What is the name of the regulatory agency that oversees U.S. stock markets?

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, usually called the SEC, is the federal agency that oversees America’s securities markets. Its mission is to protect investors, maintain fair and orderly markets, and facilitate capital formation.

Congress created the SEC in 1934, during the aftermath of the 1929 Wall Street crash and the Great Depression. The agency administers major securities laws, requires public companies to disclose material financial information, investigates suspected fraud and insider trading, and brings civil enforcement actions. Its EDGAR system gives the public electronic access to corporate filings.

The SEC is not the same as FINRA, which is a self-regulatory organization overseeing broker-dealers under SEC supervision. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or CFTC, primarily regulates futures, options on futures and swaps, while the Federal Reserve focuses on monetary policy and banking supervision. Other regulators and state securities authorities also have roles, but the SEC is the principal federal regulator for U.S. securities markets.