Soru

Zorluk: ZorProhibited Market Manipulation and Fraudulent Practices

An institutional investor simultaneously places buy and sell limit orders for 25,000 shares of a thinly traded equity security at identical prices across two distinct brokerage accounts under common ownership. The trades execute against each other, generating significant transaction volume on the consolidated tape without altering the investor's ultimate economic interest in the security. Which of the following statements correctly classifies this market practice and describes the scope of FINRA's regulatory enforcement authority?

  1. The activity is wash trading because there is no change in beneficial ownership, and FINRA as a self-regulatory organization (SRO) may impose administrative fines and sanctions but cannot bring criminal charges.Cevap
  2. B
    The activity is spoofing because non-bona fide orders were entered to manipulate market depth, and FINRA has statutory authority to criminally prosecute the trader.
  3. C
    The activity is wash trading because trade execution was matched, and FINRA acts as a federal government agency with primary jurisdiction to file criminal indictment charges.
  4. D
    The activity is legitimate market making conducted in a dealer capacity, and it is permissible provided the broker-dealer executes the trades from inventory with an explicit markup.

Cevap

The activity is wash trading because there is no change in beneficial ownership, and FINRA as a self-regulatory organization (SRO) may impose administrative fines and sanctions but cannot bring criminal charges.
The correct answer accurately identifies the practice as wash trading—since the buy and sell orders were executed between accounts under common control with no net change in beneficial ownership—and correctly delineates FINRA's authority as an SRO capable of levying administrative fines and suspensions, but without criminal prosecution authority.

Adım Adım Çözüm

1
Analyze the transaction characteristics to identify the trading violation.
The investor executed prearranged offsetting buy and sell orders in accounts under common ownership, resulting in zero change in beneficial ownership while fabricating public trading volume.
Transactions designed to create a false impression of active trading without transferring beneficial ownership meet the statutory definition of wash trading under federal securities laws and FINRA rules.
2
Evaluate the regulatory jurisdiction and enforcement limits of FINRA.
FINRA is a self-regulatory organization (SRO) registered with the SEC.
As an SRO, FINRA enforces member compliance through civil penalties, fines, suspensions, or bars, but must refer criminal matters to federal law enforcement entities such as the Department of Justice.

Anahtar Kavram

Wash Trading Definition and SRO Regulatory Enforcement Boundaries
Tahmini Süre:1m 30s
Bu soruyu puanla