Opalesque Industry Update – A move by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to charge Goldman Sachs, the world’s most powerful investment bank, with fraud, opened a whirlwind of calls to expand investigation from across Europe amid fears of new era of litigation that could entangle Goldman and other banks for years to come. Asian stocks also stumbled Monday on the back of Goldman’s investigation. On Friday, the SEC charged Goldman Sachs & Co and one of its employees, Fabrice Tourre, with securities fraud for allegedly making material misstatements and omissions in connection with a synthetic collateralized debt obligation (CDO) that GS&Co structured and marketed to investors. This synthetic CDO, ABACUS 2007-AC1, was linked to the subprime mortgage crisis that hit the U.S. housing sector in 2007 (SEC’s report here).
SEC’s complaint After participating in the selection of the reference portfolio, Paulson effectively shorted the RMBS portfolio it helped select by entering into CDSs with GS&Co to buy protection on specific layers of the ABACUS 2007-AC1 capital structure. Given its financial short interest, Paulson had an economic incentive to choose RMBS that it expected to experience credit events in the near future. GS&Co did not disclose Paulson's adverse economic interest or its role in the portfolio selection process. Tourre was principally responsible for ABACUS 2007-AC1. According to the SEC’s complaint, Tourre devised the transaction, prepared the marketing materials and communicated directly with investors. Tourre is alleged to have known of Paulson's undisclosed short interest and its role in the collateral selection process. He is also alleged to have misled ACA into believing that Paulson invested approximately $200m in the equity of ABACUS 2007-AC1 (a long position) and, accordingly, that Paulson's interests in the collateral section process were aligned with ACA's when in reality Paulson's interests were sharply conflicting. The deal closed on April 26, 2007. Paulson paid GS&Co approximately $15m for structuring and marketing ABACUS 2007-AC1. By October 24, 2007, 83% of the RMBS in the ABACUS 2007-AC1 portfolio had been downgraded and 17% was on negative watch. By January 29, 2008, 99% of the portfolio had allegedly been downgraded. Investors in the liabilities of ABACUS 2007-AC1 are alleged to have lost over $1bn. Paulson's opposite CDS positions yielded a profit of approximately $1bn.
Paulson not charged in Goldman Sachs’ controversy Paolo Pellegrini, who used to co-manage Paulson & Co.'s credit opportunities funds, reportedlycooperated with the SEC in the case against Goldman Sachs. Paulson & Co said it had no authority over the selection of assets linked to a Goldman Sachs mortgage security from whose decline it later profited. Paulson, who made $15bn in 2007 by betting that Americans would default on their home loans in droves, is reported to be a major Democratic contributor. The Hill said that Paulson, founder and chairman of the hedge fund Paulson & Co., gave $30,400 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in June last year.
Tip of the iceberg This suit is the agency's biggest assault on a Wall Street firm in a matter stemming from the credit crisis, said the Wall Street Journal. A successful outcome for the SEC could go a long way in repairing its reputation, which was damaged by its failure to discover Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme and other shortcomings that emerged during the crisis. The paper added that Goldman will be judged on whether the information it failed to tell its clients was material, meaning important or relevant, something a buyer would want to know before buying. But Bloomberg said the case against Goldman may turn on the meaning of the word “selected.” Industry experts said that the charges against Goldman Sachs were based on weak evidence and would not hold water in court, but the allegation could entangle Goldman and other banks for years to come. The SEC is investigating whether other mortgage deals arranged by some of Wall Street's biggest firms may have crossed the line into misleading investors, said the Wall Street Journal. James Hackney, professor at Northeastern University School of Law, described the charge as “just a tip of the iceberg.” He was quoted by AP as saying: "There are a lot of folks out there in different deals who played similar roles, and once it starts building steam, plaintiffs' lawyers will figure out this is where the money is and there should be a lot of action,” referring to the feared torrent of lawsuits to follow. But even as the ink of SEC’s fresh accusation against Goldman Sachs is drying, U.S. lawyers are already busy looking for investors who lost money on Goldman’s Abacus products to file a possible class action against the bank, reported Timesonline.co.uk. Richard Blumenthal, the Connecticut attorney-general, said that he had begun a review of the case. And Keller Rohrback, from a class action firm, said: “We are investigating other synthetic collateralised debt obligations marketed by Goldman Sachs in which Goldman or persons acting in concert with Goldman bet against securities Goldman sold to its client.”
Germany, UK mull legal action against Goldman Ulrich Wilhelm, spokesman for the German government said they were considering legal actions against the bank. He said German regulator BaFin would ask the SEC for more information on its securities fraud charge against Goldman Sachs.
Asian stocks plunged on Goldman Sachs probe Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Average declined 1.7% and South Korea’s Kospi Index dropped 1%. China’s Shanghai Composite Index declined 1.7% after the government stepped up measures to curb gains in real-estate price gains. The Australian dollar and the New Zealand dollar both fell against the U.S. dollar too.
North American stocks hit too On Friday, Canada’s dollar posted its biggest five-day decline in seven weeks as stocks and crude oil tumbled.
But the fraud suit is unlikely to send hedge funds scrambling to reduce gold holdings, Superfund Financial Singapore Pte told Bloomberg today. Gold for immediate delivery was little changed at $1,136.57 an ounce at 11:57 a.m. in Singapore after slumping by the most in more than two months on April 16.
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Industry Updates
SEC files civil fraud suit against Goldman Sachs in connection with selling of synthetic CDO which Paulson & co was shorting
Monday, April 19, 2010
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