**GAO-11-529**                      Published: Jul 13, 2011. Publicly Released: Jul 13, 2011.                  

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## Highlights

In addition to trading on behalf of customers, banks and their affiliates have conducted proprietary trading, using their own funds to profit from short-term price changes in asset markets. To restrain risk-taking and reduce the potential for federal support for banking entities, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the act) prohibits banking entities from engaging in certain proprietary trading. It also restricts investments in hedge funds, which actively trade in securities and other financial contracts, and private equity funds, which use debt financing to invest in companies or other lessliquid assets. Regulators must implement these restrictions by October 2011. As required by Section 989 of the act, GAO reviewed (1) what is known about the risks associated with such activities and the potential effects of the restrictions and (2) how regulators oversee such activities. To conduct this work, GAO reviewed the trading and fund investment activities of the largest U.S. bank holding companies and collected selected data on their profits, losses, and risk measures. GAO also reviewed regulators' examinations and other materials related to the oversight of the largest bank holding companies.

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## Topics

Financial Markets and Institutions

Bank holding companiesBanking lawBanking regulationConflict of interestsFederal fundsFinancial institutionsInvestment companiesLending institutionsLossesProprietary dataRegulatory agenciesSecurities regulationTax expenditures budgetsTrade regulation