Global financial markets have undergone rapid changes in recent years, amid growing debate about the role regulators should play in balancing investor protection and economic growth.

While some argue that strict rules are necessary to maintain transparency and stability, others believe that excessive regulation imposes unnecessary burdens on companies and limits their ability to innovate and expand.

On Wall Street, tangible steps are being taken to reconsider these strict rules, led by Trump who advocates easing them to revive companies and markets.

In this context, the top regulatory authority on Wall Street has pledged to pursue a “minimum dose” of regulation and accelerate President Donald Trump’s proposal to eliminate quarterly reporting requirements for listed companies, signaling a sudden easing of financial restrictions by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins, appointed by Trump last spring, wrote in an opinion piece published in the Financial Times on Monday that he would consider replacing quarterly reports with semi-annual ones as an alternative to the current requirement for listed companies to disclose results every three months.

Atkins wrote, “The government should provide the minimum effective regulation necessary to protect investors while allowing businesses to thrive.”

The chairman, who also criticized European climate rules as “ideological,” is abandoning the broad and bold regulatory agenda of his predecessor Gary Gensler, with the Trump administration adopting a more business-friendly approach.

Among the notable shifts led by Atkins is the SEC’s embrace of the cryptocurrency sector, in stark contrast to Gensler’s tough stance. The move toward easing listed company rules reflects a broader trend toward flexible regulation.

In his article, Atkins warned against disclosures “driven by political fashions or distorted objectives,” specifically referring to the new European directive on corporate sustainability reporting.

He wrote that these rules “require disclosure of matters that may be socially important but are not fundamentally financially relevant.” He added, “These obligations carry risks of imposing costs on American investors and customers while not significantly improving the information that guides capital allocation decisions.”

He continued, “If Europe wants to strengthen its financial markets by attracting more listings and investments, it should focus on reducing unnecessary disclosure burdens. As for us, I am committed to ensuring that the SEC puts the welfare of investors above the desires of ideologues.”

Ahmed Moati, CEO of V I Markets, told Sky News Arabia’s Economy site:

He explained that easing restrictions — such as moving from quarterly to semi-annual reporting — reduces costs for companies, which increases profits and encourages more small, emerging, and even large companies to consider going public.

The US president has renewed his proposal to eliminate quarterly reports for public companies, limiting them to only two annual earnings reports.

Quarterly reports are the practice by which publicly listed companies provide financial updates every three months. These reports aim to provide investors, regulators, and other stakeholders with information about the company’s financial performance.

Trump said such a step “will save money and allow managers to focus on properly running their companies.”

According to a report by The Conversation, the SEC prioritizes Trump’s proposal. The commission studied the matter in 2018 and held a meeting but made no progress on rule changes.

Canadian public companies also report quarterly, while other markets, including the European Union, have adopted a six-month reporting model.

The report notes that:

Financial markets expert Hanan Ramses told Sky News Arabia’s Economy site that there is a clear plan followed by the US administration under President Trump, based on regulating trading operations and reducing the number of laws that hinder investment, while working to curtail some legislation that complicates procedures for companies, whether those listed on stock exchanges or traded, without compromising the principle of protecting shareholder rights.

She emphasized that “the US administration is notably seeking to ease regulatory burdens and reassess unified trading surveillance systems to develop more flexible plans that reduce complexities while ensuring investor protection, encouraging innovation, and improving financial market efficiency.”

Ramses noted that “the measures taken by the US Securities Markets Commission mainly target trading flexibility, speeding up investment deal completion, and activating financial markets as one of the most important gateways attracting investments, business, and innovation within the United States.”

She added that “these policies enhance the role of financial markets as a safe investment alternative, facilitate foreign investment inflows and outflows, give innovators greater opportunities to participate in market development, and encourage family businesses to pursue rapid stock exchange listing for the benefits it provides in increasing market capitalization and efficiency.”

She confirmed that “the US stock exchange is the largest and most advanced globally, hosting the latest investment systems and the largest number of investors locally and internationally, which strengthens its role as a fundamental investment and financing tool and a mechanism for asset revaluation through public offerings.”

From London, Tariq Al-Rifai, CEO of Corum Center, told Sky News Arabia’s Economy site:

Al-Rifai pointed out that the goal of these steps is “to enhance innovation and increase IPO activity, making US markets more competitive.”

He also explained that proposals related to cryptocurrencies have become clearer, providing more transparent pathways for product listings in public markets.

He continued: “The commission is also updating digital asset custody rules, along with adopting less restrictive listing and disclosure requirements for investment companies.”

He added that this approach will “support public listings, attract institutional and individual investments, and drive innovation and activity.”

He confirmed that some short-term volatility may appear as participants adjust to the new rules, “but in the long term, these reforms will enhance capital formation and broaden access to private investment opportunities.”