SEC Isn't Considering Short-Selling Ban: Gensler

News May 15, 2023 at 04:48 PM
Share & Print

U.S. regulators aren't currently weighing a ban on selling stocks short as wild trading continues in the shares of some regional banks.

Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler batted down the prospect of such a ban, saying that similar restrictions haven't worked in the past.

Critics have argued that such measures are necessary because recent declines in some bank stocks have little to do with a lender's outlook.

"We at the SEC are merit neutral — folks can go long, folks can go short, as long as those markets work," Gensler said Monday during an event hosted by the Atlanta Federal Reserve. "We're not looking at such a ban."

A closely watched index for shares of regional lenders has plunged more than 30% since early March, before the government took over SVB Financial Group's Silicon Valley Bank.

(Photo: Bloomberg)

Copyright 2023 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Related Stories

Resource Center