Securities regulation

Securities regulation comprises laws and oversight governing the issuance, trading, and disclosure of securities. It aims to promote fair markets and protect investors through registration, disclosure, and enforcement.

Securities and Exchange Commission: The U.S. federal agency that administers major securities laws and oversees securities markets. It enforces federal disclosure rules and regulates brokers, exchanges, and public-company reporting.
Wall Street Crash of 1929: A catastrophic collapse in U.S. stock prices beginning in October 1929. The crash intensified scrutiny of securities markets and helped drive federal reform.
Initial public offering: A company's first public sale of shares to outside investors. An IPO brings registration, prospectus, and offering-process requirements into focus.
Merit regulation: A regulatory approach that evaluates the substantive fairness or quality of securities offerings. It contrasts with systems that primarily require disclosure and leave investment decisions to buyers.
Insider trading: Trading securities while possessing material nonpublic information in breach of a legal duty or other applicable prohibition. Its enforcement seeks to deter unfair informational advantages in securities trading.
Securities registration: The process of filing required information with regulators before publicly offering securities. Registration is a central route for bringing a public securities offering under regulatory disclosure rules.
Great Depression: A worldwide economic crisis that began in 1929 and lasted through much of the 1930s. The crisis gave securities reform urgency and shaped the case for stronger federal oversight.
Private placement: A securities offering made without a public distribution, often relying on registration exemptions. It illustrates how exemptions permit capital raising outside the standard public-offering route.
Disclosure-based regulation: A regulatory approach centered on requiring accurate, timely information rather than approving investment merit. It captures the organizing principle of major U.S. securities laws.
Sarbanes–Oxley Act: A 2002 U.S. federal law strengthening corporate reporting, auditing, and internal-control requirements. It expanded public-company accountability after major accounting scandals.

Linked from 8 pages