According to a new “pulse poll ” from the Center for Audit Quality (CAQ), data security, regulatory oversight, and longevity are the most important factors behind rising investor confidence levels in U.S. stock exchanges.

The SEC's Conflict Minerals Rule, Exchange Act Rule 13p-1 and Form SD, which was adopted under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, has been controversial throughout its short history due to questions of business materiality and the costly due diligence requirements of the rule itself.