bapswarrior

Joan Platt, CFA, operates an investment advisory service in New York but maintains an office in Xania. Xania recently established a stock market, which is not very efficient. None of the Xanian stocks trade in the U.S. market. Xania legally permits the use of material inside information. Platt believes that using inside information would help her compete against other Xanian investment advisors and also help some of her Xanian clients reach their investment objectives. Platt is considering adopting local investment practices in Xania. According to CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct, Platt may:

A) use material inside information because Xania legally permits this practice.

B) use material inside information, but only after notifying CFA Institute.

C) not use material inside information.

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Because applicable law involving material inside information is less strict than the Code and Standards, Platt must adhere to the Code and Standards. Standard II(A) prohibits against use of material nonpublic information.

bapswarrior

Which of the following statements about the CFA Institute Code and Standards is most accurate? The Code and Standards:

A) do not require that members report legal violations to the appropriate governmental or regulatory organization.

B) require members to persuade the perpetrator to cease illegal activities.

C) prohibit members from accepting gifts that create a conflict with their employer's interest.

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The Code and Standards do not require members to report violations to legal authorities, but such disclosure may be prudent or required in certain circumstances. They do not require members to quit their jobs or to persuade violators to cease illegal activities. They do require that members report the activities to the appropriate person(s) in their own firm and disassociate themselves from the illegal actions. Members must obtain written permission to accept gifts that create a conflict with their employer's interest.

bapswarrior

Robe Advisory Services operates an office in San Francisco, where it manages portfolios for its clients based in the United States. The firm also maintains an office in Tokyo, where it employs Sam Lee, CFA who researches Japanese stocks. According to the CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct, Lee is required to maintain knowledge of and comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations in:

A) both the U.S. and Japan, but not the CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct.

B) both the U.S. and Japan and the CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct.

C) Japan, but not the U.S., and the CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct.

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To abide by the Standards, employees who work for foreign-based firms are required to apply the stricter of the foreign (here, U.S.) law, the domestic (here, Japanese) law, or CFA Institute standards.

bapswarrior

Which of the following is a CORRECT statement of a member's duty under the Code and Standards?

A) A member who trades securities in a country with less strict laws, rules, regulations, or customs may follow those laws if he discloses this information to his client.

B) A member is required to comply only with applicable local laws, rules, regulations, or customs even though the CFA Institute code and Standards may impose a higher degree of responsibility or a higher duty on the member.

C) In the absence of specific applicable law or other regulatory requirements, the Code and Standards govern the member's actions.

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Members are always, at a minimum, subject to the Code and Standards.

bapswarrior

Mega Securities, a multinational investment advisor based in the United States, employs the following analysts who practice in multiple jurisdictions.

• Melissa Black, CFA, resides in Country N, which has no securities laws or regulations, but does business in Country L, which has securities laws and regulations that are less strict than the Code and Standards.
• Tom White, a CFA Institute member, resides in Country L, but does business in Country S, which has securities laws and regulations that are stricter than the Code and Standards.

According to the CFA Institute Code and Standards, which of the following statements about Black and White is CORRECT?

Black must adhere to the

White must adhere to the

A) Code and Standards law of Country S

B) law of Country L law of Country S

C) law of Country N law of Country L

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Because the applicable law in Country L is less strict than the Code and Standards, Black must adhere to the Code and Standards. Because the applicable law is stricter than the Code and Standards, White must adhere to the more strict applicable law of Country S.

bapswarrior

Andrea Waters is an investment analyst who has accumulated and analyzed several pieces of nonpublic information through her contacts with drug firms. Although no one piece of the information she collected is "material," Waters correctly concluded that the earnings of one of the drug companies would be unexpectedly high in the coming year. According to CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct, Waters:

A) can use the information to make investment recommendations and decisions.

B) cannot legally invest or make recommendations based on this information.

C) may use the information, but only after approval from a compliance officer or supervisor.

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Members who can piece together items of nonmaterial nonpublic information with public information can, based upon the mosaic theory, use such information for trading purposes.

bapswarrior

Regarding non-public information, which one of the following statements is NOT correct?

A) A member can be summarily suspended for having received material non-public information.

B) An analyst may use some types of non-public information.

C) Disclosing material non-public information would have an impact on the price of a security or be of interest to a reasonable investor.

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All of these are true except that a member can be suspended for having received material non-public information. The member can receive such information as part of their regular duties or by accident. Neither is punishable in and of itself, and penalties only apply if the member trades or causes others to trade on the information. The member may have certain duties, such as trying to disseminate the information after receiving it. An analyst may use nonmaterial non-public information.

bapswarrior

An analyst provides services for a charitable organization and in return gets free membership in the organization. Part of her job is to manage the liquid assets of the organization, and those assets include stocks. Her supervisor in the organization calls her and tells her to buy a certain stock for the portfolio based upon insider information from a board member in the organization. The analyst objects, but the supervisor says this is what they have always done and sees no reason for changing now. The analyst complies with the request. With respect to Standards IV(A), Loyalty to Employer, and II(A), Material Nonpublic Information, the analyst violated:

A) only Standard II(A) that prohibits insider trading.

B) both Standards IV(A) and II(A).

C) only Standard IV(A) requiring duty of loyalty.

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An employee/employer relationship does not necessarily mean monetary compensation for services. Complying with the request is a violation of II(A) which prohibits trading on insider information.  Standard IV(A) Loyalty deals with going into business for yourself, leaving an employer and continuing to act in the employer's best interest until their resignation becomes effective, and whistleblowing which means that the member's interests and their firm's interests are secondary to protecting the integrity of capital markets and the interests of the clients.

bapswarrior

Steve Waters, a CFA Level I candidate, has decided to enter into a long position of Farmco stock. Since Farmco is thinly traded, Waters is concerned the order will overwhelm the liquidity of Farmco and the price will surge. Waters engages in a series of block trades in order to accomplish the purchase. According to Standard II(B), Market Manipulation, Waters has engaged in:

A) transaction-based manipulation, but not information-based manipulation.

B) neither transaction-based manipulation nor information-based manipulation.

C) both transaction-based manipulation and information-based manipulation.

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Waters is not in violation of Standard II(B), Market Manipulation. Transaction-based manipulation includes, but is not limited to, transactions that artificially distort prices or volume. Information-based manipulation includes, but is not limited to, spreading false rumors about a firm in order to induce others to trade.

bapswarrior

Which of the following is a violation of Standard II(B), Market Manipulation?

A) Implementing a trading strategy to exploit differences in market power and information.

B) Engaging in a block trade to limit the effect on the price of a thinly traded security.

C) Overstating an earnings projection in order to increase the price of a stock.

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Standard II(B), Market Manipulation, is not intended to prohibit transactions that are done in order to minimize income taxes or trading strategies that are not intended to distort prices or artificially inflate trading volume. Overstating earnings projections in order to increase the price of a stock is a direct violation.