News on SEC Activities

American Equity execs to pay $1M in SEC probe deal

2010-03-03T16:00:27Z

<div id="subtitle">American Equity executives to pay over $1 million to settle SEC probe into 2006 disclosures</div><div><p>American Equity Investment Life Holding Co. on Wednesday said two top executives will pay more than $1 million in penalties as part of a settlement of a Reuters) - U.S. securities regulators charged a prominent Miami couple on Wednesday with running a $135 million Ponzi scheme that victimized elderly Cuban-Americans living in South Florida.</p><p>In a complaint filed in Miami federa...

SEC puts new curbs on short-selling

2010-02-24T13:00:11Z

<div id="subtitle">SEC adopts new 'circuit breaker' curbs on short-selling in bid to buttress market stability</div><div><p>Federal regulators on Wednesday imposed new curbs on the practice of short-selling, hoping to prevent spiraling sales sprees in a stock that can stoke market turmoil.</p><p>The Securities and Exchange Commission, divided along par...

SEC short-sale curb may apply to market makers: sources

2010-02-23T20:30:31Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Securities regulators are considering new short-sale restrictions with no exemptions for market makers, people familiar with the regulators' plans said on Tuesday.</p><p>The Securities and Exchange Commission is due to meet on Wednesday to vote on rules that would rest...

Regulator asks Paulson & Co for information: report

2010-02-22T12:22:31Z

<div><p>(Reuters) - Hedge fund Paulson &amp; Co has received a request for information from the U.S. securities regulator in connection with an investigation into complex securities at the heart of the financial crisis, the Financial Times said, citing people familiar...

International Rectifier says no SEC charges coming

2010-02-22T13:35:13Z

<div id="subtitle">International Rectifier says no SEC charges coming over accounting irregularities</div><div><p>International Rectifier Corp., a maker of power management chips for satellites and aircraft, said Friday that federal regulators will not to file charges against the company after reviewing the restatement of its financial repo...

SEC names new enforcement unit heads

2010-02-22T20:57:00Z

<div id="subtitle">SEC names 6 people to lead new units in enforcement division; unveils new cooperation policy</div><div><p>The Securities and Exchange Commission named six people on Wednesday to lead new investigative units and unveiled a new policy for rewarding prompt cooperation by those with knowledge of misconduct as the agen...

Broker paying $25M to settle SEC charges

2010-02-23T14:02:11Z

<div id="subtitle">US arm of big British brokerage paying $25M to settle SEC charges of showing phony trades</div><div><p>ICAP Securities USA, the U.S. division of a big British brokerage, agreed Friday to pay $25 million to settle federal regulators' charges that it deceived customers by displaying thousands of phony trades in Bally Total Fitness in 2001-2003.&...

SEC has widened probe into BofA, Merrill deal

2010-02-23T17:35:54Z

<div id="subtitle">SEC official: agency widened probe of Bank of America to include disclosure of Merrill losses</div><div><p>The Securities and Exchange Commission has expanded its probe of Bank of America to include the bank's possible failure to...

House Holds Hearing On Bank Of America Purchase Of Merrill Lynch

2009-12-11T11:34:05Z

WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 11: House Oversight and Government Reform Committee ranking member Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) (L) and Chairman Edolphus Towns (D-NY) listen to witnesses testify about th...

Financial Crisis Fraud

2009-12-09T17:00:49Z

FILE - In this Nov. 17, 2009 file photo, Securities and Exchange Commission Director of Enforcement Ron Khuzami speaks during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washing...

SEC ramps up probes of hedge funds: source

2010-02-23T21:57:09Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. securities regulators have stepped up their probes of hedge funds and are asking some firms to hand over information about their performance and trades, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.</p><p>In the past two months, the Reuters) - The internal watchdog for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is probing whether enforcement staff "committed acts of negligence" in conducting an insider trading investigation.</p><p>Inspector Reuters) - Galleon Group hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam attacked a U.S. regulator's lawsuit on Tuesday, denying insider trading charges and saying government wiretaps violated his constitutional rights.&...

SEC told to improve ways it chooses probe targets

2010-02-24T03:05:38Z

<div id="subtitle">SEC watchdog says agency must tighten process for picking which investment advisors to inspect</div><div><p>The Securities and Exchange Commission must tighten its process for deciding which investment advisers to inspect if it is to avoid colossal breakdowns like the one that allowed

SEC says former Tvia execs inflated revenue

2010-02-24T04:08:43Z

<div id="subtitle">SEC charges former executives at chipmaker Tvia with inflating financial results</div><div><p>The Securities and Exchange Commission said Tuesday it has charged former executives at semiconductor company Tvia Inc. with improperly inflating the company's revenue.&am...

SEC staff targets Beazer Homes CEO over bonus pay

2010-02-24T04:52:11Z

<div id="subtitle">Beazer CEO could face government 'claw back' of incentive compensation; SEC urges civil action</div><div><p>Federal regulators may try to collect bonus money awarded to the top executive of Beazer Homes USA Inc. covering periods when the homebuilder restated financial results.</p><p>Beazer Homes said in a regulatory filin...

JPMorgan settles SEC 'pay-to-play' charges in Ala.

2010-02-24T09:57:02Z

<div id="subtitle">JPMorgan settles SEC 'pay-to-play' charges in Ala.; pays $75M fines &amp; forfeits $647M in fees</div><div><p>JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. has agreed to pay $75 million in fines and forfeit $647 million in fees to settle federal regulators' charges that it made unlawful payments to friend...