Household HSBC Watch

According to critics, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act has caused a litany of ills: Executives are retiring early, public companies are going private, foreign firms are listing abroad and U.S. firms are losing their competitive edge. The sweeping law, written in the wake of the Enron scandal, has served as a scapegoat for all the evils facing corporate America since it was passed in 2002.

Starting Saturday, however, the law’s foes will have one less reason to complain. Foreign companies listed on U.S. exchanges must start complying with Sarbanes-Oxley beginning with fiscal years ending after July 15, if their market capitalization exceeds $75 million. Toyota Motor, Sony, HSBC, BP and hundreds of other companies that previously escaped the law will now be forced to comply. That’s good news for U.S. companies, which can now compete on a more level playing field.