Securities Industry Commentator by Bill Singer Esq WEEK IN REVIEW

May 16, 2020













No-Action Letter: Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. Request Regarding Certain Requirements Arising From Sections 19(b)(1) and 19(g)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Exchange Act Rule 19b-4 Given the Health and Safety Concerns and Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic (SEC Release)

FINRA Enforcement: Protecting Investors and Markets in Good Times and Bad (FINRA UNscripted with Executive Vice President/Head of Enforcement Jessica Hopper)

Lessons from porn industry could help Hollywood adapt to coronavirus (Reuters by Rollo Ross)

Reality TV Personality Charged with Bank Fraud (DOJ Release)

SEC Charges Investment Adviser and Principals for Breaching Fiduciary Duties (SEC Release)

Grocery prices are soaring. Here's what's getting more expensive (CNN by David Goldman)

Shoppers begin to shift from stockpiling to penny pinching at the grocery store (CNBC by Melissa Repko)

Coronavirus will reverse globalization and create regional supply chains, economists predict (CNBC by Chloe Taylor)

Blocking all mergers during pandemic is ‘misguided,' DOJ antitrust chief says (CNBC by Lauren Hirsch)

[In]Securities Guest Blog: Troubled Water Over the Bridge by Aegis Frumento Esq (BrokeAndBroker.com Blog)




SEC Charges Morgan Stanley Smith Barney With Providing Misleading Information to Retail Clients / Settlement Will Create $5 Million Fund to Benefit Harmed Investors (SEC Release)

FINRA Imposes Fine and Suspension for Rep's Transmittal of Customer Documents Via Email
In the Matter of Sune Gaulsh, Respondent (FINRA AWC)

FINRA Imposes Fine and Suspension for Rep's Fraternal Benefit Society Short-cut
In the Matter of Robert Nordaune, Respondent (FINRA AWC)

CityMD mistakenly told 15,000 people with coronavirus antibodies they're immune (CNBC by William Feuer)

If Landlords Get Wiped Out, Wall Street Wins, Not Renters /  Bans on evictions and rent strikes could push out small investors.(Bloomberg Businessweek by Prashant Gopal and Oshrat Carmiel)

Live Nation, Bishop Gunn host coronavirus pandemic's first-ever socially distant concert / The live music venue will limit seating capacity to 229 (Fox Business by Angelica Stabile)

Trump orders federal retirement money invested in Chinese equities to be pulled / The assets at hand number around $4.5 billion in Chinese stocks (Fox Business by Blake Burman)


Santa Monica Man Admits Orchestrating Online Romance Scam that Conned Four Women into Investing in His Bogus Companies (DOJ Release)

In the Matter of the Application of MEMX LLC for Registration as a National Securities Exchange Findings, Opinion, and Order of the Commission (Federal Register, Vol. 85, No. 90)

Oil Crash Busted Broker's Computers and Inflicted Big Losses (Bloomberg by Matthew Leising)

Teen Hacker and Crew of ‘Evil Geniuses' Accused of $24 Million Crypto Theft (Bloomberg by Bob Van Voris)

Coronavirus sows doubt over bitcoin's rally after third 'halving' (Reuters by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss)

ETF Universe Shrinks for First Time With Niche Funds Dying Off (Bloomberg by Claire Ballentine)

Why farmers dump food and crops while grocery stores run dry and Americans struggle (Fox Business by Hollie McKay)

Farmers welcome $1.2B in USDA purchases for food banks / The USDA is expected to purchase up to $3 billion in goods (Fox Business by Evie Fordham)

As U.S. meat workers fall sick and supplies dwindle, exports to China soar (Reuters by Tom Polansek)

Why Chicken Is Plentiful During the Pandemic and Beef Is Not / Poultry production has long been the most industrialized of U.S. agricultural operations. (Bloomberg by Justin Fox)

CFTC Seeks to Revoke Registrations of Commodity Pool Operator and its CEO (CFTC Release)