Insider trading surveillance
Insider trading surveillance in Financial & Capital Markets is under sustained enforcement pressure, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority both running parallel exam programs that scrutinize electronic communications monitoring, trade review workflows, and personal account dealing controls. The SEC's 2023 amendments to Rule 10b5-1 tightened the conditions under which insiders can trade under pre-planned arrangements, forcing compliance teams to rebuild plan approval processes from the ground up. Firms that have not updated their surveillance system documentation to reflect those amendments are the ones drawing exam findings right now.
Watch
- Rule 10b5-1 plan cooling-off period compliance for officers and directors
- FINRA exam focus on electronic communications surveillance vendor coverage gaps
- Personal account dealing disclosures tied to material non-public information controls
- Cross-market manipulation patterns flagged in SEC Division of Enforcement sweep activity
- Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission guidance on market misconduct surveillance obligations for dual-listed securities
Recent material activity in Financial & Capital Markets
A selection of recent published briefs; this is not a complete archive.
CFTC obtains federal court orders requiring Alexandre and EminiFX to pay over $288 million for commodity pool Ponzi scheme
The CFTC announced on October 19, 2026 that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered orders against Eddy Alexandre and EminiFX Inc. for operating a commodity pool Ponzi scheme. The orders req…
Read a full sample brief →CIRO schedules December 8 settlement hearing for registered representative Patrick H. Watson
On October 19, 2026, CIRO announced that a settlement hearing has been scheduled for Patrick H. Watson. The notice alleges Watson failed to act as a gatekeeper to the capital markets. Canaccord Genuity Corporation is ide…
Read a full sample brief →CIRO opens active enforcement proceeding against Patrick H. Watson on gatekeeper obligations
CIRO has commenced an enforcement proceeding against Patrick H. Watson, with gatekeeper obligation failures as the central allegation. The source does not specify the conduct alleged, Watson's registration category, or t…
Read a full sample brief →ASIC cancels MWL Financial Services credit licence following CSLR compensation payment of $90,031
ASIC cancelled the Australian credit licence of MWL Financial Services Pty Ltd (In Liquidation) on 12 October 2026. The cancellation was mandatory and non-discretionary, triggered by a $90,031.34 CSLR payment made on 16 …
Read a full sample brief →RBI sanctions amalgamation of Emirates NBD Bank Indian branches into RBL Bank, effective December 1, 2026
The Reserve Bank of India has sanctioned the amalgamation of the Indian branches of Emirates NBD Bank P.J.S.C. with RBL Bank Limited. All Indian branches of Emirates NBD Bank will operate as branches of RBL Bank from Dec…
Read a full sample brief →SFC endorses HKEX proposal to shift Hong Kong equities settlement from T+2 to T+1 by September 2028
The SFC issued a statement on October 16, 2026 welcoming HKEX's Consultation Conclusions Paper on accelerated settlement for Hong Kong's cash equity market. HKEX has revised its implementation timeline to the second half…
Read a full sample brief →Brazil CVM consolidates securitization company regulation under Resolution 60, revoking four prior instructions
Brazil's Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM) issued Resolution 60 on December 23, 2021, consolidating the rules governing credit-rights securitization companies registered with the CVM. The resolution revoked four prio…
Read a full sample brief →Federal Reserve terminates three enforcement actions against Gardner Bancshares and Small Business Bank
The Federal Reserve Board terminated three enforcement actions against Gardner Bancshares, Inc. and Small Business Bank, both of Lenexa, Kansas, effective October 13, 2026. The terminated actions comprise two cease and d…
Read a full sample brief →LTSE files immediately effective rule change aligning clearly erroneous execution review with SEC-approved overnight trading price bands
On October 8, 2026, Long-Term Stock Exchange, Inc. filed a proposed rule change with the SEC, effective upon filing, to amend its clearly erroneous execution rule. The amendment aligns the rule with the SEC's August 5, 2…
Read a full sample brief →Nasdaq ISE proposes to eliminate cross-market risk controls shared with affiliate Nasdaq GEMX
Nasdaq ISE, LLC filed a proposed rule change on October 1, 2026, granted immediate effectiveness by the SEC, to amend its Market-Wide Speed Bump and Kill Switch. The proposal removes existing cross-market functionality t…
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