The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the top U.S. financial regulator, said Friday that it is reviewing recent trading volatility that led to the rise of GameStop, AMC, and others. The agency said it would protect retail investors and promised to investigate actions taken by hedge funds and brokerages that might “disadvantage investors or otherwise unduly inhibit their ability to trade certain securities.” “We will act to protect retail investors when the facts demonstrate abusive or manipulative trading activity that is prohibited by the federal securities laws,” the SEC said in a news release. “The Commission is working closely with our regulatory partners, both across the government and at FINRA and other self-regulatory organizations, including the stock exchanges, to ensure that regulated entities uphold their obligations to protect investors and to identify and pursue potential wrongdoing,” the regulator added. FIRNA refers to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. As of Friday, GameStop …