U.S. SEC seeks data from index providers over role in investment decisions

Reuters

Published Jun 15, 2022 09:27PM ET

(Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Wednesday requested information on the activities of financial information providers amid growing concerns over their influence on investment decisions, despite not being fully regulated.

Critics have expressed concerns that information providers, particularly index companies such as S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI), MSCI and FTSE Russell which assist in trillions of dollars of investment decisions globally, have acted as unregulated investment advisors.

"The role of these information providers today raises important questions under the securities laws as to when they are providing investment advice rather than merely information," U.S. SEC chair Gary Gensler said in a statement.