NYSE Regulation today announced disciplinary actions against a trio of high-profile Wall Street firms for a variety of rule violations.

The exchange sanctioned Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. for failing, on approximately 1,000 occasions, to prevent a former trader from making post-execution account designation changes in customer accounts without prior supervisory review and written approval. The firm consented, without admitting or denying guilt, to findings of books and records and supervision violations, among other things. The NYSE imposed the penalty of a censure and US$300,000 fine. Merrill Lynch consented to the penalty.

Additionally, Goldman, Sachs & Co. consented, without admitting or denying guilt, to findings of trading violations. It reports that from January 2002 through June 2005, certain traders in the firm’s Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities Division inadvertently mislabeled certain proprietary orders sent to the NYSE for execution. Also, from January 2006 through August 2007, certain proprietary orders in listed equity securities were inadvertently mislabeled due to a computer programming problem. The NYSE imposed a penalty of censure and US$225,000 fine. Goldman consented to the penalty.

Finally, Dresdner Kleinwort Securities, LLC was sanctioned for failing to submit required program trading data to the NYSE within the required time period. It also consented, without admitting or denying guilt, to findings of reporting violations and failing to supervise. The firm consented to a penalty of censure and a US$45,000 fine.