SEC's Cox says agency probing 12 CDO matters

WASHINGTON, June 26 (Reuters) - The head of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission told lawmakers on Tuesday that the agency has opened 12 enforcement investigations into matters surrounding collateralized debt obligations.

"There is now a commonality of interest between banking regulators and securities regulators when it comes to safety and soundness" issues, SEC Chairman Christopher Cox said in response to a question from a member of the House Financial Services Committee during a hearing.

A collateralized debt obligation or CDO is a security backed by a pool of loans or other fixed income securities.

Cox did not identify the names of any companies involved in the investigations or elaborate on the nature of the probes.