Wells Fargo squares up to securities lending lawsuit
Latest news
Wells Fargo squares up to securities lending lawsuit 28 March 2012Minnesota Reporter: Georgina Lavers
Image: Shutterstock
Institutional investors have filed a lawsuit against Wells Fargo, claiming that the bank miss-sold the safeness of its securities lending program.
The lawsuit was filed by the City of Farmington Hills Employees Retirement System, a Michigan pension fund, on behalf of more than 100 other institutional investors.
It asserts that Wells Fargo ‘touted’ its securities lending programme: “as a highly-secure way for its institutional clients to maximize portfolio returns. Instead, Wells Fargo invested a substantial portion of the collateral in extremely risky securities.”
The investors also claimed that Wells Fargo concealed investment performance from class members to prevent them from exiting the securities lending programme.
Spokeswoman for Wells Fargo Laura Fay said in an e-mail to Reuters: “Wells Fargo categorically denies the allegations made in this lawsuit and will vigorously defend.”
NO FEE, NO RISK 100% ON RETURNSIf you invest in only one securities finance news source this
year, make sure it is your free subscription to Securities Finance Times