NEW YORK: Deutsche Bank AG and JPMorgan Chase & Co have agreed to pay a combined $148 million to end private US antitrust litigation claiming they conspired with other banks to manipulate the yen Libor and Euroyen Tibor benchmark interest rates.

The preliminary settlements, totaling $77 million for Deutsche Bank and $71m for JPMorgan, were detailed in filings late Friday in the US District Court in Manhattan, and require a judge’s approval.

They followed similar settlements last year with Citigroup Inc and HSBC Holdings Plc totaling $23m and $35m, respectively.

Investors including the California State Teachers’ Retirement System and J Kyle Bass’ hedge fund Hayman Capital Management LP had accused more than 20 banks of conspiring to rig yen Libor, Euroyen Tibor and Euroyen Tibor futures contracts to benefit their own positions from 2006 through at least 2010. Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan did not admit wrongdoing or liability in agreeing to settle, court papers show.

Banks use the London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor) and Tokyo Interbank Offered Rate (Tibor) to set costs of borrowing from each other. Libor is often used to set rates on mortgages, credit cards and other loans.

Investors have filed lawsuits in the Manhattan court accusing banks of conspiring to rig rates or prices in various financial and commodities markets.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2017