Mock Exam 1 Flashcards
CFA Institute’s Professional Conduct Program (PCP):
Optional for members to accept or reject: Members can accept or reject a disciplinary sanction proposed by the Professional Conduct Program staff. (If the member rejects the sanction, the matter is referred to a hearing before a disciplinary review panel of CFA Institute members. The other statements are accurate.) ( Module 70.1, LOS 70.a)
- Possible sanctions include condemnation by a member’s peers or suspension of a candidate’s participation in the CFA Program.
- Members who cooperate with a PCP inquiry by providing confidential client information to PCP staff are not in violation of Standard III(E) Preservation of Confidentiality.
Robert Miguel, CFA, is a portfolio manager. On Saturday, one of his clients invited Miguel and his wife to be his guests at his luxury suite for a major league baseball playoff game, which they did. Miguel told his supervisor on Monday that they had attended the game with the client and that the suite was luxurious. Miguel has:
Important*
In this case, Miguel has not violated the standards. For a gift from a client in appreciation of past service or performance, informing his supervisor verbally is sufficient. Standard I(B) Independence and Objectivity requires disclosure prior to accepting the gift “when possible,” but in cases such as this when there is short notice, notification afterward is permitted.
(Module 73.1, LOS 73.b)
At his golf club on Saturday morning, Paul Corwin, CFA, sees Frank Roberts, a friend and institutional client of his, who tells him that he is planning to sell his house on the 7th fairway. While golfing that day, Corwin tells Robert Lowe, a realtor, that Roberts is planning to sell his house and may need a realtor. He also tells Lowe that he manages an equities account for Roberts. If Corwin has not received permission from Roberts, he has violated the Standard on preservation of confidentiality:
Answer: by disclosing that Roberts is a client of his but not by mentioning Roberts’ plan to sell his home.
Corwin violated Standard III(E) Preservation of Confidentiality by revealing his business relationship with Roberts without permission. Because the information that Roberts’ plans to sell his home is not received as part of his professional relationship with Roberts, it is not covered by the Standard.
(Module 73.1, LOS 73.b)
Doug Watson, CFA, serves in a sales position at Sommerset Brokerage, a registered investment adviser. Watson frequently drinks excessively. On one occasion, Watson was cited by local police for misdemeanor public intoxication. According to the Standard on knowledge of the law and the Standard on misconduct, Watson is in violation of:
“Only work with the information provided; don’t make assumptions.”
“Did he violated any rules that apply to his professional activity?” Answer: no
Watson’s excessive drinking is unfortunate, but we have no evidence that it has affected his work, professional integrity, judgment, or reputation. If he commits an act involving fraud or dishonesty, he would violate the Standard on misconduct.
(Module 73.1, LOS 73.b)
Peter Taylor, a CFA charterholder and a food industry analyst for a large investment firm, has been invited by Sweet Pineapple Co. to visit the firm’s processing plants in Hawaii. The Standard concerning independence and objectivity recommends that Taylor:
The recommended procedures for compliance with Standard I(B) Independence and Objectivity include the recommendation that analysts on company visits pay their own travel expenses and use commercial transportation if it is available.
(Module 73.1, LOS 73.b)
Ruth Brett, a Level I CFA candidate, feels nervous and unprepared the night before the exam. Brett writes a few key notes on the bottom of her shoe. At the exam, Brett sees the large number of proctors present and decides not to risk getting caught and does not look at her shoe. According to the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, Brett is:
Brett violated both the Code of Ethics and Standard VII(A) Conduct as Participants in CFA Institute Programs. By writing down information from the Candidate Body of Knowledge and taking it into the exam room, she compromised the integrity of the exam, whether she used the notes or not. Her actions are also in violation of the Code of Ethics by not acting “with integrity, competence, diligence, respect, and in an ethical manner.”
(Module 73.1, LOS 73.b)
Which of the following is least likely included in the CFA Institute Code of Ethics? Members of CFA Institute must:
Answer: place their clients’ interests before their employer’s interests. (the statement is true but it is not included in the Code of Ethics)
place their clients’ interests before their employer’s interests and use reasonable care and exercise independent professional judgment.
are included in the Code of Ethics. “Look for the work ‘professional’”
In formulating her report on GammaCorp’s common stock, Barb Kramer, CFA, did a complex series of statistical tests on the company’s past sales and earnings. Based on this statistical study, Kramer stated in her report that, “GammaCorp’s earnings growth for the next five years will average 15% per year.” Her conclusion was based in part on a regression analysis with a high level of statistical significance. Has Kramer violated the Standard on communication with clients and prospective clients?
Kramer violated Standard V(B) Communication with Clients and Prospective Clients. The problem is with the word “will.” Kramer should have used “is estimated to be” to separate fact from opinion. Statistical estimates of future events are subject to change and should not be presented as certainties. She doesn’t need to give complete details of the statistical model but should indicate its general characteristics and the important factors involved in her projections.
(Module 73.1, LOS 73.b)
Dudley Thompson is a bond salesman for a small broker/dealer in London. His firm is the lead underwriter on a new junk bond issue for Ibex Corporation, and Thompson has sent details of the offering to clients. Thompson calls only his accounts over £1,000,000 for whom he thinks the issue is suitable. Thompson also posts his firm’s optimistic projections for Ibex’s performance in several Internet chat rooms. According to the Standards concerning market manipulation and fair dealing, Thompson is in violation of:
There is no market manipulation because there wasn’t any misleading information.
He didn’t violated fair dealing because he send the details to all the client. However, called only the suitable ones. ‘fairly doesn’t mean equally’.
