Financial market infrastructures are expected to maintain sufficient equity-backed liquid assets to withstand losses arising from their business operations. An international assessment found problems with how some of those institutions were applying that requirement, prompting further work by two of the financial system's principal standard-setting bodies.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has called on financial firms to be more precise about claims of positive environmental and social impact and climate transition, warning through new guidance that investors need clearer information about what such claims mean and how the promised results will be assessed.
The Hong Kong SFC has issued a circular requiring management companies of SFC-authorized public funds with direct or indirect private credit or private equity exposure to adopt enhanced offering document disclosures. Funds with 50% or more of NAV in private market assets will be classified as complex products, and the SFC may also designate funds below that level. Compliance teams should begin reviewing existing funds now, as the SFC expects updates as soon as practicable.
The Norway Financial Supervisory Authority has published a warning that references a Luxembourg CSSF notice about fraudulent actors misusing the name of Gekko Fund SICAV. Compliance teams should treat this as an impersonation and investment fraud alert and update screening, monitoring, and customer-protection controls accordingly.
The Norway Financial Supervisory Authority (Finanstilsynet) has posted a warning about Impound Services Ltd, a United Kingdom-issued notice that links to the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) warnings list. Compliance teams should treat the entity as a high-risk, potentially unauthorized or fraudulent counterparty and screen for any exposure. The source material is sparse, so internal verification against the FCA page is essential.
The Norway Financial Supervisory Authority has published a warning that references a UK FCA alert about "Blackswan Trading," a clone of an FCA-registered firm. Clone firms impersonate legitimate authorized entities to defraud investors, so compliance teams should update screening controls and customer-protection messaging.
BaFin has issued a warning about rollincapital(.)com, whose unknown operators are suspected of offering financial and securities services in Germany without authorization. FINMA, the Swiss regulator, has already issued a corresponding warning. Compliance teams should treat the site as a high-risk counterparty and update screening and fraud controls accordingly.
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