More securities actions were filed in US federal courts last year than in 2012, according to a study by NERA Economic consulting .In 2013, 234 securities class actions were filed, compared to 213 filed the previous year. One hundred securities class actions settled in 2013, compared to 94 settlements in 2012 and the 127 average settlements per year in the period of 1996  to 2011. 

New highs

According to the research, average settlement amounts for "usual" securities class actions, (excluding settlements over $1 billion, merge objection settlements, and IPO laddering settlements) in 2013 broke prior records, reaching $55 million, an increase of 53 per cent  over 2012 and a 31 per cent  increase over the previous high in 2009. The information comes from the latest edition of  Recent Trends in Securities Class Action Litigation: 2013 Full-Year Review by Dr. Renzo Comolli and Svetlana Starykh.  Source: Nera