Conflicts of Interest, Investor Loss of Confidence, and High Speed Trading in U.S. Stock Markets

The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has scheduled a hearing, “Conflicts of Interest, Investor Loss of Confidence, and High Speed Trading in U.S. Stock Markets,” on Tuesday, June 17, 2014, at 9:30 a.m., in Room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building.

The Subcommittee hearing will examine conflicts of interest in the U.S. stock markets and the impact of such conflicts on consumer confidence, including in the context of high frequency trading. In particular, the hearing will focus on the conflicts of interest that arise between the obligation of brokers to provide their customers with best execution of their orders to buy or sell securities, and the brokers’ receipt of payments from other brokers for order flow and rebates from some trading venues for placing those orders directly. Witnesses will include representatives of stock exchanges, brokerage firms, and institutional investors, as well as a securities market expert. A witness list will be available Friday, June 13, 2014.