Business Law Newsletters
Exchange-Traded Funds
Exchange-traded funds are open-ended registered investment companies regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Securities and Exchange Commission has exempted exchange-traded funds from regulatory requirements in order to allow secondary trading on national exchanges of shares in exchange-traded funds.
Failing Company Defense
A merger or acquisition that has the potential to lessen competition significantly may violate Section 7 of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C.S. § 18. However, a "failing company" defense has emerged from case law and legislative history of an amendment to Section 7 that allows an acquisition or merger to proceed if the company being acquired is subject to imminent bankruptcy or liquidation, and the acquiring company is the only prospective purchaser of the failing company.
"Mini" Tender Offers
Tender offers for less than five percent of the stock of a company have been labeled mini-tender offers. Such offers are subject to some regulation but are not subject to the full range of rules enacted to protect investors who own stock in a company for which a full tender offer is made. Thus, while a mini-tender offer may include a premium over market price for a selling shareholder, the lack of all of the protections provided for recipients of a full tender offer suggests a more cautious view of the merits of the mini-tender offer.
Regulation of the Price of Mutual Fund Shares
The Securities and Exchange Commission requires that open-ended mutual fund shares must be sold at their net asset value per share plus allowable sales charges or fees. Under Rule 22c-1 of the Commission, an issuer, underwriter, or dealer may not redeem or repurchase a share of a registered investment company or mutual fund "except at a price based on the current net asset value of such security..."
Securities Law
(An Outline of Federal Securities Laws)
