Wall Street’s top regulator extended its authority into new corners of the financial industry on 6 February, adopting rules targeting firms that are among the most active buyers and sellers of US government bonds and stocks.

The Securities and Exchange Commission will now require dozens of firms, including high-speed traders and hedge funds, to face new capital requirements, register their activities and report more information on their transactions. The changes resulted from the SEC’s 3-2 vote to broaden its definition of what it considers to be a securities “dealer.”