WASHINGTON — The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced today that it has fined Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated $1.9 million for fair pricing and supervisory violations in connection with more than 700 retail customer transactions in distressed securities over a two-year time period. Merrill Lynch was also ordered to pay more than $540,000 in restitution, plus interest, to affected customers.
News Releases & Statements
WASHINGTON — The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced today that it has fined 10 firms a total of $43.5 million for allowing their equity research analysts to solicit investment banking business and for offering favorable research coverage in connection with the 2010 planned initial public offering of Toys"R"Us.
FINRA fined the following firms.
WASHINGTON—The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has named Joseph M. Mecane as the Floor Member Governor on FINRA's Board of Governors. Mr. Mecane is currently a Managing Director of Electronic Equities and Credit Products at Barclays. Mr. Mecane recently joined Barclays to assist in the further development of the firm's electronic product offering, with a particular focus on the equities and credit markets.
Reports Assess Rules on Communications With the Public and Gifts, Gratuities and Non-Cash Compensation
WASHINGTON — The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued two Retrospective Rule Review Reports assessing, respectively, the effectiveness and efficiency of
WASHINGTON — The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced today that it has fined Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. $15 million for failing to adequately supervise communications between its equity research analysts and its clients and Citigroup sales and trading staff, and for permitting one of its analysts to participate indirectly in two road shows promoting IPOs to investors.
WASHINGTON—The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has named two new Public Governors—Joshua S. Levine and Robert W. Scully—to its Board of Governors.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) today released companion proposals that would require disclosure of pricing reference information on customer confirmations for transactions in fixed income securities. The proposals are substantially similar but seek input on factors unique to the corporate and municipal bond markets.
WASHINGTON—The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) released a
FINRA Investor Survey Results 11/3/14
of U.S. investors designed to measure perceptions of fairness and to gauge demand for additional regulatory protections.
WASHINGTON—The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) Office of Investor Education and Advocacy today issued an alert warning investors that some penny stocks being aggressively promoted as great investment opportunities may in fact be stocks of dormant shell companies with little to no business operations.
WASHINGTON – The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced today that Richard W. Berry will become Executive Vice President and Director of Dispute Resolution, starting December 1. Berry will report directly to Richard Ketchum, FINRA's Chairman and CEO. He is replacing Linda Fienberg, who is retiring on November 30.