CFA CFA Level 1 CFA Level 1 Question of the Week – Ethical and Professional Standards

CFA Level 1 Question of the Week – Ethical and Professional Standards

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    • Avatar of Matt_AnalystPrepMatt_AnalystPrep
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        • CFA Charterholder
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        Ella Lawson is the chief executive at Rome Bank,
        a commercial banking enterprise. On
        behalf of the bank, Rome will be
        providing funding to a manufacturing
        enterprise seeking to expand its operations. During her visit to the manufacturer’s factory, Lawson overhears
        two employees on the production floor discussing
        the likelihood of their employer’s inability to carry out expansion. Lawson
        holds shares of the enterprise and decides to sell her holding and reject providing financial support. Lawson is
        most likely in violation of the CFA Institute Standard of Professional Conduct relating to:

        • A. Loyalty, prudence, and care.
        • B. Diligence and reasonable basis.
        • C. Material, nonpublic information.
      • Avatar of mincemeat23mincemeat23
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          Shouldn’t it be ‘On behalf of the bank, LAWSON will be providing…’?

        • Avatar of Matt_AnalystPrepMatt_AnalystPrep
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            Shouldn’t it be ‘On behalf of the bank, LAWSON will be providing…’?

            You are right! We could also just delete “On behalf of the bank”. We try to change a few things here and there not to have the same material as in our question bank, but some mistakes might occur. Thank you for pointing out the issue and good luck with the exam!

          • Avatar of Matt_AnalystPrepMatt_AnalystPrep
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              The correct answer is B. 

              Lawson is in violation of the standard relating to diligence and
              reasonable basis. This is because the discussion between the two production
              employees and any information shared is
              not credible enough to base her investment decision on. Given that these
              individuals lack seniority, it is less likely they have access to confidential information. Therefore basing
              her financing and share disposal decisions on information, which is not
              credible will result in a decision, which lacks a reasonable and adequate
              basis. Lawson is not in violation of the standard concerning material nonpublic
              information. The specificity of the information, the extent of its difference
              from public information, its nature, and its reliability are key factors in
              determining whether a particular piece of information is material; the less
              reliable information is, the less likely it is to be material. As discussed
              above, the fact that the production employees are discussing a strategic issue whose
              likelihood of occurrence is uncertain makes the information nonmaterial.

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