(Provisional Translation)
February 26, 2002
Financial Services Agency

An administrative action against Credit Lyonnais Securities, Tokyo Branch

  1. On February 13, 2002 the Financial Services Agency (FSA) ordered Credit Lyonnais Securities Europe - Switzerland AG, Tokyo Branch (''the Branch'' hereafter) to report about Short-selling in breach of the Securities and Exchange Law (''the Law'' hereafter) based on the information obtained through the comprehensive review of compliance on short-selling regulation*, and the following legal violation of the Law was found.
* The comprehensive review of compliance on short-selling regulation was conducted by the member firms of the Japan Securities Dealers Association (JSDA) at the request of the FSA through the JSDA as a part of ''the comprehensive measures for short-selling of stocks'' announced on December 21,2001.
- Short-selling in breach of the Law
In November 2001 the Branch executed short-selling of stocks by clients' order without legally required disclosure of the fact of short-selling to the stock exchange many times, because the Branch did not confirm whether or not the sale of the stocks were short sales.
In addition, by the investigation on sampling trading days, the branch was found to have conducted short sales at a price lower than the latest published price immediately prior to the short sale.
In November 2001 the Branch executed short-selling of stocks on its own account without legally required disclosure of the fact of short-selling to the stock exchange many times, because the Branch did not confirm its own possession balance.

The conduct above was found to violate the Article 26-3 (1) and (2), the Article 26-4 (1) of the Cabinet Order (the Securities and Exchange Law) and the Article 162 (1) (i) of the Law, both of which regulate short-selling.
  1. On the basis of the above findings, the FSA issued the following orders to the Branch to:
(1) Suspend business operation
 
1) Suspend all the stock trading on its own account from February 28, 2002 until March 13, 2002 (2 weeks) except the execution of transactions contracted on or before February 27.
2) Suspend commissioned business of the sale or purchase of stocks by affiliated companies from February 28, 2002 until March 13, 2002 (2 weeks).
(2) Improve its compliance with the law
 
1) Strengthen its internal control system, secure strict compliance by the directors and staff, take preventive measures against recurrence of the above mentioned violations, and clarify locus of responsibility.
2) Work out concrete measures with a target date to root out short-selling in breach of the Law, and to impose stricter internal penalty to a staff and his/her supervisor in the Branch.
3) Submit a quarterly report to the FSA on the implementation of the 1) and 2) measures above.

For further information, please contact with the following:

Securities Business Division
Supervisory Bureau
FSA, JAPAN (Tel : 03-3506-6000)
Deputy Director : Iichiro YOSHINO(ex.3352)
Section Chief : Yoshikazu HIRAI(ex.3356)

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