GRC Report Staff

Invesco Advisers, Inc. is paying a hefty price for misleading clients and investors about how much of its assets were truly aligned with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. The Atlanta-based investment firm has agreed to settle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which has charged the company with inflating the percentage of its assets that were “ESG integrated.” As part of the settlement, Invesco will pay a $17.5 million civil penalty.

The UK has escalated its pressure on Vladimir Putin, announcing its largest package of sanctions since May. This new wave targets the Kremlin’s sprawling web of military supply chains and the shadowy mercenary groups doing Moscow's bidding from Ukraine to Africa. With these measures, the UK aims to choke off Putin’s lifelines, hitting Russia where it hurts most: its ability to sustain the prolonged—and increasingly desperate—war in Ukraine.

Allianz Trade announced last week the launch of Surety Green2Green, a new solution aimed at accelerating the transition to sustainability within the global economy. Allianz Trade, an international insurance provider and subsidiary of Allianz SE, offers a range of services, including trade credit insurance, debt collection, surety bonds, business fraud insurance, and political risk protection. Allianz SE, headquartered in Germany, is one of the world’s largest financial services providers and the largest insurer in Europe. Allianz Trade’s mission is to empower clients to trade with confidence by ensuring payment security and providing protection against bad debt.

Supply chains have become a high-stakes frontier in the world of cybersecurity. BlueVoyant’s State of Supply Chain Defense report for 2024 reveals that companies are no longer just talking about third-party cyber risk—they’re taking action. Across industries from healthcare to finance, leaders are focusing on practical, proactive ways to defend against the rising tide of supply chain threats.

Morgan Stanley recently took another compliance hit, adding to its ongoing tangle with regulators. In a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (AWC) submitted to FINRA, Morgan Stanley agreed to a settlement for alleged rule violations related to market access controls—an agreement that, if accepted, would shield the firm from future actions tied to the same issues. This latest chapter is part of an ongoing saga involving market access rule violations, with Morgan Stanley previously settling similar allegations just a few years ago.

The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) released its first inaugural report today on the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPF), following a year-long assessment. The report addresses the Framework's effectiveness in safeguarding EU citizens' data when transferred to the United States. Additionally, the EDPB issued a statement on recommendations concerning law enforcement’s access to personal data, stressing the need for privacy protections.

JP Morgan is once again in the regulatory spotlight. The SEC today announced a significant enforcement action against two JP Morgan affiliates, resulting in a $151 million settlement over a range of practices the SEC says fell short of investor protection standards. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (JPMS) and J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (JPMIM) now face the consequences of alleged breaches that range from misleading disclosures to pushing costly financial products without adequate disclosures about their conflicts of interest.