Associated Legislation and Regulation Flashcards
3 actions classified as insider dealing in relation to inside information?
Dealing on
Encouraging others to deal on
Disclosure of
What is classified as inside information? (4 things)
Relates to particular securities/issuers
Specific or precise
Has not been made public
Price sensitive
In terms of scope of law on insider info, what does this include?
Any financial instrument as defined under MiFID which trades on:
UK/EEA/Gibraltar regulated market, MTF or OTF
NASDAQ/SIX/NYSE
What are excluded investments in relation to insider info? {4pts}
Bank accounts
Commodity spot markets
Spot and forward FX
Insurance products
List 4 general defenses of insider dealing
Didn’t expect deal to result in profit/avoid loss due to the info
Believed on reasonable grounds that the info was publicly available
Would have acted same way regardless of info
Didn’t expect the recipient to deal
What are 3 special defenses for insider dealing
Price stabilisation rules
Market information
Market makers in the ordinary course of business
How can individuals be found guilty of insider dealing - through what?
Criminal justice act
Who monitors and who investigates/prosecutes for insider dealing?
LSE monitors the market, investigation and prosecution is by FCA
What is max penalty if found guilty for criminal offence of insider dealing and who sentences you
10 years prison and/or unlimited fine
Crown court
What is S89 of FSA 2012
Misleading statements: lying to persuade someone to deal, concealing relevant facts in takeover docs etc
What is S90 of FSA 2012
Misleading impressions: abusive squeezes, market rigging - covers both recklessly created misleading impressions and deliberately created
What is S91 of FSA 2012
Misleading statements in relation to benchmarks
Penalty for misleading statements and impressions and who by?
10 years prison and/or unlimited fine
Crown court
What are two defences for misleading statements and impressions
Reasonably believed statement wasn’t false/misleading
Acting in conformity with price stabilising rules or control of info rules (Chinese walls) or share buy-back rules
UK MAR offences
A person shall not engage/attempt to in insider dealing, recommend/induce another person to engage in insider dealing, unlawfully disclose inside info.
A person shall not engage in or attempt to in market manipulation
What type of offence is breaking MAR?
Civil offence
Can be subject to unlimited fine
Scope of MAR - in terms of financial instruments?
Applies to traded, admitted to trading or for which there is request for admission to trading on a regulated mkt and multilateral trading facility (MTF) or an OTF
Applies to OTC and which have an effect on the price or value of the above.
Scope of MAR - other than for financial instruments?
Applies to emissions allowance
For market manipulation - also applies to commodity derivatives and commodity spot markets.
MAR - Code of market conduct list (6 pts)
Insider dealing
Improper disclosure
Manipulating transactions
Manipulating devices
Dissemination
Benchmark manipulation
STOR?
Suspicious Transaction and Order Report - where market abuse is reported.
Penalties from FCA for breaking MAR?
Withdrawal of regulated status, financial penalties, seeking restitution order, obtaining an injunction, issuing public statement of misconduct
MAR - examples of legitimate behaviour or ‘safe harbours’?
Share buyback programmes and stablisation measures
FCA rules
Takeover code
Market soundings - requires formalised process (insider list), incl disclosures, notifications of confidentiality and recordkeeping
Timing to report suspicions to STOR?
Without delay
What should STORs contain? (5pts)
Identity of recording person
Description of order/transaction
Reasons suspected for MAR
Means of identifying person involved in MAR
Any other supporting docs needed by FCA
PMDR?
Persons discharging managerial responsibilities (PMDRs)
I.e. employees and directors
Under MAR PMDR regime, what must PMDRs do if they deal in own company shares and what time period?
Disclose to both their company and the FCA
Within 3 business days of the transaction
Under MAR PMDR regime, when can PMDRs not deal their own company shares and what time frame?
Can’t deal in closed periods
This means 30 days prior to announcement of year-end or half-yearly results
If you breach the MAR PDMR, what type of offence is this?
Not criminal
Action taken by FCA against individual or company.
What are the 3 stages of money laundering?
Placement - depositing illicit proceeds
Layering - investing in depositing funds
Integration - the surfacing of legitimate proceeds
POCA money laundering - penalty for concealing/acquiring/possessing and arranging (assisting), what type of offence?
Criminal
14 years prison and/or unlimited fine
POCA money laundering - penalty for knowingly prejudicing an investigation, what type of offence?
5 years, unlimited fine
Criminal offence
In terms of money laundering, what are 4 systems in place to help control this and key features of all?
Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) - criminalises ML and sets offences/penalties
Money Laundering Regulations 2017 - regs for companies at risk of handling funds for ML + terrorist financing
Senior management arrangements, systems and controls (SYSC) - for authorised firms, rules
Joint Money Laundering Steering Group guidance - not binding
What are three things the ML regs 2017 sets out for firms
- Risk assessments (for ML/financing terrorism for firm)
- Policies/controls to mitigate risk - appointing an MLRO for e.g.
- Reliance - conduct DD on any relied-upon party at start of business arrangement and can’t rely on CDD by firms in high-risk jurisdictions - firms have to do it themselves basically