EU antitrust regulators expand CDS probe to ISDA

BRUSSELS, March 26 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulatorsexpanded their nearly two-year long investigation into thecredit default swaps market on Tuesday to include industry bodyInternational Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA).

"The (European) Commission's inquiry found preliminaryindications that ISDA may have been involved in a coordinatedeffort of investment banks to delay or prevent exchanges fromentering the credit derivatives business," the EU executive saidin a statement.

The Commission, which acts as EU competition watchdog,opened its investigation in April 2011.

The banks it listed at the time as part of the investigationincluded JP Morgan, Bank of America, GoldmanSachs, Deutsche Bank, Citigroup and 11other banks, as well as financial data company Markit.