A research provider tracking short selling said there was a worldwide decline in the activity over the past year through the end of the first quarter of 2009 even as the Securities and Exchange Commission will review several proposals today to impose tighter restrictions on the strategy.

The Data Explorers Securities Lending Index Global 50 covers the securities lending loan base for the largest companies in the global securities lending market. If the Desli 50 falls, it means that more short positions are being closed than opened. A rising Desli 50 indicates more short positions are being opened than closed.