UPDATE: CME Suspends 2 Traders For Running Up $40 Million Margin Deficit
May 25 2010 - 5:05PM
Dow Jones News
CME Group Inc. (CME) said Tuesday it has suspended two traders
who avoided risk controls and left a client account with margin
shortfall of more than $40 million.
The futures exchange said it took "emergency action" against
member Kent Whitney and barred him from all CME markets for six
months.
Traders run orders through designated brokers, who collect
collateral, known as margin, against positions in case a market
movement leaves clients unable to pay out on contracts.
Whitney was already meant to be barred from all CME markets
under an existing action, but used floor clerks to place orders on
April 16 in options on S&P 500 index futures last month on
behalf of David Parrish, a non-member, who also received a
six-month ban from CME.
"The execution of these orders created a margin deficit in
excess of $40 million, which would have caused Parrish's account to
be far under-margined," said CME in a notice to members.
If the market had moved against the options positions, the
unnamed brokerage would be responsible for paying out claims.
CME declined to name the broker involved or comment on how
Whitney evaded his existing ban, but said it was continuing its
investigation. It's not known whether the positions were
profitable.
Whitney and Parrish couldn't be reached for comment.
Risk-management functions across the U.S. exchange sector are
under intensifying scrutiny following the highly volatile market
gyrations of May 6.
The disciplinary panel convened by CME on Monday found that both
Whitney and Parish have been or will be "conducting business in a
manner that cannot be permitted to continue without jeopardizing
the safety of customer funds, members or the exchange," according
to the Tuesday notice.
-By Jacob Bunge, Dow Jones Newswires; (312) 750 4117;
jacob.bunge@dowjones.com
(Doug Cameron contributed to this article.)
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