SEC Forms COVID-19 Task Force

The SEC announced the formation of an internal, cross-divisional COVID-19 Market Monitoring Group.  The temporary, senior-level group will assist the Commission and its various divisions and offices in (1) Commission and staff actions and analysis related to the effects of COVID-19 on markets, issuers, and investors and (2) responding to requests for information, analysis and assistance from fellow regulators and other public sector partners. The COVID-19 Market Monitoring Group will work closely with personnel from across the agency, including staff in the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis (DERA), Division of Trading and Markets, Division of Investment Management, Division of Corporation Finance, Office of Municipal Securities, Office of Credit Ratings, Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE), Office of International Affairs, Office of the Chief Accountant and the SEC’s Activities-Based Monitoring Committee, among others.  The group will also assist in the SEC’s efforts to coordinate with and support the COVID-19-related efforts of other federal financial agencies and other bodies. “At the SEC, our monitoring of, and responses to, the effects of COVID-19 on our capital markets often must take into account complexities, interconnections and continually evolving dynamics of our markets.  This work benefits from the input of multiple SEC divisions and offices,” said SEC Chairman Jay Clayton.