For calendar 2017, Securities Class Action Services LLC (“SCAS”) recorded 162 approved securities class action settlements, two of which are included in SCAS’ Top 100, which charts the largest U.S. class action settlements since passage of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Collectively, 2017 delivered $2.1 billion in settlement funds for distribution. While the volume of settlements greater than $100 million was low, new cases filed in 2017 were significantly higher than the previous year. Underscoring the year-to-year ebb and flow in the value of U.S. class action settlements, a sizeable $3.5 billion in prospective settlement funds has thus far been announced in 2018 and awaits court approval. One settlement announced in early 2018 ranks within the top five of all time, pending approval of the settlement.