The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy issued an Investor Bulletin to inform investors of recent safeguards approved by the SEC to address market volatility in U.S. equity markets. The Bulletin discusses the SEC's new rules relating to circuit breakers and to limit up and limit down mechanisms. For additional information, see the SEC's orders: National Market System Plan Approval Order Market-Wide Circuit Breaker Approval Order View release in full here (links externally to SEC website).

As required by Section 106 of the JOBS Act, the SEC has completed a study on the impact of decimalization on IPO activity in small and mid-cap securities. The study begins with a review of the regulatory history of decimalization and explores the existing literature on the effect of decimalization on small and middle capitalization companies. It then offers a summary of the views expressed at the Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies' meeting and compares the U.S. equity market tick size policies to equity market tick size policies in other countries. The study then outlines the

The SEC has ordered that the temporary conditional exemption from section 6(l) of the Exchange Act for persons that meet the definition of eligible contract participant is extended until 60 days after publication of the Product Definitions Adopting Release in the Federal Register. (The Product Definitions have been approved by both the CFTC and the SEC but have not been published yet in the Federal Register.) View order in full here (links externally to FDIC website)

Fairly standard waiver of disqualification as a result of misconduct relating to the "bad boy" provisions of of Regulation D of the Securities Act. View letter in full here (links externally to SEC website).

"Based on the facts presented, the Division will not object if Skagit stops filing periodic and current reports under the Exchange Act after: (1) Skagit has filed a Form 15 to suspend its reporting obligation under Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act; and (2) 90 days lapse after the filing of the Form 15 to terminate the registration of its common stock under Section 12(g)." View letter in full here (links externally to SEC website).