Private markets are becoming more appealing as public companies face greater burdens and an unpredictable regulatory environment. So say Nasdaq officials who want to change this situation by strengthening capital markets and recommending key public policy proposals to make that happen. The policy recommendations are featured in a paper, “Advancing the U.S. Public Markets: Unlocking… Read More >>
SEC & CFTC Prioritize Crypto Regs Creation
The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) are following up on their recent announcements to move quickly on cryptocurrency regulation just as industry providers are getting on the crypto train. The SEC is offering more details about the mission of its special Crypto Task Force and the CFTC will be… Read More >>
SEC Quietly Approves Cost Savings for the CAT System
It’s been a while since I wrote about the ambitious and controversial big data, U.S. securities transaction monitoring project known as the Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT), which has been helping regulators FINRA and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) monitor U.S. equity and options markets, exchanges, participants, transactions, and more. CAT issues have receded as… Read More >>
SEC’s Acting Chairman Launches Crypto Task Force
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the new Trump team is wasting no time when it comes to forging policies that the now-former SEC Chair Gary Gensler fought against during his time at the top, particularly those concerning cryptocurrencies and other digital assets. Gensler stepped down on January 20 and Commissioner Mark T…. Read More >>
Is Wall Street Ready for 24-Hour Trading?
Are financial markets in North America ready for exchanges that operate nonstop or as close as possible to a 24-hour cycle per day? We may find out next year as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last month issued an order approving the registration application of 24X National Exchange, LLC, which plans to operate… Read More >>
Trump’s SEC May Be Less Aggressive On Fines
(The Trump team is moving fast to get its cabinet nominees in order, and Paul Atkins, a former SEC commissioner under President George W. Bush, has been tapped to head the SEC. If Atkins wins the approval of the U.S. Senate, he will succeed Gary Gensler, who steps down on Inauguration Day. FTF News asked… Read More >>
Is the SEC at a Digital Assets Crossroads?
(SEC Chair Gary Gensler will be stepping down from the top spot for the U.S. regulator on January 20, 2025, which means the new Trump administration will be looking for a replacement. Trump is likely to name a chairperson who has a more favorable stance toward digital assets and would be far less aggressive than… Read More >>
SEC Green-Lights Half-Penny Stocks
While the world was watching and waiting for the Fed to cut interest rates, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a rare, quiet, bipartisan, and unanimous decision adopted “amendments to certain rules under Regulation NMS [National Market System]” that will allow U.S. stock exchanges to have transactions via increments of half a penny —… Read More >>
Get Ready for More Form N-PORT Reporting!
An overhaul is coming for Form N-PORT via amendments recently passed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). “Form N-PORT reports provide important information about a fund’s portfolio holdings and related information to help assess a fund’s risks,” the SEC explains. “The Form N-PORT amendments will require … generally registered open-end funds, registered closed-end funds,… Read More >>
Firms Need to Prepare for Sec Lending Reporting
(Last year, the SEC approved Rule 10c-1a, intended to bring new transparency to securities lending transactions via reporting and dissemination requirements. Earlier this year, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) proposed a new facility allowing covered securities loan transactions to be reported to the self-regulatory organization (SRO) for U.S. broker-dealers. The proposed system, the Securities… Read More >>
