SEC Obtains Relief to Fully Reimburse Retail Investors Sold Unsuitable Product

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced it has obtained monetary relief that will fully reimburse retail investors for losses on a leveraged oil-linked exchange-traded note (ETN) that registered representatives of Syracuse, New York-based broker-dealer and investment adviser Cadaret, Grant & Co. Inc. recommended without a reasonable basis. The SEC found that Cadaret Grant, president Arthur Grant, and senior vice president Beda Lee Johnson failed reasonably to supervise the firm’s registered representatives who recommended that customers buy and hold the leveraged oil-linked ETN without a reasonable basis. The order found that before recommending the investment, the brokers did not take steps to reasonably research or understand inherent risks of the ETN or the index it tracked.