SEC To Investigate Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Over Block-Trading Practices

Posted on February 23rd, 2022 at 3:03 PM
SEC To Investigate Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Over Block-Trading Practices

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law:

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has subpoenaed Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and several hedge funds in order to investigate the business of block trading.


The SEC intends to determine whether hedge funds may have improperly tipped clients ahead of large share sales, according to the Wall Street Journal. Sources familiar with the matter added that the SEC and other regulators have been monitoring block trades since as early as 2019. Some of the hedge funds that received subpoenas serve as “liquidity providers”, which typically facilitate the purchase of large quantities of stock or other securities when they lack interested buyers.


Block trading has become more prevalent in recent years as a record number of IPOs and secondaries have drastically increased liquidity. However, the issuance of subpoenas does not inevitably mean that the SEC will press charges because commentators suggest that the rules surrounding how hedge funds are permitted to inform their clients of impending block trades are somewhat ambiguous.


Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, regulatory and disciplinary matters.

 

 
 

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, SEC

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

If the regulators are after you, and are trying to make a case against you, and you are going to contest their allegations against you, make sure you have the best securities industry defense lawyers, Eccleston Law Firm. My case was spun into a combination of penalties including fines, cash settlements, CE courses and suspension. They were the best I have seen in action. When all was said and done, they had done their magic, my situation was negotiated and settled with a simple "letter of caution" and a case closed without action. It is the most important legal business decision you will ever make, make it Eccleston Law.

Rick R.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

December 4, 2025
Webull Faces Scrutiny After Alleged Account Breach and Penny Stock Manipulation

An emerging investigation into Webull Financial centers on allegations that an unauthorized third party infiltrated the firm’s security systems, accessed customer brokerage accounts, liquidated existing holdings, and used the proceeds to purchase shares of Ten-League International Holdings Ltd.

December 3, 2025
FINRA Sanctions Former Morgan Stanley Broker Over Unauthorized Transfers

A longtime Morgan Stanley financial advisor agreed to a $5,000 fine and a two-month suspension after FINRA found that he executed multiple transfers from his former spouse’s retirement account without proper authorization, as reported by AdvisorHub.

December 2, 2025
Crypto's Leverage Shakeout Exposes Structural Risks

The crypto market’s recent downturn erased nearly $20 billion in leveraged positions within hours and half a trillion dollars in market value over a single weekend.