Question 1 Christopher Lance, CFA, and Chuck Cunningham, a Level 3 candidate, meet for dinner every month at Cunningham’s country club. Lance’s current job is Vice President, Investor Relations, at IMed where he is the principal spokesperson on the company’s financial performance. Cunningham is a research analyst who covers the pharmaceutical industry, including IMed. Lance and Cunningham meet for their regular monthly dinner, where Cunningham asks Lance if IMed will meet or beat analyst expectations and the consensus earnings forecast for the most recent quarter. Lance responds that, under current securities laws, he is unable to discuss details of IMed’s performance with Cunningham and that Cunningham will be briefed with the other analysts and shareholders on the next conference call. Which of the following Standards most likely governs Lance’s response to Cunningham’s question, and is Lance in compliance? Standard Compliance A) VII: Responsibilities as a CFA Institute Member or CFA Candidate Yes B) I: Professionalism Yes C) III: Duties to Clients No D) V: Investment Analysis, Recommendations, and Action No Question 2 Alvin Mell, CFA, is an investment advisor whose clients include Jack Allen, a famous professional athlete. Allen permits Mell to tell prospective clients that he is one of Mell’s clients, in exchange for reducing Allen’s management fee. In a meeting with a new prospect, Mell states, “I can’t promise you ahead of time how your investments will perform, but I was able to earn a 15% after-tax return for Jack Allen last year.” Mell has: A) violated Standard I(C) – Misrepresentation. B) violated Standard III(E) – Preservation of Confidentiality. C) violated both Standard I(C) – Misrepresentation and Standard III(E) – Preservation of Confidentiality. D) not violated the Standards.
Question 3 A CFA Institute member, undertaking independent practice that could result in compensation or other benefit: A) must notify his employer and clients of the types of service to be rendered and the expected compensation. B) must notify the entities for whom he plans to undertake independent practice of the compensation he receives from his employer. C) may engage in independent practice without notifying his employer. D) must notify his employer of the types of service to be rendered, the expected duration, and the expected compensation.
Question 4 Which of the following actions most likely violates Standard II(B) – Market Manipulation? A) Entering an order to buy a large block of a thinly-traded stock whenever its price falls below $10. B) Selling a security and repurchasing it immediately to change its cost basis for taxation. C) Waiting for a down day in the market to release a ratings downgrade to maximize its impact on a stock’s price. D) Posting a company’s unexpectedly weak earnings report and negative comments to an Internet forum that is frequently visited by stock investors.
Question 5 Millie Walker, CFA, established an aggressive growth portfolio for her client, Jesse Wilmer, over three years ago. Wilmer was placed on Walker’s employer’s client mailing list, and received monthly account statements and the firm’s newsletter, which regularly informed clients that they should contact their account representative with any change in their personal circumstances or investment objectives. As of January, of this year, Walker had not spoken to Wilmer nor received any correspondence from Wilmer since the account was established. Walker has: A) not violated the Code and Standards because there has been regular correspondence from Walker's firm to Wilmer. B) not violated the Code and Standards because Wilmer has been reminded regularly about the opportunity to inform Walker about any changes. C) violated the Code and Standards because the manager has not performed an update of Wilmer's financial situation and investment objectives. D) not violated the Code and Standards because there is no requirement for ongoing communication between client and portfolio manager.
|