A Reappraisal of the Role of Disclosure

The objective of this paper is to assess the current role of disclosure in its various aspects in security regulation. Following a brief description of the current uses of disclosure in securities regulation, there are separate sections describing and evaluating (1) the obligation of disclosure imposed on issuers at the initial sale of securities, (2) the obligation of disclosure resting on issuers if they have securities which are traded, and (3) obligations of disclosure imposed on parties in the securities business other than issuers. This last section includes obligations of insiders, broker-dealers, and investment advisers, as well as duties of exchanges and over-the-counter dealers to provide market data. A concluding section discusses briefly the broader function of disclosure as a device to control internal corporate affairs.