高盛51億美元和解MBS不當銷售案

Goldman Sachs has inked a $5.1bn settlement with US authorities over mis-sold mortgage-backed securities, in a final agreement that sheds new light on banks’ behaviour in the run-up to the financial crisis.

高盛(Goldman Sachs)已與美國當局就不當銷售抵押貸款支持證券(MBS)達成51億美元的和解協議。這份最終協議讓人們對銀行在金融危機前夕的行爲有了新的認識。

Federal officials on Monday provided fresh details of what they described as “serious misconduct” by Goldman when it sold pools of loans to investors that went on to cause an economic meltdown.

美國聯邦官員週一爲他們所形容的高盛“嚴重不當行爲”提供了新的細節。當時高盛將貸款打包出售給投資者，結果導致了一場經濟危機。

Investors suffered billions of dollars in losses from securities issued and underwritten by Goldman between 2005 and 2007, the Department of Justice said.

美國司法部表示，投資者從高盛於2005年至2007年發行和承銷的證券中遭受了數十億美元的損失。

The Wall Street bank knew the instruments it sold “were full of mortgages that were likely to fail”, said Stuart Delery, acting associate attorney-general.

美國代理助理總檢察長斯圖爾特•德萊裏(Stuart Delery)表示，高盛知道它銷售的證券產品中“充斥着可能違約的抵押貸款”。

Goldman disclosed in January that it had agreed to the settlement in principle. Provisions for the penalties wiped out most of its fourth-quarter profits.

高盛在今年1月披露稱，它原則上同意和解協議。處罰條款抹去了高盛第四季度的大多數利潤。

It is the latest in a series of settlements authorities have reached with banks — including almost $17bn with Bank of America, $13bn with JPMorgan and $7bn with Citigroup.

美國當局與銀行簽署了一系列和解協議，包括與美國銀行(Bank of America)的近170億美元和解協議、與摩根大通(JPMorgan)的130億美元協議以及與花旗集團(Citigroup)的70億美元協議，與高盛的和解是最新的一起。

In a “statement of facts” the bank agreed with regulators, Goldman acknowledged it had made “false and misleading representations” to prospective investors about the loans underpinning the securities.

在與監管機構一致認可的“事實陳述”中，高盛承認，它向潛在投資者就支持這些證券的貸款進行了“錯誤且誤導性的陳述”。