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"Rebuilding investor confidence should be the primary objective of anynew regulatory effort and it is not clear that today's proposals willmeet that simple goal. Skeptics, independent research and criticalanalysis must continue to play a vibrant role for our markets to growsustainably and with integrity. Short selling is integral to improvingthe efficiency of markets and enhancing market quality through narrowerspreads, deeper liquidity, less volatility, and greater pricediscovery. In recent years, short-sellers have publicly warned themarketplace about the dangers at AIG, Lehman Brothers, and Enron, aswell as sounding the alarm over the credit ratings agencies, non-banksubprime lenders, and credit insurers. Proposals to inhibitshort-selling have the effect of limiting this vital market-basedantidote to corporate fraud and speculative bubbles, and must becarefully weighed against the clear harm that comes from ill-conceivedgovernment intervention in basic market functions." |
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