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Fantastic Anarchist

(7,309 posts)
Thu Feb 27, 2014, 01:52 PM Feb 2014

Study Finds SEC Staff Sold Shares Before Cases Made Public

Source: Bloomberg News

People working for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission who owned stock in companies under investigation were more likely to sell shares than other investors in the months before the agency announced it was taking enforcement actions, according to a new academic paper.

SEC employees holding shares of five firms including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and General Electric Co. (GE) in 2010 and 2011 sold stock in 62 percent of the trades they initiated, compared with 50 percent among all the investors who traded those shares in that period, Emory University accounting professor Shivaram Rajgopal reports in the paper.

Rajgopal, who plans to present the work today at a University of Virginia accounting seminar, said in a telephone interview that while the analysis doesn’t prove misconduct it points out a suspicious pattern.

“It does suggest it is likely, or probable, that something is going on,” he said.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-27/study-finds-sec-staff-sold-shares-before-settlements-made-public.html



Wolves guarding the hen house.

15 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Study Finds SEC Staff Sold Shares Before Cases Made Public (Original Post) Fantastic Anarchist Feb 2014 OP
Why am I not surprised? Common Sense Party Feb 2014 #1
I am shocked - shocked - to find that gambling is going on in here riderinthestorm Feb 2014 #2
At least Renaud had good qualities. Fantastic Anarchist Feb 2014 #6
Wolves need to be tried by a jury of poultry. aquart Feb 2014 #3
That would be funny ... Fantastic Anarchist Feb 2014 #5
You give up too soon. aquart Feb 2014 #12
yet Democratic donor Martha Stewart goes to jail for 1/100th of the average Wall St offense zazen Feb 2014 #4
Why are SEC employees allowed to hold stock ... surrealAmerican Feb 2014 #7
My question, too. n/t Fantastic Anarchist Feb 2014 #8
Because we/they are all part of the system. elleng Feb 2014 #9
At the very least, they should be required to place all investments in a blind trust n/t markpkessinger Feb 2014 #13
Nothing to see, folks jsr Feb 2014 #10
If I were in such a position I'm not sure I'd do any different..... groundloop Feb 2014 #11
And you would be committing a felony markpkessinger Feb 2014 #14
As pointed out upthread, the SEC employees should place their investments in a blind trust. riderinthestorm Feb 2014 #15

Fantastic Anarchist

(7,309 posts)
5. That would be funny ...
Thu Feb 27, 2014, 02:51 PM
Feb 2014

Too bad it can't happen where we have two sets of laws.

Some "poultry" are more equal than others.

aquart

(69,014 posts)
12. You give up too soon.
Fri Feb 28, 2014, 03:58 AM
Feb 2014

There have ALWAYS been two sets of laws. "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance" and that has never changed.

BUT get our entitled darlings before a grand jury and lovely things can happen. White collar wolves prefer to plead rather than face that pissed off poultry jury.

Right now, Scott Walker has singing ex-employees. There's a jury on Christie's nasties. And at least one ex-employee begging for a plea deal so he can try out his tenor voice.

Pressure to indict our Wall Street creeps needs to be strong and steady. Voting out their favorite sons would be nice.

elleng

(131,018 posts)
9. Because we/they are all part of the system.
Thu Feb 27, 2014, 05:16 PM
Feb 2014

My husband, deceased, worked for SEC for 20+ years. There are rules about how long between acquiring one may sell securities.

As to why allowed, we all invest, and the Fed Govt's Thrift Savings Plan encourages such, by matching purchases.

As to 'under investigation,' it would be difficult if not impossible to inform all SEC employees about all the investigations going on at any one time. There may be rules about those WORKING on an investigation.

groundloop

(11,520 posts)
11. If I were in such a position I'm not sure I'd do any different.....
Thu Feb 27, 2014, 07:43 PM
Feb 2014

If I found out that a company I owned stock in was in trouble I'd be hard pressed NOT to sell that stock and lose thousands of dollars. Not saying that it's right, but it would be damned hard to do nothing while your retirement savings took a big hit.

markpkessinger

(8,401 posts)
14. And you would be committing a felony
Fri Feb 28, 2014, 05:09 AM
Feb 2014

Trading on "material non-public information" is a felony, regardless of how or where that information was obtained.

 

riderinthestorm

(23,272 posts)
15. As pointed out upthread, the SEC employees should place their investments in a blind trust.
Fri Feb 28, 2014, 01:03 PM
Feb 2014

That would prevent them (for the most part since I'm not entirely convinced blind trusts actually work) from acting illegally.

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