When the Financial Services Authority (FSA) introduced its additional short selling measures in the Code of Market Conduct on 18 September 2008 the FSA committed both to reviewing them after 30 days and also to publishing the results of a comprehensive review of short selling in January. The FSA has now conducted the 30 day review and, with one exception, has concluded that it should not make any changes to the measures at this time.
The one change relates to the requirements for disclosing significant net short positions in UK financial sector stocks. The FSA accepts that it is not a proportionate requirement to require daily disclosures of short positions where there has been no change in a short position. Consequently the FSA will be making amendments to the Code of Market Conduct so that once disclosure of a short position has been made, additional disclosures will only be required when that short position changes. A further announcement will be made when this change has been made.
The FSA will publish its Consultation Paper on short selling in January.