On 6 November 2019, the SEC announced the publication of its annual report for fiscal year 2019, which details the division's efforts and initiatives, highlights several significant actions, and presents the activities of the division from both a qualitative and quantitative perspective.
As in prior years, the report describes the division's efforts guided by five core principles: (1) focus on the Main Street investor, (2) focus on individual accountability, (3) keep pace with technological change, (4) impose remedies that most effectively further enforcement goals, and (5) constantly assess the allocation of resources.
In releasing the report, the SEC emphasized that it brought a "diverse mix" of 862 enforcement actions, including 526 standalone actions, addressing a "broad range of significant issues," including issuer disclosure/accounting violations; auditor misconduct; investment advisory issues; securities offerings; market manipulation; insider trading; and broker-dealer misconduct. Through these actions, the SEC obtained judgments and orders totaling more than $4.3 billion in disgorgement and penalties. The SEC also "returned roughly $1.2 billion to harmed investors as a result of enforcement actions."
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