- In an interview with CNBC, Atkins said eight foreign companies were suspended from Nasdaq trading over signs of manipulation.
- He added that the SEC is using new data tools to track unexplained price surges and unusual trading volume.
- He also said regulators are working with exchanges and self-regulatory bodies to strengthen oversight.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins reportedly said on Wednesday that the agency is stepping up efforts to detect and prevent manipulative trading behavior in U.S. financial markets.
“What we’re concerned about is manipulative behavior,” Atkins said in an interview with CNBC. “We have stopped trading on eight foreign companies on Nasdaq that showed indicia of manipulative behavior — ramp and dump, we call it. And so those have been shut down.”
Atkins added that the SEC is monitoring for “hanky-panky” in market activity, particularly when share prices surge without any apparent catalyst. “When you’re looking at trading, if there is no news about a company, and then suddenly there’s a ramp up in the price, that’s inexplicable. Then we start looking at that,” he said.
So we are monitoring the market for the behavior that indicates, you know, hanky-panky going on in the marketplace.
– Paul Atkins, Chair, Securities and Exchange Commission
SEC Tightens Oversight Of Suspicious Trading
The report said that while Atkins did not mention Beyond Meat (BYND) specifically, his remarks follow a series of volatile moves in select Nasdaq-listed companies that have drawn scrutiny from regulators. He said the SEC is deploying analytical tools and working closely with self-regulatory organizations and exchanges to identify irregular trading patterns.
“They are the immediate ones looking at their markets and doing surveillance over that,” Atkins said, referring to the exchanges’ role in monitoring trading activity.
Streamlining Regulation And Revisiting Reporting Rules
Beyond enforcement, Atkins said the SEC continues to explore ways to simplify compliance burdens for public companies. The agency is seeking feedback on President Donald Trump’s proposal to end mandatory quarterly earnings reports — a move intended to reduce short-term market pressures.
Atkins also noted that the SEC is evaluating litigation reforms that could make it easier for companies to go public, as part of a broader effort to encourage capital formation while maintaining investor protection.
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