As part of the Updates to Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations, the SEC has published new compliance and disclosure intepretations for Regulation FD.
I found these CD&I’s particularly interesting in light of the SEC’s loss in the Cuban case. The SEC seems to be providing a better roadmap for disclosure of information.
Here are a few questions that caught my eye, with a snapshot of the answer. Go to the compliance and disclosure interpretations for Regulation FD for the full answer.
Question 101.03: Can an issuer ever review and comment on an analyst’s model privately without triggering Regulation FD’s disclosure requirements?
Answer: Yes. . .
Question 101.04: May an issuer provide material nonpublic information to analysts as long as the analysts expressly agree to maintain confidentiality until the information is public?
Answer: Yes.
Question 101.05: If an issuer gets an agreement to maintain material nonpublic information in confidence, must it also get the additional statement that the recipient agrees not to trade on the information in order to rely on the exclusion in Rule 100(b)(2)(ii) of Regulation FD?
Answer: No. An express agreement to maintain the information in confidence is sufficient. If a recipient of material nonpublic information subject to such a confidentiality agreement trades or advises others to trade, he or she could face insider trading liability.
Question 101.06: If an issuer wishes to rely on the confidentiality agreement exclusion of Regulation FD, is it sufficient to get an acknowledgment that the recipient of the material nonpublic information will not use the information in violation of the federal securities laws?
Answer: No. The recipient must expressly agree to keep the information confidential.
Question 101.09: Can an issuer disclose material nonpublic information to its employees (who may also be shareholders) without making public disclosure of the information?
Answer: Yes. Rule 100(b)(1) states that Regulation FD applies to disclosures made to “any person outside the issuer.” Regulation FD does not apply to communications of confidential information to employees of the issuer. An issuer’s officers, directors, and other employees are subject to duties of trust and confidence and face insider trading liability if they trade or tip.
Question 101.10: If an issuer has a policy that limits which senior officials are authorized to speak to persons enumerated in Rule 100(b)(1)(i) – (b)(1)(iv), will disclosures by senior officials not authorized to speak under the policy be subject to Regulation FD?
Answer: No. Selective disclosures of material nonpublic information by senior officials not authorized to speak to enumerated persons are made in breach of a duty of trust or confidence to the issuer and are not covered by Regulation FD. Such disclosures may, however, trigger liability under existing insider trading law.