Brief Fact Summary. Petitioner traded on confidential information acquired during his work at a financial printer regarding the possible takeover of a corporation without first disclosing this information to the public.
Synopsis of Rule of Law. A duty to disclose arises under section 10b under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 when there is a relationship of trust and confidence between the transacting parties.
Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act prohibits the use in connection with the purchase or sale of any security of any manipulative or deceptive device or contrivance in contravention of such rules and regulations as the Commission may prescribe.
View Full Point of LawIssue. Whether a person who learns about a corporation’s plan to takeover a target corporation through confidential papers discovered while working at a financial printer violates Section:10b if he fails to disclose the impending takeover before trading in the target company’s securities?
Held. No. Silence does not amount to fraud under Section:10(b) if there is not a duty to disclose based on a confidential relationship between the transacting parties. The Court of Appeals decision is reversed.
Dissents.
The language of Rule 10b-5 and Section:10b encompasses the principle that a person has an absolute duty to disclose misappropriated nonpublic information or to refrain from trading if he does not disclose.
Petitioner’s conduct was fraudulent under the meaning of Section:10(b) and Rule 10b-5 because he wrongfully acquired confidential information and participated in manipulative trading based on it.
Discussion. Silence in connection with the purchase or sale of securities is actionable as fraud under Section:10(b) if there is a duty to disclose such information arising from a relationship of trust and confidence between parties to a transaction. Here, Petitioner did not have a duty to disclose because he had no special confidential relationship with the transacting parties.