US Securities and Exchange Commission fines and investor relief doubled to $17.9 billion in the 2025 fiscal year, a surge bolstered by enforcement actions at the end of the Biden administration that likely won’t continue as priorities shift under President Donald Trump . The Wall Street watchdog levied $7.2 billion in civil penalties and ordered a return of $10.8 billion in illegal profits in the ...
US Securities and Exchange Commission fines and investor relief doubled to $17.9 billion in the 2025 fiscal year, a surge bolstered by enforcement actions at the end of the Biden administration that likely won’t continue as priorities shift under President Donald Trump . The Wall Street watchdog levied $7.2 billion in civil penalties and ordered a return of $10.8 billion in illegal profits in the year ended Sept. 30, the SEC said in a report published Tuesday . That’s up from $2.1 billion in civil fines and $6.1 billion of disgorgements a year earlier . SEC Chairman Paul Atkins , tapped by Trump to helm the agency, said in a statement that over the past year the SEC has redirected resources to combat “fraud, market manipulation and abuses of trust — and away from approaches that prioritized volume and record-setting penalties over true investor protection.” Tuesday’s report includes results from the final months of former SEC Chairman Gary Gensler ’s tenure, when the agency announced so many fines and lawsuits it put out an unusual press release touting record enforcement actions for October through December 2024, the first quarter of fiscal 2025. According to an SEC statement, the numbers were inflated by the prior administration’s attempts to “pursue media headlines and run up the numbers.” The SEC claimed the previous administration focused on “an unprecedented rush to bring a significant number of cases in advance of the presidential inauguration and the aggressive pursuit of novel legal theories under the prior Commission.” The report criticized some of SEC’s prior enforcement actions, including penalizing firms for off-channel communications and suing cryptocurrency companies. The SEC typically releases enforcement results in the fall, soon after the close of the fiscal year. Atkins had come under fire from Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren about the delay in releasing the agency’s statistics. The SEC’s enforcement actions have plunged during the second Trum...
Iraqi Protesters Overrun Kuwait Consulate, Angry Over Role In US Actions Close US ally Kuwait finds itself under growing political pressure from its neighbor Iraq, related to the ongoing Iran war. Angry crowds stormed the Kuwaiti consulate in Iraq's southern Basra governorate on Tuesday after rockets which came from the direction of Kuwait killed three people , according to police sources cited by...
Iraqi Protesters Overrun Kuwait Consulate, Angry Over Role In US Actions Close US ally Kuwait finds itself under growing political pressure from its neighbor Iraq, related to the ongoing Iran war. Angry crowds stormed the Kuwaiti consulate in Iraq's southern Basra governorate on Tuesday after rockets which came from the direction of Kuwait killed three people , according to police sources cited by Reuters and Al Arabiya. BREAKING: Supporters of Iraq’s pro-Iranian Popular Mobilization Militias storm the Kuwaiti Consulate in Basra Province, Iraq, in protest against Kuwait's role with the U.S. in the war with Iran. pic.twitter.com/pyxtxjlzeU — Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) April 7, 2026 Neither Kuwaiti nor Iraqi officials issued immediate public statements, and the rocket incident remains a mystery in terms of its origin or the motives behind the attack. It may have been a missile fired on Kuwait from Iran, which errantly crossed the border and landed on Iraqi homes : At least three people were killed and five others wounded when rockets fired from the direction of Kuwait hit a house in Khor al-Zubair near Basra, security and health officials told Reuters. Protesters are angry at Kuwait's role in the war, as it has played host to American forces , and reportedly has been a staging ground for US raids into Iran. The crowds seem to have effective control over the Kuwaiti consulate in Basra... NOW: Pro-Iran protestors in Iraq STORM Kuwait’s Consulate and remove Kuwaiti flag pic.twitter.com/EtBeSeQwfk — Rapid Report (@RapidReport2025) April 7, 2026 This marks a sharp escalation along the sensitive Iraq-Kuwait border as the wider Gulf region faces sustained fallout from weeks of Iranian drone and missile strikes targeting neighboring states, including Kuwait. Iraq has a majority Shia population, and its major political players remain sympathetic to the plight of Iran . Meanwhile Kuwait is telling its some 5 million citizens to shelter in place amid Pres...
