Banks in Libor probe consider group settlement [View all]

[dipsydoodle]

(Reuters) - A group of banks being investigated in an interest-rate rigging scandal are looking to pursue a group settlement with regulators rather than face a Barclays-style backlash by going it alone, people familiar with the banks' thinking said.

Such discussions are preliminary, and it is unclear if regulators will enter these talks, aimed at resolving allegations that banks attempted to manipulate the London interbank offered rate, or Libor, a benchmark that underpins hundreds of trillions of dollars in contracts.

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Still, there are powerful incentives for the banks to enter joint negotiations.

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The sources told Reuters that none of the banks involved now want to be second in line for fear that they will get similarly hostile treatment from politicians and the public. Bank discussions about a group settlement initially took place before the Barclays agreement, and picked back up in the aftermath.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/07/20/uk-banking-libor-settlment-idUKBRE86J00M20120720