Bank of England press conferences were leaked to traders seconds before broadcast
UK regulators are looking into the unauthorized use of audio feeds from Bank of England press conferences that could have given traders access to market-sensitive remarks by policymakers seconds before the rest of the world.
The Bank of England said Thursday that an audio feed of some of its press conferences had been leaked to “external clients” by a third party supplier to the central bank since earlier this year.
“This wholly unacceptable use of the audio feed was without the Bank’s knowledge or consent, and is being investigated further,” the Bank of England said in a statement.
The Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates UK financial markets, said in an emailed statement that it is “looking at the issue.”
The Times was the first to report the breach. The British newspaper said that high-speed traders, who hoped to profit by being first to act on Bank of England Governor Mark Carney’s comments to journalists, were the recipients of the audio feed.
The Bank said that the leaks related only to press conferences that followed monetary policy statements where announcements on interest rates are made.
These press events are closely followed by market watchers for clues on the future direction that interest rates might take. Market participants use this information to trade currencies, government bonds and other financial assets.
The audio feed had been installed to act as a backup in case the video recordings of the press conferences failed, the central bank said, adding that the third party supplier’s access has been permanently disabled.
