In the News: Auction Rate Securities
(Dec 2010)
Forbes' blogger Bill Singer narrates the story of Grand Circle LLC.
Grand Circle had brokerage accounts at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and Wachovia. Through the recommendation of representatives at RBC and Wachovia, Grand Circle purchased auction rate securities (ARS). For business-related reasons, Grand Circle opened another brokerage account at CCO Investments Services Corp (CCO). Grand Circle's Investment Policy stated that it wanted safe, liquid and AAA rated securities and that...
SEC Press Release: Banc of America Bid Rigging
(Dec 2010)
SEC Charges Banc of America Securities With Fraud in Connection With Improper Bidding Practices Involving Investment of Proceeds of Municipal Securities
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a press release today announcing that it had
charged Banc of America Securities, LLC (BAS) with securities fraud for its part in an effort to rig bids in connection with the investment of proceeds of municipal securities.
"BAS has agreed to pay over $36 million, together with...
FINRA Regulatory Notice: Commodity Futures-Linked Securities
(Oct 2010)
Sales Practice Obligations for Commodity Futures-Linked Securities
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) published Regulatory Notice 10-51 reminding firms to make fair and balanced statements in its communication with the public on commodity futures-linked securities. They are reminded that the returns on such securities can often deviate from the returns on the underlying commodities to which they track.
In an effort to further educate public investors, SLCG has written...
SLCG Research: Leveraged Municipal Bond Arbitrage
(Oct 2010)
SLCG released today 'Leveraged Municipal Bond Arbitrage: What Went Wrong?'. Leveraged municipal bond arbitrage is a strategy employed by fixed income hedge funds. This strategy buys long term municipal bonds and sells or shorts long term Treasury bonds while hedging with interest rate swaps. The strategy would seek to profit from the difference in the rates it receives from the municipal bonds and the rates it pays on the Treasury bonds and interest rate swaps.
Brokers marketed hedge...
SLCG Research: Auction Rate Securities
(Oct 2010)
SLCG released today 'Auction Rate Securities'.
Auction rate securities were first issued in the mid-1980s by corporations. Over the next two decades ARS were issued widely by institutions ranging from closed-end mutual funds, municipalities to student loan trusts. ARS were long-term floating rate securities whose coupon payments were determined at auctions that were typically held every 7 to 35 days. ARS were long-term securities with short-term floating rates.
Broker dealers marketed...
FINRA Regulatory Notice: Municipal Securities
(Sep 2010)
FINRA Reminds Firms of Their Sales Practice and Due Diligence Obligations When Selling Municipal Securities in the Secondary Market
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) published Regulatory Notice 10-41 reminding broker dealers including municipal securities dealers to
fully understand the municipal securities they sell in order to meet their disclosure, suitability and pricing obligations under the rules of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) and federal...
SLCG Research: Principal Protected Notes
(Jul 2010)
SLCG released today 'The Anatomy of Principal Protected Absolute Return Notes'.
Structured products are debt securities that often have unconventional and complex payoff structures. Their payoffs are often linked to a security or index, such as the S&P 500 or the Russell 2000, with asset classes ranging from equity, commodities, currencies and debt. A Principal Protected Absolute Return Barrier Note (ARBN) is one structured product that returns the absolute value of the return of the...
FINRA Press Release: Auction Rate Securities
(May 2010)
FINRA Fines Nuveen $3 Million for Use of Misleading Marketing Materials Concerning Auction Rate Securities
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued a press release this week announcing that
"it has fined Nuveen Investments, LLC, of Chicago, $3 million for creating misleading marketing materials used in sales of auction rate preferred securities (ARPS). The Nuveen Funds' ARPS were a form of auction rate securities, which are long-term securities with interest rates or...
FINRA Press Release: HSBC Securities
(Apr 2010)
FINRA Fines HSBC Securities (USA) $1.5 million, US Bancorp $275,000 for Auction Rate Securities Violations
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued a press release today announcing that
"it has settled charges with two additional firms relating to the sale of auction rate securities (ARS) that became illiquid when auctions froze in February 2008 - HSBC Securities (USA) and US Bancorp Investments, Inc."
The settlement is detailed in the FINRA AWC No. 20080130571...
FINRA Press Release: Morgan Keegan
(Apr 2010)
FINRA Files Complaint Against Morgan Keegan & Company for Misleading Customers Regarding Risks of Bond Funds and Advertising, Other Violations
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued a press release today announcing that
"it has filed a complaint against Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc., charging the firm with marketing and selling seven affiliated bond funds to investors using false and misleading sales materials - costing investors well over $1 billion. In addition...
