The UK-based bank accepts responsibility for information from clients being used to profit from currency transactions.

A HSBC branch in London
Image: HSBC has admitted information was misused to profit from trading activity

HSBC has agreed to pay $101.5m (£73m) to settle a US criminal investigation into the rigging of currency transactions.

The case, brought against the UK-based bank by the Department of Justice in New York, centred on the activities of traders accused of using confidential information provided by clients to the benefit of the bank.

One former British employee, Mark Johnson, was convicted of fraud in October in connection with a $3.5bn currency transaction by Cairn Energy in which he was said to have deployed a tactic known as "front-running".

FILE PHOTO: Mark Johnson, a British citizen who at the time of his arrest was HSBC's global head of foreign exchange cash trading, exits following a hearing at the U.S. Federal Court in Brooklyn, New York, U.S. on August 29, 2016.
Image: Mark Johnson has protested his innocence

He is awaiting sentencing while Cairn received an $8.1m payment from HSBC in settlement.

The agreement with HSBC, announced by the DoJ on Thursday night, is yet to be officially signed off by a judge.

But under the so-called deferred prosecution agreement, which means the bank avoids criminal charges so long as it abides by a series of terms, it will pay a $63.1m fine.

On top of that is a $38.4m payment in restitution to a corporate client.

That company was not identified by the DoJ.

The deal with HSBC is also dependent on the bank bolstering its internal controls.

HSBC said the fine reflected a 15% reduction that took into account the bank’s cooperation and “extensive remediation” efforts.

Europe's largest bank is no stranger to US settlements.

More from Business

This deal was announced just a month after the conclusion of a five-year deferred prosecution agreement over its alleged dealings with money launderers including Mexican drug cartels and other activity in defiance of US sanctions.

It had to pay almost $2bn in that case.

More stories