SLCG Economic Consulting's Logo

Resources

Blog

Our experts frequently write blog posts about the findings of the research we are conducting.

Filter by:

Clear All

Displaying 10 out of 86 results for "Weekly Regulatory Review".

SEC Litigation Releases: Week in Review - December 28th, 2012

(Dec 2012)

SEC Charges Two Brokers with Insider Trading
December 26, 2012, (Litigation Release No. 22581)
This week the SEC filed an amended complaint (opens to PDF) charging research analyst Trent Martin with tipping brokers Thomas C. Conradt and David J. Weishaus with nonpublic information about IBM Corporation's acquisition of SPSS Inc. Martin learned of the impending IBM-SPSS transaction "from an attorney friend who was working on the deal." Martin, Conradt, and Weishaus allegedly traded on the...

Copper ETP Market Review

(Dec 2012)

Last week we described how a physical copper ETF might lead to a copper shortage and disruption of world commodities markets. This week we wanted to review the copper ETP market in a bit more detail to get an idea of what is currently being offered.

There are seven US ETPs available with exposure primarily to the copper market. These include:

Auction Rate Securities Responsible for $9.6 Billion Loss to Taxpayers

(Dec 2012)

In a complaint filed in Nevada against Goldman Sachs last year, the city of Reno states that it issued $73.45 million of Auction Rate Securities (ARS) in 2005 and $137.43 million ARS in 2006 on the advice of Goldman. Like many other municipalities, Reno subsequently saw the market crash in 2008 and yields skyrocket, leading to a $9.6 billion loss for issuers.

The ARS structure was promoted by Goldman as liquid, cash-equivalent investments that would allow Reno to borrow money for long term...

SEC Litigation Releases: Week in Review - December 21th, 2012

(Dec 2012)

SEC Files Settled FCPA Charges Against Eli Lilly and Company
December 20, 2012, (Litigation Release No. 22576)
According to the complaint (opens to PDF),Eli Lilly and Company's subsidiaries in Russia, Brazil, China, and Poland made improper payments to foreign government officials in exchange for business. Lilly's Russian subsidiary allegedly paid "millions of dollars to third parties chosen by government customers or distributors" through offshore "marketing agreements "despite knowing little...

FINRA and BBB Launch Smart Investing Website to Educate Consumers on Financial Fraud

(Dec 2012)

The FINRA Investor Education Foundation in conjunction with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) announced the launch of their new website, BBB Smart Investing, last Friday. Smart Investing provides investors with "tools and information to help [them] better protect and manage" their money.

One useful feature that we've noted on the blog before is the FINRA BrokerCheck, a free search engine for disclosures, regulatory action and fines against brokers and brokerage firms. The search generates a...

CFTC Amendment to Rule 4.5 Survives Challenge

(Dec 2012)

Last Thursday, a Federal judge ruled on a challenge to the CFTC's February 2012 amendment to Rule 4.5 that will require mutual funds and ETFs that have sufficient non-hedging participation in derivative markets to register with the CFTC as commodity pool operators (CPOs). The CFTC defines a CPO as a "person engaged in a business similar to an investment trust or a syndicate and who solicits or accepts funds, securities, or property for the purpose of trading commodity futures contracts or...

SEC Litigation Releases: Week in Review - December 14th, 2012

(Dec 2012)

SEC Charges Massachusetts Company, CEO and Promoters With $9 Million Securities Fraud
December 14, 2012, (Litigation Release No. 22572)
According to the complaint (opens to PDF), BioChemics, Inc., its CEO, John Masiz, and two individuals paid to solicit investors, Craig Medoff and Gregory Kroning, "made false statements to investors about collaborations with major pharmaceutical companies and the status and results of drug trials of [BioChemic's] main product." Additionally, the SEC claims...

Massachusetts Securities Regulators Getting Tough on Non-Traded REITs

(Dec 2012)

LPL Financial, the largest independent broker-dealer in the US, is being sued by Massachusetts securities regulators for "numerous regulatory violations in connection with the sale of non-traded REITs." We have covered non-traded REITs extensively on this blog, as well as in a detailed working paper, and it appears that many of the problems that have been identified with these products are finally attracting attention from regulators.

According to the complaint, the action is specifically...

SEC and FINRA Issue Investor Alert RE: Year-End Investment Considerations

(Dec 2012)

Late last week, FINRA and the SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy issued an investor alert encouraging investors to take stock of their investments and finances at year-end. This alert is rather brief, but offers sound advice to prevent disputes that could lead to the kind of arbitration or litigation we see every day.

In particular, the two regulatory bodies suggest reviewing asset allocations and consider rebalancing. Conventional wisdom tells us that investing in more than one...

SEC Litigation Releases: Week in Review - December 7th, 2012

(Dec 2012)

SEC Secures Trial Victory and Obtains Over $2.1 Million in Disgorgement and Penalties in Market Manipulation Case
December 6, 2012, (Litigation Release No. 22561)
A final judgment was entered against brothers Mayer Amsel and David Amsel "following a bench trial in a market manipulation case involving the securities of a company known as East Delta Resources Corp." The final judgment orders the brothers to pay, jointly and severally, over $2.4 million in disgorgement, pre-judgment interest, and...

86 Results

Display: