FINRA CEO and Chair Rick Ketchum delivered remarks at the Conference on Market Fragmentation, Fragility and Fees, discussing ways to use analytics and research to evaluate the economic issues and inform regulatory decision-making relating to capital markets. According to Mr. Ketchum, the industry is facing a "new regulatory paradigm – one informed by vast, expanding amounts of data and increasingly sophisticated analytics." He stated that it is essential to "bring to bear the power of math and its many forms" by using big data and well-constructed analytical methods to more efficiently and

The CFTC's final rule to exclude utility operations-related swaps with utility special entities from the de minimis threshold for swaps with special entities was published in the Federal Register. The effective date of the rule is October 27, 2014. See: 79 FR 57767. Related news: CFTC Publishes Text of Proposed Swaps Margin Rule and Final Rule on Swaps with Special Entity Utilities (September 23, 2014); CFTC Finalizes Rule on Swaps with Special Entity Utilities (September 17, 2014).

The CFTC issued an Order simultaneously filing and settling charges against Delaware Depository Services Company, LLC ("DDSC") for confirming the execution of off-exchange precious metals transactions with retail investors, in violation of the CEA. See: CFTC Order; CFTC Press Release.

The CFTC issued an Order simultaneously filing and settling charges against Absa Bank, Ltd. for executing prearranged, noncompetitive trades involving corn and soybean futures contracts on the Chicago Board of Trade ("CBOT") with FirstRand Bank, Ltd. The CFTC Order found that Absa and FirstRand prearranged noncompetitive trades involving CBOT corn and soybean futures contracts on several occasions from June 2009 to August 2011. According to the Order, before these trades were entered on the CBOT, employees for Absa and FirstRand had telephonic conferences with each other during which they

The SEC announced suspensions in trading for nine different penny stocks as part of an ongoing enforcement initiative to target fraudulent conduct and abusive trading in securities issued by microcap companies. See: SEC Order; SEC Press Release.