CPIC and MFA Say Financial Problems Not Related To Short Selling Rules

The Managed Funds Association (MFA) and the Coalition of Private Investment Companies (CPIC) called on SEC Chairman Christopher Cox in a letter to not extend the emergency order on short selling beyond the announced expiration date.

"While we recognize that the financial sector is undergoing an extraordinarily difficult period," Richard H. Baker, MFA President and CEO, said, "we believe that these difficulties are the result of poor fundamental conditions and not a mysterious conspiracy or, more to the point, the inadequacy of current rules related to short selling."

"Such action would severely burden short selling activity, which the SEC itself repeatedly has acknowledged plays a vital role in the stability of securities markets." James S. Chanos, CPIC Chairman said, "Restrictions on short sales distort the fundamentals that drive market prices and are, in the long run, counter-productive because they remove liquidity and healthy skepticism from the marketplace."

The current expiration date is 11:59 pm on July 29, 2008.

CPIC is a coalition of private investment companies whose members and associates are diverse in both size and investment strategies managing or advising an aggregate of over $100 billion in assets.

MFA members represent the majority of the largest hedge fund groups in the world who manage a substantial portion of the approximately $2 trillion invested in absolute return strategies. MFA is headquartered in Washington, DC, with an office in New York.