The CFTC Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight issued a no-action letter providing exemptive relief to a CPO of two community pools regarding certain annual reporting requirements. In the letter, the CFTC permitted an extension to the CPO to file the annual report for the pools for the period from October 2, 2014, the date the pools began trading, to December 31, 2015. See: CFTC Letter 15-45.

IOSCO provided recommendations for regulators to facilitate capital raising by small- and medium-sized enterprises ("SMEs") in emerging markets. IOSCO's report identified a number of challenges that face SMEs when attempting to gain access to market-based financing. It examined past successful measures adopted by regulators and other policymakers to aid SMEs in tapping capital markets. The overall results indicated that "bank loans are the primary source of financing for both publicly and privately held SMEs in most jurisdictions, followed by equity finance, venture capital, and other related

The SEC issued an Investor Bulletin to inform investors about recent amendments to Regulation A. The Investor Bulletin outlined the two different tiers of investment offerings and specified certain limitations for investors when deciding to invest in offerings that are governed by Regulation A. See: SEC Investor Bulletin: Regulation A. Related news: SEC Updates Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations Regarding Regulation A (June 24, 2015); SEC's Regulation A+ Amendments Published in Federal Register (April 20, 2015); Washington State Securities Division Issues Preproposal Statement of

The SEC concept release requesting public comment on current audit committee disclosure requirements was published in the Federal Register. The SEC is seeking public comment regarding audit committee reporting requirements, with a focus on the audit committee's reporting of its responsibilities with respect to its oversight of the independent auditor. According to the SEC, individuals have expressed a view that the SEC's disclosure rules for this area may not result in disclosures about audit committees and their activities that are sufficient to help investors understand and evaluate audit

SIFMA issued a statement criticizing the International Monetary Fund ("IMF") Financial System Stability Assessment. The Assessment focused on investment funds such as mutual funds, exchange traded funds and pension funds. SIFMA president and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr., stated that IMF's Assessment made assertions about risks posed by mutual funds that are "not backed by empirical evidence or analysis." Moreover, he asserted that "speculative and unsubstantiated reports that target asset managers and disregard basic facts about the industry could hamper managers' ability to serve investors