The decline in actions against public companies and subsidiaries reflects the continuing impact of the pandemic and the change of leadership at the SEC.
The number of new enforcement actions fell 17% this year but the SEC opened more than 150 COVID-related inquiries and investigations.
“The whistleblower program continues to have a significant positive impact on the commission’s enforcement efforts and protection of investors and markets."
The agency "continues to be extremely successful in its efforts to deter bad conduct and effectively remedy harm to investors."
Proposed amendments to the rules would give commissioners more discretion over the size of whistleblower awards; some say they could undercut the program.
Excluding actions against delinquent filers, the SEC filed 299 cases in the first half of fiscal 2017 — virtually unchanged from the year-ago period.
The SEC broke records for single-year enforcement actions filed and total dollars gained from forfeitures.
Enforcement actions in the financial reporting and audit area have nearly doubled, to 134, in the past two years, reflecting the SEC's increased focus.
