1929年的股市大崩盤摧毀了美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì),導(dǎo)致美國(guó)進(jìn)入大蕭條時(shí)期。1929年9月至1932年7月間,股市市值縮水83%,迫使參議院銀行和貨幣委員會(huì)進(jìn)行了一系列的聽證會(huì),以查明股市大崩盤的原因。聽證會(huì)深層次揭露了在售向投資者銷售股票時(shí)存在的問題。
那時(shí),在投資前判斷企業(yè)提供的信息是否屬實(shí),責(zé)任基本在投資者。許多股票在出售時(shí)并不值當(dāng)時(shí)的價(jià)錢,上百萬(wàn)人在這次災(zāi)難中失去了財(cái)富。為了在混亂中維持秩序,國(guó)會(huì)通過了三條主要的法案。1934年國(guó)會(huì)成立了證券交易委員會(huì),并定義了它的職責(zé)。
The SEC works to monitor the stock market industry and to protect investors. Since itscreation, companies that offer their stock for sale to the public are required by federal law totell the truth about their businesses. Without an oversight body like the SEC giving investorssome basic confidence in the system, today's stock market simply couldn't exist. Corporateirregularities are not always caught as quickly as they should be, but the overall structuresdesigned by Congress have helped to make America's stock markets among the safest in theworld.
證券交易委員會(huì)的職責(zé)是監(jiān)控股票交易機(jī)構(gòu),保護(hù)投資者的權(quán)利。自從它成立以來(lái),上市公司需按照聯(lián)邦法律的要求,向公眾出售股票時(shí)誠(chéng)實(shí)交代自己的業(yè)務(wù)。要是沒有像證券交易委員會(huì)這樣的監(jiān)督機(jī)構(gòu),也許今天根本不會(huì)有股市存在。雖然并不總是能及時(shí)查獲企業(yè)違規(guī)現(xiàn)象,但國(guó)會(huì)制定的總體監(jiān)管結(jié)構(gòu)已將美國(guó)股市變成世界上最安全的股市之一。