By Alexander Osipovich

The Securities and Exchange Commission broke its silence on the volatility around GameStop and similar shares with a terse statement released after markets closed on Wednesday.

"We are aware of and actively monitoring the on-going market volatility in the options and equities markets and, consistent with our mission to protect investors and maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, we are working with our fellow regulators to assess the situation and review the activities of regulated entities, financial intermediaries, and other market participants," said the statement from SEC Acting Chair Allison Herren Lee and two top staffers in charge of overseeing markets and protecting investors.

Some traders and analysts have questioned whether the SEC would take action to halt runaway volatility in stocks targeted by users of Reddit's popular WallStreetBets forum, who have apparently banded together to fuel huge run-ups in their share prices.

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

01-27-21 1731ET