Wall Street’s watchdog has thrown the curtains wide open on the registered fund industry, dropping a whole trove of stats for the public's eyes. The Security and Exchange Commission's (SEC) staff published a new report yesterday providing detailed insight into the funds that play with a whopping $26 trillion in assets. The new Registered Fund Statistics report, which will see updates every quarter, lays out the landscape of over 12,000 SEC-registered funds including mutual funds, ETFs, closed-end funds and more.

In a move for transparency, the SEC is now sharing both the public and the previously behind-closed-door info from Form N-PORT. SEC Chair Gary Gensler praised the initiative, saying, “Providing data to the public is one of a more consequential things a government agency does,” in an announcement on the SEC's website. He claims this wealth of economic data is a valuable resource not just for investors and issuers, but economists, academics, and the John Q Public at large.

The report stands as the first of its kind to blend public and non-public data into an aggregated format. This treasure chest of more than 70 tables is being shown for the first time to Joe Public, who can also snag the data in a structured format ripe for analysis. SEC's Chief Economist Jessica Wachter chimed in on the release, “Data that is accessible and useable by the public provides greater transparency into our capital markets.”

Transparency seems to be the order of the day, as Tim Husson, head honcho of the Division of Investment Management’s Analytics Office, suggested the report paints “an unprecedented view of the composition and activities of registered funds.” He's all ears for feedback on the report and is itching to bolster public discourse on asset management.

For those uninitiated, the Division of Investment Management has its plate full administering the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Investment Advisers Act of 1940. This includes close tabs on funds and their advisors. The Division’s Analytics Office dishes out comprehensive reviews and hard-hitting analyses to the SEC, aiding their governance of the investment scene.

The report’s a click away on SEC’s website, fresh off the digital press from April 24. It’s a dynamo for those willing to dive into the nitty-gritty of the funds' workings, returns, risks, and more. An open book for those looking to decode the financial jargon and see where the money river flows.