Legal risks are resurfacing for major lenders after investors filed a lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPM, Barclays Plc BCS and Fifth Third Bancorp FITB over their roles in underwriting and financing securities issued by bankrupt subprime auto lender Tricolor Holdings. Following the news, shares of JPM, FITB and BCS have lost 1.9%, 4.8% and 3.9%, respectively, in yesterday’s trading session.
The complaint, filed in Manhattan federal court, alleges that the banks ignored multiple audit warnings while structuring and marketing asset-backed securities (ABS) backed by Tricolor’s loan portfolio. Plaintiffs, including Janus Henderson Group Plc, One William Street Capital Management and Ellington Capital Management, claim to hold more than $230 million of notes sold between April 2022 and June 2025. Per the complaint, some of these notes are now trading at less than 10 cents on the dollar.
The development shifts the Tricolor episode from a credit loss event to a broader question around underwriting oversight and risk governance within structured finance.
What Tricolor’s Noteholders Are Alleging
According to the complaint, audits conducted in 2022 and 2024 flagged significant discrepancies in Tricolor’s loan reporting and cash management practices. Investors allege that nearly half of daily borrower payments were routed to incorrect bank accounts. They further claim that recoveries were recorded on repossessions that allegedly never occurred, while loan delinquencies were misstated and improperly aged in servicing reports.
The plaintiffs allege that despite being aware of the audit findings, JPMorgan, Barclays, and Fifth Third continued providing funding to Tricolor and securitizing its loans, while earning underwriting and related fees. The lawsuit further alleges that the offering documents did not adequately disclose these findings and associated risks. Investors claim that by failing to highlight these concerns, the banks enabled the alleged misconduct to continue. As a result, the plaintiffs described the situation as a “Ponzi-like fraud.”
Banks Record Tricolor-Related Charges Amid Ongoing Lawsuit
Tricolor filed for bankruptcy in September 2025. In the wake of Tricolor’s collapse, JPM, BCS and FITB disclosed they collectively faced hundreds of millions of dollars in potential losses. Specifically, JPMorgan recorded a $170 million charge-off in the third quarter of 2025 related to its wholesale lending exposure to Tricolor. During the same quarter, Fifth Third reported a $178 million non-cash impairment charge linked to its asset-backed finance loan exposure. Barclays also recorded a £110 million ($148.2 million) impairment associated with its exposure.
Although the banks have already recognized credit losses tied to Tricolor’s collapse, the new lawsuit adds another layer of uncertainty. Any potential settlement costs or adverse legal outcomes could pressure earnings in the coming quarters.
The case also raises questions about underwriting oversight and disclosure practices in asset-backed securitization activities. Investors will likely watch for updates on legal exposure and whether additional provisions are required going forward.
At present, JPMorgan and Fifth Third carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), while Barclays sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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