Traders and research analysts across London are flouting conflict of interest policies by trading in personal accounts despite numerous attempts to ban such behavior. The City of London’s top regulator warned Friday of a government crackdown on firms that fail to stop staff spread-betting on their employers’ shares, dealing securities in conflict with their own buy and sell recommendations and copying client trades. The Financial Conduct Authority said even compliance and surveillance staff have “deliberately” not declared external accounts to their employers and circumvented policies by trading using relatives’ ... (full story)