Goldman Sachs has inked a $5.1bn settlement with US authorities over mis-sold mortgage-backed securities, in a final agreement that sheds new light on banks’ behaviour in the run-up to the financial crisis.

高盛(Goldman Sachs)已与美国当局就不当销售抵押贷款支持证券(MBS)达成51亿美元的和解协议。这份最终协议让人们对银行在金融危机前夕的行为有了新的认识。

Federal officials on Monday provided fresh details of what they described as “serious misconduct” by Goldman when it sold pools of loans to investors that went on to cause an economic meltdown.

美国联邦官员周一为他们所形容的高盛“严重不当行为”提供了新的细节。当时高盛将贷款打包出售给投资者，结果导致了一场经济危机。

Investors suffered billions of dollars in losses from securities issued and underwritten by Goldman between 2005 and 2007, the Department of Justice said.

美国司法部表示，投资者从高盛于2005年至2007年发行和承销的证券中遭受了数十亿美元的损失。

The Wall Street bank knew the instruments it sold “were full of mortgages that were likely to fail”, said Stuart Delery, acting associate attorney-general.

美国代理助理总检察长斯图尔特•德莱里(Stuart Delery)表示，高盛知道它销售的证券产品中“充斥着可能违约的抵押贷款”。

Goldman disclosed in January that it had agreed to the settlement in principle. Provisions for the penalties wiped out most of its fourth-quarter profits.

高盛在今年1月披露称，它原则上同意和解协议。处罚条款抹去了高盛第四季度的大多数利润。

It is the latest in a series of settlements authorities have reached with banks — including almost $17bn with Bank of America, $13bn with JPMorgan and $7bn with Citigroup.

美国当局与银行签署了一系列和解协议，包括与美国银行(Bank of America)的近170亿美元和解协议、与摩根大通(JPMorgan)的130亿美元协议以及与花旗集团(Citigroup)的70亿美元协议，与高盛的和解是最新的一起。

In a “statement of facts” the bank agreed with regulators, Goldman acknowledged it had made “false and misleading representations” to prospective investors about the loans underpinning the securities.

在与监管机构一致认可的“事实陈述”中，高盛承认，它向潜在投资者就支持这些证券的贷款进行了“错误且误导性的陈述”。