US regulator probes PIMCO ETF pricing

The US regulator is investigating how bond giant PIMCO prices its exchange-traded funds after it became concerned the group may have artificially inflated returns on one of Bill Gross' ETFs.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, officials from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) interviewed Bill Gross, founder and chief executive of PIMCO, along with other executives in an inquiry that has lasted several months. They wanted to establish whether the firm had artificially boosted the returns of the PIMCO Total Return fund, an ETF managed by Gross (pictured). Investigators are examining whether investors were given a misleading picture of the fund’s performance, and whether it bought investments at one price and then used a higher valuation when subseque...