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The article reports that reports that a October 2, 2012 meeting between officials from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and financial executives concluded that stock exchanges and financial firms need to self-police themselves in order to avoid costly technological errors.

The article notes that several trusted subordinates of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair Mary Schapiro have left the SEC during 2012, giving rise to speculation that Schapiro herself might resign before her term ends in 2014.

The article discusses a meeting of U.S. legislators and market experts to increase regulation of stock exchanges, high-speed trading firms, and the financial services industry, with a focus on recommended simplification of regulations introduced by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The article reports that brokerage Knight Capital Group has attributed an August 1, 2012 trading mishap to the flawed implementation of a software upgrade, and also discloses that banking company Wells Fargo & Co. has reached a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over the bank's alleged failure to advise investors about risks associated with mortgage-derivative investments.

The article reports that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has sought information from electronic securities exchange BATS Global Markets Inc. about information it exchanges with certain trading firms, as well as order types it offers them.

The article discusses the increased prominence of "naked access" trading, a process by which high-frequency trading firms and others can trade securities without revealing their identities. A report by Aite Group found that naked-access trades account for 38% of daily trading volume in the U.S. The Securities and Exchange Commission is considering whether to regulate the activity.

The article reports on the proposal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to eliminate flash orders on stock exchanges. Against stock markets, the options market is said to be more dependent on flash trading. Market participants see orders before the public can trade on those orders because of flash orders. The agency was asked by market participants to continue allowing step-up orders as they claim that these orders save investors money.

The article reports that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been asked by Senator Ted Kaufman to stop the so-called sponsored access, a practice in which a brokerage firm's computer identification code is used by high-frequency traders to directly trade on an exchange. According to critics of the practice, a high-frequency firm that uses sponsored access with no proper risk controls could destabilize trades that result in losses for firm. SEC chairman Mary Schapiro cites that the SEC expects to look more closely at the practice.

The article reports on the doubts expressed by Renaissance Technologies executives on financier Bernard Madoff in its 2003 report sent to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) before his Ponzi scheme was revealed. Founder James Simons helped Madoff raised money but grew suspicious about his trading. Manager Nathaniel Simons told the SEC that he was concerned with the unusually low fees of Madoff and advised the company to withdrew its investment. Chief scientist Henry Laufer questioned the ability of Madoff to get out of the market.

This article reports that Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has disclosed the details of its valuation process via a regulatory filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The disclosure is in response to the agency's request for information on how the company calculated volatility in its estimates for its equity index put option contracts. Particular focus is given to the essence of Berkshire's equity index put option contracts, along with the weighted average volatility used by the company for the year ended December 2008.

The article reports on the extension of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) scrutiny of flash orders to options exchanges in 2009. Critics said that flash orders, which give traders on some exchanges a sneak peek of the market activity, lead to lower transparency and give certain traders an advantage over others. SEC spokesman John Nester said that any staff recommendations about the orders will likely include options exchanges.

The article discusses concerns among the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other financial-market regulators about the ability of exchanges to police the markets they operate in. SEC commissioner Luis Aguilar has said weakness in market supervision by exchanges has harmed investors' confidence. Exchange operator Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. is nearing a settlement with the SEC over the flawed 2012 initial public offering for social-media company Facebook Inc.

The article discusses U.S. criminal investigations into insider trading as of April 30, 2013, focusing on the potential misuse of government-sanctioned trading plans by corporate directors attempting to sell shares for their investment funds. Topics include the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and 10b5-1 plans. Companies involved in the investigations, such as the drug company Dendreon Corp. and the electric vehicle company Tesla Motors Inc., are mentioned.

The article discusses the role of stock-exchange operator BATS Global Markets in an issue that occurred on January 9, 2013 that resulted in several thousand stocks being sold below U.S. national best bid and offer price which violates rules set by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It addresses BATS' response to a systems issue that it claims resulted in the pricing problems, as well as notes technical problems within U.S. stock trading.

The article discusses a willingness among high-frequency trading firms in the U.S. to work with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to develop safeguards against incidents such as an August 1, 2012 software mishap that nearly destroyed brokerage firm Knight Capital Group Inc. A group of several high-frequency firms including Virtu Financial LLC and Getco LLC have proposed new technology standards.

The article reports that a technological problem at brokerage firm Knight Capital Group Inc. on August 1, 2012 resulted in unusually heavy trading volume and high volatility for some 150 stocks during the opening hours of trading that day. As a result, the New York Stock Exchange canceled trades in six stocks. Regulators including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating.

The article discusses TMX Group Inc., the top stock exchange operator in Canada, and its efforts to acquire the U.S. exchange group Direct Edge Holdings LLC. Topics include obstacles to the negotiations including obtaining shareholder approval, TMX's plans for global expansion, and investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissions regarding ties between Direct Edge and high-frequency traders.

The article reports that the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) is investigating the relationships between stock exchanges and securities industries firms which specialize in the electronic trading of securities known as high-speed trading. The SEC is investigating companies, including exchange operator Direct Edge Holdings LLC to determine if forms of orders used to purchase and sell stocks offer high-speed traders an unfair advantage over other financiers.

The article reports that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosed it had punished eight employees over their handling of a $50 billion Ponzi scheme perpetrated by financier Bernard Madoff. Disciplinary actions included unpaid suspensions, demotions, and reductions in pay. Nobody got fired.

The article discusses the approval of a New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) initiative by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as of July 6, 2012, that would permit the NYSE to offer retail investors stock quotes in increments of less than one cent.

The article reports that a software malfunction at the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) on April 25, 2013 delayed trading in options on that exchange for over three hours. Options on the Standard & Poor's 500 stock index and the CBOE Volatility Index trade exclusively on the CBOE, and the temporary shutdown made it impossible for institutional investors and other traders to use these common risk-management tools. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating.

The article discusses the 2013 investigation by the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Finra), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) into possible insider trading related to the buyout of food processing company H.J. Heinz Co. According to the authors, the federal authorities are interested in a series of stock trades and options activities conducted just prior to the buyout announcement on February 14, 2013.

The article reports that a federal bill in Germany would curb high-speed trading in stock markets, requiring that traders register with the government's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority. It is said that high-frequency trading that relies on computer programs can cause heavy losses, while the U.S. government Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is said to be considering its own regulations of the practice.

This article reports that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating other failed mortgage investment deals arranged by large Wall Street firms that also misled investors similarly to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. The investigations are looking at investment products designed by these firms that allowed key clients to bet that there would be a sharp housing downturn.

The article focuses on an investigation which is being conducted by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The commission is investigating the New York Stock Exchange to find out whether the exchange's decision to decrease its trading floor space and move into an electronic trading platform may have affected the exchange's ability to handle large surges in trading volume similar to one which happened February 27, 2007.