By Tom Polansek
CHICAGO, Dec 21 (Reuters) - The Chicago Board of Trade on
Friday barred a wheat broker from trading for 25 years for
engaging in prohibited transactions.
John Peavy, who worked in the open-outcry pit on the
historic CBOT trading floor, broke exchange rules by executing
more than 160 "prearranged, round-turn transactions" of wheat
futures contracts for his customers from April 2009 to March
2010, according to a disciplinary notice from the exchange.
Wheat prices were often under pressure during that year-long
period due to large global supplies.
Peavy could not be reached for comment. He did not admit or
deny wrongdoing as part of a settlement with the CBOT.
The prohibited trades were part of a strategy in which Peavy
was "illegally offsetting customer orders opposite a single
accommodating local trader for that local's personal account,"
according to the notice.
The second trader, who was not named, made profits for his
personal account, it said
CBOT rules state all open-outcry transactions must be made
"openly and competitively" and that "no bid or offer shall be
specified for acceptance by a particular trader."
The unnamed trader also engaged in prohibited transactions
by non-competitively buying and selling identical quantities of
the same wheat futures contract opposite Peavy, who was trading
for his personal account, according to the notice.
The transactions were often completed at a one-cent price
differential, allowing the unnamed trader to be "passing money
to Peavy in the form of trading profits," the notice said.
The CBOT is owned by CME Group.
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