| Alba Vasquez allocates trades of hot new IPOs as follows: m*p/(p+s) shares to performance-based fee accounts, m*s/(p+s) shares to standard fee accounts, where there are p suitable performance based fee accounts, s suitable standard fee accounts, and m shares available. This action is:   
 
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|  | A) | permissible since it effectively amounts to a strict pro rata basis of allocation. |  |  
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|  | B) | not permissible since it effectively favors the performance-based fee accounts. |  |  
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|  | C) | not permissible since it is based upon a formula that is not inherently fair. |  |    |