Report: 10 Big Banks In Antitrust Probe On Precious Metals

At least 10 major banks are under investigation for allegedly illegal price-fixing of precious metals, according to multiple reports.

The probe is reportedly related to a disclosure Monday by HSBC Holdings plc HSBC that U.S. prosecutors are conducting a criminal antitrust investigation concerning precious metals and had requested documents from the bank in November.

HSBC also said Monday that it received a subpoena last month from the U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission related to the company's U.S. precious metals trading operations.

HSBC said it is cooperating in the investigation which it said is at an "early stage."

Other banks reportedly targeted by the probe include Bank of Nova Scotia BNS, Barclays PLC BCS, Credit Suisse Group AG CS, Deutsche Bank AG DB, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. GS, JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPM, Societe Generale SA SCGLY, Standard Bank SBGOF and UBS Group AG UBS.

Research published last year by New York University's Stern School of Business Professor Rosa Abrantes-Metz suggested collusion in setting gold prices.

Metz's similar 2008 paper on the London interbank offered rate eventually led to a number of banks including Barclays and UBS, to be fined about $6 billion in total, according to Bloomberg.