newsfilter
← Latest News
SEC Press Releases·

SEC Announces Enforcement Annual Results for Fiscal Year 2026

  • The SEC's Division of Enforcement filed 348 total actions in fiscal year 2026, including 235 standalone cases & 113 follow-on proceedings, with two-thirds of standalone actions charging at least one individual.
  • The Commission secured $1.095 billion in monetary relief, comprising $752 million in disgorgement & interest & $343 million in civil penalties, while returning approximately $731 million to over 250,000 harmed investors.
  • The Division launched the Retail Fraud Working Group to utilize data-driven strategies & Super Intelligence for identifying schemes targeting everyday investors.
  • A new Financial Reporting & Accounting Unit was established to combine legal & accounting expertise for detecting complex financial fraud & holding auditors accountable.
  • The Office of Super Intelligence & Analytics was created to integrate advanced analytical tools into workflows for earlier detection of emerging threats.
  • The Division reorganized its Trial Unit under a new Chief Litigation Counsel structure & implemented a formal leadership training program for supervisors.
  • New memoranda of understanding were signed with the CFTC & FDA to enhance interagency coordination on market integrity & life-sciences disclosures.
  • The Enforcement Manual was updated for the first time since 2017 to standardize the Wells process & clarify cooperation frameworks.
  • Rule 202.5(e) was rescinded to align the SEC with other federal agencies & provide greater flexibility in settling enforcement actions.
  • The Cross-Border Task Force charged 42 entities for filing false Forms ADV & brought actions against crypto platforms & investment clubs for defrauding retail investors.
  • The Division filed 13 trading suspensions against Asia-based issuers due to suspected market manipulation involving social media.
  • Major enforcement actions included charges against founders of Goliath Ventures, AKL Transport, & a bitcoin mining business for operating multi-year Ponzi schemes.
  • The SEC charged private fund advisers & boiler room operators for defrauding investors in the pre-IPO secondary market through undisclosed fees & misappropriation.
  • Settled orders were issued against Northeast Financial Group, FamilyWealth Advisers, & Hext Capital Partners for violations of the Custody Rule & Net Capital Rule.
  • Actions were taken against David Lerner Associates, Foot Locker, & Wedbush Securities for violating Regulation Best Interest, impeding whistleblowers, & failing to provide blue sheet data.
  • The Division charged 21 individuals in a decade-long insider trading scheme & pursued spoofing & deceptive trading cases against day traders.
  • Charges were filed against executives of Archer-Daniels-Midland, RYVYL, Battle Motors, & Lottery.com for financial reporting fraud & misleading disclosures.
  • The Division held investment advisers accountable for misrepresenting risks, failing to disclose conflicts of interest, & misappropriating client assets.
  • Over 26,000 whistleblower tips were received in fiscal year 2026, resulting in $158 million awarded to 65 individual whistleblowers.
  • The SEC prevailed in trials against Robert Brian Watson & Ismael Zarco Sanchez & obtained summary judgment against Brian Hutchison for revenue manipulation.
  • The Commission imposed a $100 million penalty on Western Asset Management & a $20 million penalty on UBS Financial Services for failing to remediate compliance deficiencies.