MyComplianceOffice Blog

Failing to adequately manage Material Non-Public Information (MNPI) remains a high-risk area for compliance, as evidenced by recent actions in the United States, the United Kingdom and across the globe for issues including insufficient insider trading compliance policies, market abuse and failure to effectively manage insider information.

The European Market Abuse Regulations (MAR) have been in effect since July of 2016. Recent priorities published by regulators in the UK and across Europe demonstrate that MAR is hardly old news, remaining a consistent priority since its inception. And regulatory enforcement shows that even six years in, firms are still struggling to stay compliant with MAR regulations and the flow of material nonpublic information (MNPI) across their organizations.

Insider dealing is a perennial concern for regulators around the globe. Agencies like the SEC, the FCA, BaFin and the AMF are using the latest technology to detect insider trading, misuse of insider information and market abuse. Regulators increasingly expect as well that firms will have the latest technology in place in order to demonstrate that they are taking a comprehensive and proactive approach to managing access to insider information and employee personal account dealing compliance.

Temperatures are hot across the United States right now – and so is U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement activity. The last few weeks have seen a flurry of Insider Trading actions from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice against individuals ranging from a Chief Compliance Officer to a Chief of Police.

Recent enforcements by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) highlight the need for SGX-listed companies to actively work against conflicts of interest within their organisations and maintain robust corporate compliance processes.