TheCorporateCounsel.net

October 14, 2014

Survey Results: Ending Blackout Periods

I have posted the results of our survey regarding ending blackout periods, repeated below (compare results of our prior blackout surveys):

1. Which factor is most important in allowing a blackout period to end one day after an earnings release:
– Filer status being large accelerated filer and a WKSI – 18%
– Number of analysts providing coverage on company – 20%
– Average daily trading volume for the company – 18%
– None of the above is important – 44%

2. How many analysts covering the company is considered sufficient to allow blackout period to end one day after an earnings release:
– 1-5 – 6%
– 6-10 – 25%
– 11-15 – 8%
– 16 or more – 4%
– None of the above is important – 57%

3. What average daily trading volume is considered sufficient to allow blackout period to end one day after an earnings release:
– 1% of its outstanding common stock – 17%
– $5 million or more in average daily trading volume (daily trading volume x stock price) – 4%
– $10 million or more in average daily trading volume (daily trading volume x stock price) – 6%
– $25 million or more in average daily trading volume (daily trading volume x stock price) – 10%
– None of the above is important – 63%

Take a moment to participate in our “Quick Survey on Whistleblower Policies & Procedures” and our “Quick Survey on Earnings Releases & Earnings Calls.”

SEC Could Lose Ability to Bring Enforcement Actions Before Administrative Law Judges

In this blog, Allen Matkins’ Keith Bishop notes that the SEC has considerable latitude in choosing whether to pursue enforcement actions in an administrative setting or in a true Article III court. He notes that the status of administrative law judges is under attack in Stillwell v. SEC, U.S. Dist. Ct. S.D. N.Y. Case No. 14 CV 7931…

Note that “Alan Dye’s Section 16 Hands-On Training Workshop” on January 9th is sold out. If this was something that you wished to attend, email me as we may schedule another session on a date in mid-’15 if there is enough interest…

Webcast: “Private Company Trading Markets: The Latest”

Tune in tomorrow for the webcast — “Private Company Trading Markets: The Latest” — to hear NASDAQ Private Market’s Greg Brogger, SecondMarket’s Annemarie Tierney, ACE Portal’s Peter Williams and our own Dave Lynn of Morrison & Foerster discuss how the private company trading exchanges are evolving as the Nasdaq and NYSE have recently got into the game.

– Broc Romanek