Global settlement
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The Global Settlement was an enforcement agreement reached on April 23, 2003 between the SEC, NASD, NYSE, and ten of the United States's largest investment firms to address issues of conflict of interest within their businesses[1]
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[edit] Settlement Decision
The central issue at hand that had been judged in court previously was the conflict of interest between the investment banking and analysis departments of ten of the largest investment firms in the United States. The investment firms involved in the settlement had all engaged in actions and practices that had allowed the inappropriate influence of their research analysts by their investment bankers seeking lucrative fees[1]. A typical violation addressed by the settlement was the case of CSFB and SSB who had engaged in inappropriate spinning of "hot" IPO's and issued fraudulent research reports in violation of various sections within the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Similarly, UBS Warburg and Piper Jaffray received payments for investment research without disclosing such payments in violation of the Securities Act of 1933.
[edit] Enforcement Actions
As part of the settlement decision published on December 20, 2002, several regulations designed to prevent abuse stemming from pressure by investment bankers on analysts to provide "favorable" appraisals were instantiated. Namely, these firms would have to literally insulate their banking and analysis departments from each other physically and with Chinese walls[1]. Additionally, budget allocation via management in research departments will be independent of investment departments. Research analysts will also be prohibited from going on pitches and roadshows with bankers during advertising and promotion of IPOs. Similarly, the Global Settlement also increased the IPO "quiet period" from 25 days to 40 days.[2] Finally, research analyst's historical ratings must be disclosed and made available to investors.
Other than these regulatory actions, the firms involved in the settlement have been required to pay fines to their investors, to fund investor education, and to pay for independent third-party market research[1]. A total fine of $1.435 billion was accessed and is described in the table below[3].
[edit] Settlement payments
| Name Of Firm | Retrospective Relief ($ millions) |
Independent Research ($ millions) |
Investor Education ($ millions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Stearns & Co. LLC | 50 | 25 | 5 |
| Credit Suisse First Boston Corp. | 150 | 50 | 0 |
| Deutsche Bank | 50 | 25 | 5 |
| Goldman Sachs | 50 | 50 | 10 |
| J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. | 50 | 25 | 5 |
| Lehman Brothers Inc. | 50 | 25 | 5 |
| Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. | 100 | 75 | 25 |
| Morgan Stanley | 50 | 75 | 0 |
| Salomon Smith Barney, Inc. | 300 | 75 | 25 |
| UBS Warburg LLC | 50 | 25 | 5 |
| Total: | 900 | 450 | 85 |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Ten of Nation's Top Investment Firms Settle Enforcement Actions Involving Conflict of Interest, April 28, <http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2003-54.htm>. Retrieved on 10 July 2007
- ^ SEC factsheet on Global Analyst Research Settlement, April 28, <http://www.sec.gov/news/speech/factsheet.htm>. Retrieved on 1 September 2007
- ^ Historic Agreement to Reform Investment Practices, December 20, <http://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/2002/dec/dec20b_02.html>. Retrieved on 10 July 2007
