Stifel Nicolaus & Company
Investment Fraud Attorneys Help You Claim What Is Yours
Stifel Nicolaus is a full-service brokerage firm that provides securities
brokerage, investment banking, trading, investment advisory services,
and related financial services to individuals, professional money managers,
businesses, and municipalities. Founded in 1890, Stifel Nicolaus is a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Stifel Financial Corp and a member of the New
York Stock Exchange. In 2009, Stifel Nicolas acquired 56 offices from
UBS Financial Services, Inc. With its global headquarters located in St.
Louis, Missouri, Stifel Nicolaus now has over 1,800 financial advisors
located in 272 branch offices throughout the United States.
According to regulations set by the
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Stifel Nicolaus & Company is wholly responsible for overseeing
each of their 1,800 representatives by providing systems of supervision.
These systems should be designed to prevent unethical or negligent actions
by the firm’s brokers. If a Stifel Nicolaus broker causes significant
losses for an investor because of violations, negligence, or recommendations
counter to the investor’s interests,
Stifel Nicolaus can be held legally liable to repay the damages caused
by their broker.
Increasing Sloppiness and Fraud at Stifel Nicolaus
Within the last 10 years, Stifel Nicolaus & Company has been the subject
of a large number of disciplinary or regulatory actions. Most of the 105
regulatory actions were the result of customer complaints about brokers,
which alone is a red flag for potential investors. Below are some of the
recent actions taken against Stifel Nicolaus and their representatives.
Inaccurate Reporting
As recently as June 2015, Stifel Nicolaus was fined for inaccurate trade
reporting. Sloppy recordkeeping can at best be a result of incompetence
and apathetic supervision, and at worst a sign of dishonest trading. This
high level of regulatory activity in the last three years is deeply unusual,
and may speak to a larger problem within the century-old firm.
Lack of Due Diligence
In early 2014, the historic investment firm paid nearly half a million
to clients who suffered losses because they were sold products that brokers
at Stifel Nicolaus had not sufficiently researched. Brokers are legally
required to only sell products and investments that they have thoroughly
investigated.
Lack of investigation can cause a great deal of loss to investors, deteriorate trust between brokers and clients, and can reveal a culture
of dishonest research.
Selling Risky Penny Stocks
FINRA fined the firm $300,000 for selling high-risk penny stocks to clients,
of which 27 were later suspended by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Stifel Nicolaus reportedly made over $300 million from the sales while
exposing investors to incredible, preventable risk due to their lack of anti-laundering measures.
Helping Those Victimized By Investment Fraud
If you trade through Stifel Nicolaus & Company, it is highly likely
that you have suffered preventable losses as a result of their loosening
standards. Meyer Wilson investment lawyers fight for the victims of fraud
and negligence.
Our firm recovered $350 million for our clients, and our work will continue with equal dedication and aggression. Let
our attorneys help you hold large investment firms responsible for their
actions. We practice nationwide in state and federal court, as well as
in arbitration with FINRA and the American Arbitration Association.
Meyer Wilson is dedicated to recovering the losses that are owed to victims
of investment fraud. Reclaim what is yours today. Contact us for a
free case evaluation.