Summary
A new study by Stanford Law School's Securities Class Action Clearinghouse and Cornerstone Research is cited in this Reuters article on the declining amount of securities class-action settlements in 2014.
The size of U.S. securities class-action settlements fell in 2014 to a 16-year low, as a decline in stock market volatility contributed to lower estimated losses, a new study shows.
Sixty-three settlements worth $1.07 billion won court approval in 2013, down from 66 settlements worth an inflation-adjusted $4.85 billion in 2013, according to the study released on Tuesday by Cornerstone Research and Stanford Law School.
No settlement in 2014 was worth more than $265 million, the study said.
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The peak years for settlements remain 2005 and 2006, when accords over collapses at WorldCom Inc and Enron Corp led to respective, inflation-adjusted overall settlement totals of $11.1 billion and $20.21 billion, Cornerstone said.