The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday, Feb. 17, edition that Manulife Securities alerted Quebec's Autorite des marches financiers (AMF) last summer that a group of its brokers were actively investing in Amaya stock ahead of a takeover. The Globe's Jacquie McNish writes that unnamed sources say an internal Manulife investigation revealed about a dozen of its brokers or family members had purchased Amaya stock or options in the months before the takeover agreement was struck in June. Sources say Manulife advised the AMF about the unusual trading shortly after Amaya announced on June 12 it was buying PokerStars. Sources say the brokers are closely connected by family ties to the Lebanese community in Montreal and account for about a quarter of the investment advisers at a Manulife branch in Dorval. The brokers are still employed at the branch and there is no allegation of any wrongdoing. Manulife's report is believed to have prompted the AMF to launch an investigation into trading in Amaya stock ahead of its PokerStars acquisition. In December, the AMF executed warrants to search the offices of Manulife's Dorval branch, Amaya and Canaccord Financial, the lead financial adviser on the takeover.