The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has issued an enforcement action charging Feltl & Company for not notifying certain customers of the suitability and risks involving certain penny-stock transactions, as well as for failing to issue customer account statements showing each penny stock’s market value. The brokerage firm is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
FINRA claims that the firm failed to properly document transactions for securities that temporarily may not have fulfilled the definition of a penny stock and did not properly track penny-stock transactions involving securities that didn’t make a market.
Feltl made a market in nearly twenty penny stocks. The brokerage firm made $2.1 million from at least 2,450 customer transactions that were solicited in 15 penny stocks between 2008 and 2012. The SRO says it isn’t clear how much the firm made from selling penny stocks that it didn’t keep track of but that revenue from this would have been substantial.
Felt is settling the securities charges without denying or admitting to the claims. It said that after February 2012 it stopped recommending penny stocks and now doesn’t make a market in any penny stock. Customers, however, can trade in penny stocks if they are the ones that initiate the transaction.
Penny Stocks
These securities trade under $5 a share. Small companies that have low revenue are the ones that usually put them out. Penny stocks may be high risk because it can be hard to track the companies’ future value and business potential and these stocks don’t trade as often as liquid stocks that are traded on exchanges. They are not a suitable investment for everyone.
Our penny stock fraud lawyers represent investors wanting to recoup their losses. Contact Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas, LTD LLP today.
Finra Fines Brokerage $1M Over Penny-Stock Deals, WSJ, September 3, 2014
Penny Stock Rules, SEC.gov
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SEC Files Charges in Penny Stock Scams, May 27, 2014
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Securities Lawsuit Accuses Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Credit Suisse, and Other Banks of Manipulating ISDAfix, Institutional Investor Securities Blog, September 4, 2014