U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Mary Jo White said her agency is unlikely to complete rules intended to bolster market stability before she steps down, Bloomberg News reported yesterday. A slew of high-profile trading halts and exchange disruptions has made it a priority of White’s to enhance U.S. market structure, she said yesterday. She conceded that only some of the regulations she set out to approve will likely get done during her tenure. The SEC has drawn criticism from lawmakers and some market participants for not finishing rules and projects that have been in the pipeline for years. Some of the regulations that have yet to be proposed, including one targeting high-frequency trading strategies that can destabilize markets, were outlined by White in 2014. The staff is still “formulating a recommendation” to address speed trading that can be disruptive during periods when markets are most vulnerable, she said yesterday.
