Conflict Minerals: What the SEC Filings Show

Unless you are one of the few readers of this blog who are blissfully unaware of the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) conflict minerals rule, you probably also know that the first-year filing deadline was June 2. The rule, which requires SEC-filing companies that manufacture or contract to manufacture products to investigate whether those products contain tin, tungsten, tantalum, or gold and, if so, to submit a special form to the SEC, has been the subject of numerous articles and analyses, not to mention lawsuits and high drama. Now that close to 1,300 forms have been filed and made available on the SEC's EDGAR website, it is a good time to take a look at what the filings reveal and what lessons can be learned from this first phase of conflict minerals compliance. Read more.