The regulations apply to what the SEC labels foreign private issuers, companies based overseas with certain shares that trade in the US but also have certain breaks on US disclosure and reporting requirements.
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ANDREW KELLY
The US Securities and Exchange Commission announced new insider trade rules on Friday for executives in non-US companies who buy or sell stock in their firms.
The SEC’s rules require executives and officers to quickly reveal when they scoop up or dump shares, a disclosure meant to deter people from using non-public information to cash in on well-timed trades. The requirements, which will take effect March 18, will be mostly in line with those faced by executives in American companies that require reporting within two business days.
The regulations apply to what the SEC labels foreign private issuers, companies based overseas with certain shares that trade in the US but also have certain breaks on US disclosure and reporting requirements. The agency was required to draft the rules under a law that Congress passed last year.
Some academics and lawmakers have decried a lack of disclosure as opening the door to unfair, opportunistic trading. “These requirements will align the reporting obligations of foreign executives with those of US executives,” SEC Chairman Paul Atkins said in a statement.
So-called beneficial owners, those who own more than 10 per cent of stocks in a company, will not be required to report under the new regulations, according to the SEC.
Some compliance questions remain, such as the part of the law that recognises some overseas jurisdictions may already impose similar executive reporting requirements to the US. The law gives the SEC the authority to carve out exceptions for individuals, securities or transactions, the SEC said Friday.
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Published on February 28, 2026
