2) and (4) and Article 26(1) of the Banking Act.

    • (1) Take the following measures to ensure sound and appropriate business operations.

      • (i) Ensure thorough compliance with laws and regulations by executives and employees.

      • (ii) Strengthen the internal control system.

      • (iii) Formulate measures to prevent the recurrence of problems.

    • (2) Submit a business improvement plan concerning (1) above and the matters described in the order for the submission of a report by January 31, 2012, and immediately implement the plan.

    • (3) Following the implementation of (2) above, sum up the progress and implementation of the business improvement plan and the status of improvements through January 30, 2012, and report on the findings by the 15th day of the following month (1st report), and subsequently submit similar reports every three months by the 15th day of the respective following months, until the business improvement plan is completed.

Contact

Financial Services Agency
Tel +81-(0)3-3506-6000 (main)
Securities Business Division, Supervisory Bureau (ext. 3370, 3356)

Banks Division I, Supervisory Bureau (ext. 3751, 3398)

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