A slow-burning regulatory probe of big share sales on Wall Street has kicked up a notch as watchdogs examine whether banks and hedge fund traders are improperly profiting at the expense of institutional sellers and retail traders.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission first started asking banks with large equity trading arms about “block trades” during the Trump administration, according to two people with direct knowledge of the probe.
Since then, Morgan Stanley, which is a leading provider of block trade services, has received multiple requests for information. The regulator has also contacted other market participants including hedge funds that trade equities.