On November 22, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced its enforcement results for the 2024 fiscal year with a record $8.2 billion in financial remedies.[1] At the same time, a few cases and sweeps comprised the vast bulk of that amount, and the number of cases brought dropped by 26%. In a press release announcing the results, Acting Enforcement Director Sanjay Wadhwa touted the agency’s “high impact enforcement actions” and noted “stepped up efforts” by market participants to self-report their own potential wrongdoing, cooperate in SEC investigations, and remediate any shortcomings. Chair Gary Gensler, who recently announced he will step down at the start of the next Trump presidency, described the Enforcement Division as a “steadfast cop on the beat.” Set forth below are key highlights on enforcement trends from the past year, as well as predictions for what the next year may hold under a new administration.
