The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged S&P Global Ratings, a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) registered with the Commission, with violating conflict of interest rules designed to prevent sales and marketing considerations from influencing credit ratings. The SEC’s order finds that an issuer engaged S&P to rate a jumbo residential mortgage backed security transaction in July 2017. Over a five-day period in August 2017, S&P commercial employees—employees responsible for managing the relationship with the issuer—on several occasions attempted to pressure the S&P ... (full story)