Germany probing Financial Times journalist for payments from Wirecard

German authorities have opened an investigation into a Financial Times journalist over reports about German payments firm Wirecard, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said. The Financial Times did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment or phone calls about Monday's German newspaper report, which said the Munich prosecutor's office is investigating a possible violation of securities trading rules.

The prosecutors office had no immediate comment. Germany's financial watchdog Bafin banned short selling in shares of Wirecard, a member of the blue-chip DAX index, on Monday after reports in the Financial Times sparked high volatility in the stock over recent weeks.