Dalia Blass, S&C’s Senior Investment Management Partner and the former Director of the SEC’s Division of Investment Management, discussed the SEC’s upcoming vote on amendments to its “Names Rule” with Financial Times’ Ignites. The amendment, scheduled for a September 20 vote, “addresses investment company names that are likely to mislead investors about investments and risks,” according to the SEC.
Dalia said it would be better if the SEC first clarified its position on proposed rules it floated last year involving public companies’ disclosure of information on climate-related risks and greenhouse gas emissions and about disclosures for ESG funds before making this Names Rule amendment.
“It’s a little bit of putting the cart before the horse,” Dalia said. She also said that the amendment may “encourage an investor to judge a book by its cover,” which “is perhaps not the right approach, because you should be encouraging investors to look under the hood to understand the strategy.”
Read: “Final Names Rule Change Coming Next Week”