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Securities and Exchange Commission

The Securities and Exchange Commission is the federal agency that oversees the stock market and other securities markets. It requires public companies to disclose financial information, regulates brokers, exchanges, and investment advisers, and brings enforcement actions against fraud and market manipulation. Its mission is to protect investors and keep markets fair and orderly.

People usually bring questions about how the government protects ordinary investors, how manipulation is detected, and what companies must report to the public. Others ask about the rules for earnings reports, how insider trading is policed, and how the agency decides which cases to pursue.

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September 16last updated

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All Articles on Securities and Exchange Commission

When Corporate Restructuring Triggers SEC Disclosure Requirements

What it didn't explain: why federal law required this disclosure at all, what happens to companies that miss the four-business-day deadline, or how investors…

23 Min Read

The SEC’s Playbook for Spotting Market Manipulation

On January 6, 2026, SanDisk Corporation's stock jumped approximately 27.6 percent in a single trading day. Behind every dramatic surge sits the SEC's monitoring…

20 Min Read

Should Companies Stop Filing Quarterly Earnings Reports?

For more than 50 years, quarterly earnings reports have set the rhythm of American capitalism. Every 90 days, publicly traded companies face a "moment…

21 Min Read

How the SEC Protects Investors from Wall Street Fraud

Before 1934, American financial markets were dangerous territory for average investors. A patchwork of state-level regulations known as "blue sky laws" governed securities trading.…

36 Min Read