SEC Archives

SEC Votes to Extend Shareholder Rights

Owners of USA Inc today (May 20) got the news they’ve been waiting for – the SEC has voted to propose new rules which will enable them to nominate their own board candidates. The proposal was passed in a narrow 3-2 vote reflecting party alliegances; both the Republican commissioners voted against the proposal on the basis […]

Monster Inc settles with SEC for options backdating scheme

The Securities and Exchange Commission has settled with online job search portal, Monster Worldwide, Inc. for its multi-year scheme to secretly backdate stock options granted to thousands of Monster officers, directors and employees. Without admitting liability, Monster has agreed to pay a $2.5 million penalty to settle the SEC’s charges that the company defrauded investors by […]

No voting policies? that will be $350,000 says SEC

The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged INTECH Investment Management LLC, a Florida based investment advisor with violating its proxy rules after it was found that it failed to describe its voting policies and procedures as well as failing to manage and disclose a major conflict of interest. After receiving complaints from some of the manager’s union-affiliated clients about its pro-management proxy […]

SEC ponders proxy reform, SCC responds

The Shareholder Communications Coalition sent a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, April 24, 2009 in response to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal which suggested that the Commission may approve an amendment to New York Stock Exchange Rule 452 at staff level, instead of having the amendment considered by the full […]

Manifest urges SEC to overhaul the US proxy system

Manifest has written to the SEC in support of rule changes designed to eliminate uninstructed broker votes being used at director elections. The New York Stock Exchange had recently filed a request with the SEC to change Rule 452 which allows brokers to use client votes if no instructions have been received. The proposal has […]

SEC moves to block broker votes

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has moved a step closer to approving the New York Stock Exchange’s Rule 452 proposal to eliminate broker discretionary voting in director elections. This proposal was developed by the Exchange’s Proxy Working Group in 2006. The NYSE has recently re-filed its proposed amendment to Rule 452 and includes […]

US Proxy Reform, Delaware Steps Up

The US has taken another step forward to bring the US proxy process into line with the rest of the world. Late last week (20/02/2009) the Delaware State Bar Association received a number of proposed amendments from its Corporation Law Section Council members. There are three key proposals on the table: Section 112: Access to […]

Audit oversight: SEC stalls

As the Madoff and Sanford scandals have highlighted, co-operation between regulatory authorities is a crucial protection mechanism for shareholders. The news that the SEC is pulling away from its committment to work with the EU on audit inspection is therefore especially disappointing. Unlike Canada and Japan who are keen to move forward with mutual recognition […]

SEC pressed on climate change disclosure

A coalition of investors, US state officials and environmental groups have filed a petition with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) calling on the regulator to force companies to assess and disclose their financial risks from climate change. The petition cites scientific evidence and regulatory developments it claims prove that the risks and opportunities […]