NON-MEMBER:
SHINGO YAMAMOTO
EXCHANGE RULE: NYMEX RULE 575.A. DISRUPTIVE PRACTICES PROHIBITED
No person shall enter or cause to be entered an order with the intent, at the time
of order entry, to cancel the order before execution or to modify the order to
avoid execution.
FINDINGS:
Pursuant to an offer of settlement Shingo Yamamoto (“Yamamoto”) presented at a hearing on June 12, 2018, in which Yamamoto neither admitted nor denied the rule violations upon which the penalty is based, a Panel of the COMEX Business Conduct Committee (“BCC”) found that, on numerous trade dates between August 2016 and March 2017, Yamamoto entered orders in various Gold and Copper Futures contracts on the Globex electronic trading platform during the pre-opening period for the purpose of identifying the depth of the order book. The entry and cancellation of these orders caused fluctuations in the publicly displayed Indicative Opening Price (“IOP”).
Accordingly, the Panel found that Yamamoto violated NYMEX Rule 575.A. (Disruptive Practices Prohibited).
PENALTY:
In accordance with the settlement offer, the Panel ordered Yamamoto to pay a total monetary fine in the amount of $25,000 in connection with this case and companion case NYMEX 17-0646-BC ($5,000 of the monetary fine is allocated to COMEX) and to serve a 20 business day suspension from (1) applying for membership on any CME Group Inc. Exchange; (2) access to any CME Group Inc. trading floor; and (3) direct and indirect access to all electronic trading and clearing platforms owned or controlled by CME Group Inc. The suspension shall run from June 14, 2018 through, and including July 12, 2018.