Chinese bank shares have outpaced the broader market since the war in Iran broke out, with attractive dividend yields and improving earnings prospects likely to provide further tailwinds, according to analysts. There’s a potential for lenders to exceed expectations in the first quarter, Citigroup Inc. analysts said, noting that banks’ management have already indicated better revenue growth outlook...
Chinese bank shares have outpaced the broader market since the war in Iran broke out, with attractive dividend yields and improving earnings prospects likely to provide further tailwinds, according to analysts. There’s a potential for lenders to exceed expectations in the first quarter, Citigroup Inc. analysts said, noting that banks’ management have already indicated better revenue growth outlook on easing margin pressure and strong fee income growth. The CSI 300 Bank gauge has risen 2.7% since the Middle East conflict began, compared with a 5.7% drop in the broader onshore benchmark . “We are likely to see margin stabilization in the whole banking sector or some individual banks may even see a rebound in the first quarter,” said Wang Yifeng , chief financial analyst at Everbright Securities Co. “This will continue to attract investors.” Major Chinese banks are due to release first-quarter results at the end of April. Read: China’s Mega Banks Post Scant Profit Gains on Margin Squeeze Margin pressure at China’s biggest state-owned banks eased in 2025 as funding costs fell. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd. and Agricultural Bank of China Ltd. saw net interest margin narrow by 14 basis points from a year earlier to 1.28%, compared with 19 and 18 basis points declines, respectively, seen in 2024. A stable and attractive dividend payout may also draw investors seeking defensive names in the uncertain environment. The expected yield on Chinese major bank stocks over the next 12 months is about 5%, compared with 2.8% for the benchmark CSI 300 Index and about 1.8% yield on the 10-year government bond, according to Bloomberg-compiled data. While concerns over asset quality deterioration linger given China’s economic slump and prolonged property downturn, regulatory support may buoy the sector. “Given China banks’ relatively stable earnings outlook, China’s greater policy flexibility to mitigate macro shocks and the sector’s systemic importance as state-backed len...
Lean hog futures were up 30 cents in the front month April, with other contracts down 35 to 70 cents. USDA’s national base hog price was reported at $90.82 on Tuesday afternoon. The CME Lean Hog Index was down another 8 cents on April 3 at $89.93. USDA’s pork carcass...
Lean hog futures were up 30 cents in the front month April, with other contracts down 35 to 70 cents. USDA’s national base hog price was reported at $90.82 on Tuesday afternoon. The CME Lean Hog Index was down another 8 cents on April 3 at $89.93. USDA’s pork carcass...
Soybeans posted Tuesday losses of 6 to 9 cents in the nearby contracts on Tuesday. The cmdtyView national average Cash Bean price was down 8 cents at $10.89 1/4. Soymeal futures were down $1.30 to $4.80 in the front months, with Soy Oil futures down 8 to 31 points at...
Soybeans posted Tuesday losses of 6 to 9 cents in the nearby contracts on Tuesday. The cmdtyView national average Cash Bean price was down 8 cents at $10.89 1/4. Soymeal futures were down $1.30 to $4.80 in the front months, with Soy Oil futures down 8 to 31 points at...
Live cattle futures settled with front month April up 17 cents and other contracts down 50 cents to $1.22. There were no deliveries issued for April on Tuesday. Cash trade has yet to get kicked off this week, with sales at $245-246 last week. Feeder cattle futures were down $3...
Live cattle futures settled with front month April up 17 cents and other contracts down 50 cents to $1.22. There were no deliveries issued for April on Tuesday. Cash trade has yet to get kicked off this week, with sales at $245-246 last week. Feeder cattle futures were down $3...
(RTTNews) - The Malaysia stock market has moved lower in four straight sessions, sinking more than 30 points or 2 percent along the way. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index now sits just above the 1,675-point plateau although it may find traction on Wednesday.
(RTTNews) - The Malaysia stock market has moved lower in four straight sessions, sinking more than 30 points or 2 percent along the way. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index now sits just above the 1,675-point plateau although it may find traction on Wednesday.
President Donald Trump has postponed by two weeks his threat to attack civilian infrastructure across Iran, as negotiators inch closer to a ceasefire deal that could see Tehran reopen the Strait of Hormuz. (Source: Bloomberg)
President Donald Trump has postponed by two weeks his threat to attack civilian infrastructure across Iran, as negotiators inch closer to a ceasefire deal that could see Tehran reopen the Strait of Hormuz. (Source: Bloomberg)