Ticked off with the uptick rule

Less than three years after voting to scrap short sale price tests, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has reversed course, announcing in February it would impose an alternative uptick regulation before the end of the year. The new rule is designed to restrict short sellers from driving down the value of a stock that has already fallen below a certain level, thus building investor confidence and promoting market efficiency.

But some market participants question whether the regulatio