Recovery of Investment Losses in Barclays PLC Structured Notes tied to Oil

Have you suffered losses investing in Barclays PLC Structured Notes tied to Oil?  If so, the securities attorneys of The White Law Group may be able to help you recover your losses through a FINRA arbitration claim against the brokerage firm that recommended the investment.

According to a Bloomberg Report, the recent decline in oil prices has crushed retail structured notes meant to protect against a drop in crude. Reportedly, of the $437.1 million that have matured so far this year, 44 percent, or $194.3 million of principal, has evaporated, including $104.6 million invested in Barclays PLC Structured Notes tied to Oil  issuance in April of last year, which has lost 42 percent of its value.

The 14-month Barclays notes were issued on April 11, 2014 when a barrel of crude cost $103.74.  According to a prospectus filed with the SEC, the Barclays structured notes paid 7.2 percent at maturity as long as oil didn’t drop more than 20 percent, with proportionate losses if the price dropped more.  Unfortunately for investors, when the securities matured on June 22, oil was trading around $60 a barrel, returning only approximately $60.9 million of principal (of the $104.6 million invested) to investors.

Banks create structured notes, like the Barclays PLC Structured Notes tied to Oil, by packaging debt with derivatives to offer customized bets to retail investors while earning fees and raising money. These products typically pay a high fee to the financial advisors that sell them.  They are also extremely complex and difficult for investors (and sometimes even the financial advisors) to understand.

In or about August, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission issues a risk alert which discussed structured products.  The SEC’s alert stated that it had analyzed 26,600 structured product transactions totaling $1.25 billion, and found a significant number of instances in which the investments were unsuitable for the purchasers’ investment objectives and needs.. The SEC also found that brokerage firms’ supervision of sales of structured products and their supervisory procedures were weak and insufficient.

The White Law Group is investigating the liability that brokerage firms may have for recommending the Barclays PLC Structured Notes tied to Oil.

Brokers often pitch structured products, like Barclays PLC Structured Notes tied to Oil, as providing “downside protection” against losses to a related index while allowing modest up side gain potential. However, investors in Barclays PLC Structured Notes tied to Oil are finding out that the protection offered was limited and insufficient to ward off enormous losses.

Moreover, brokerage firms are required to perform adequate due diligence on any product they recommend and to ensure that all recommendations are suitable for their client in light of the client’s age, investment experience, net worth, income, and investment objectives.

If a brokerage firm fails to perform adequate due diligence or makes an unsuitable investment recommendation, the firm can be held responsible in a FINRA arbitration claim.

If you suffered losses investing in Barclays PLC Structured Notes tied to Oil and would like to discuss your litigation options, please call The White Law Group at 312/238-9650 for a free consultation.

The White Law Group, LLC is a national securities fraud, securities arbitration, investor protection, and securities regulation/compliance law firm with offices in Chicago, Illinois and Franklin, Tennessee.  For more information on the firm and its representation of investors in FINRA arbitration claims, visit https://whitesecuritieslaw.com.