Thompson has not violated Standard II(B) Market Manipulation by posting his firm’s projections for Ibex. A firm’s recommendation of a security may increase its price without any intent to mislead the market. The firm has disseminated the details of the offering to its clients fairly, so Thompson may call individual clients without violating the Standard III(B) Fair Dealing.
(Module 73.1, LOS 73.b)
Rob Elliott, CFA, is an analyst with a large asset management firm. His personal portfolio includes a large amount of common stock of Tech Inc., a semiconductor company, which his firm does not currently follow. The director of the research department has asked Elliott to analyze Tech and write a report about its investment potential. Based on the CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct, the most appropriate course of action for Elliot is to:
The analyst would decline to write the report but simply disclosing is enough.
According to Standard VI(A) Disclosure of Conflicts, Elliott should disclose his beneficial ownership of Tech to his employer and to clients and prospects because such ownership could interfere with his ability to make unbiased and objective recommendations. Selling his shares and declining to write the report are not required and are more extreme than simply disclosing the potential conflict.
(Module 73.1, LOS 73.b)
According to the recommended procedures for complying with the Standard on suitability, which of the following statements regarding an investment policy statement (IPS) is least accurate?
Frequency of the IPS update.
Standard III(C) Suitability requires that members and candidates update client information (the IPS) at least annually. The IPS can be updated more frequently if there are significant changes in the investment strategy or client characteristics.
(Module 73.1, LOS 73.b)
According to the Standard related to loyalty, prudence, and care, which of the following statements regarding the voting of proxies on client holdings is least accurate?
Answer: An investment management firm should vote all proxies on client holdings unless the client reserves that right. ‘The problem with the statement is the world “all”. The manager will only vote all proxies after running the cost benefit analysis.’
Standard III(A) Loyalty, Prudence, and Care does not require the voting of all proxies. A cost-benefit analysis may support the conclusion that the voting of all proxies is not beneficial to the client in light of the time and effort required. Voting on nonroutine issues that have a material impact is required.
According to the Code and Standards, members and candidates who are involved in distributing an initial public offering (IPO) of equity shares and wish to participate in the IPO:
Standard VI(B) Priority of Transactions recommends, but does not require, that a member or candidate obtain pre-clearance from his or her supervisor before participating in an equity IPO. Guidance for Standard III(B) Fair Dealing states that members and candidates distributing IPO shares must distribute shares in an oversubscribed IPO to clients and may not withhold shares for themselves. (Module 71.8, LOS 71.b)
Priority of transactions: 1. Client; 2. Employer; 3. Candidate
Oversubscribed: more demand for the IPO than what it is available
Member should obtain pre-clearance but it is not mandatory.
If there is a conflict of interest, the member shouldn’t participate in the IPO. However, their involvement will not create conflict of interest in the first place.
Linda Bryant, CFA, is an employee of Roomkin Investment House, which underwrites equity and debt offerings. She has been approached by SimthCo to consult on a private debt placement. According to CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct, before Bryant agrees to accept this job, she is required to:
To comply with Standard IV(B) Additional Compensation Arrangements, Bryant must obtain written consent from her employer before undertaking the independent consulting project. Bryant must also provide a description of the types of services being provided, the length of time the arrangement will last, and the compensation she expects to receive for her services. (Module 71.6, LOS 71.b)
Amy Brooks, a Level III CFA candidate, has been given supervisory responsibilities. In carrying out her responsibilities, Brooks has discovered that the firm’s compliance system is inadequate. She informed her supervisor, who is not supportive of Brooks’s efforts to correct the situation. According to CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct, Brooks:
Standard IV(C) Responsibilities of Supervisors indicates that a member should decline supervisory responsibility in writing until the firm adopts reasonable compliance procedures. Otherwise, Brooks cannot adequately exercise her responsibility. (Module 71.6, LOS 71.b)
She doesn’t need to dissociate herself from the firm.
Excluding the results of terminated accounts when calculating historical performance is recommended by:
Standard III(D) Performance Presentation recommends that terminated accounts be included in historical performance calculations. (Module 72.1, LOS 72.c)
Derek Stevens, CFA, manages the pension plan assets of Colors, Inc. When voting proxies for plan equities, Stevens owes a fiduciary duty to:
Under Standard III(A) Loyalty, Prudence, and Care, the fiduciary duty in this case is to plan participants and beneficiaries, not shareholders or plan trustees. (Module 71.4, LOS 71.b). it is not the plan trustees who hired him.
‘Who is the client?’
An analyst at Romer changes her rating on TelSky from “buy” to “hold” and sends an email explaining the change to all clients and firm brokers. Subsequently, Paul Stevens, CFA, a broker at Romer, receives a call from a client who wants to buy 15,000 shares of TelSky. Stevens must:
According to Standard III(B) Fair Dealing, if a client places an order that goes against the firm’s recommendation for that security, members and candidates should inform the client of the discrepancy between the order and the firm’s recommendation before accepting the order. ( Module 71.4, LOS 71.b)
Greg Hoffman, CFA, has been offered a cash payment by Hill Manufacturing, Inc. to write a research report on their company. According to the Code and Standards, Hoffman:
Standard I(B) Independence and Objectivity requires disclosure of the nature of any compensation from the subject company. Standard VI(A) Disclosure of Conflicts more generally requires disclosure of any potential conflict of interest in research reports and investment recommendations. (Module 71.8, LOS 71.b)
Shan Ang, CFA, is a portfolio manager at Huang Investments. Lian Jan, an old friend of Ang’s, is an executive recruiter in the same city. Jan proposes that she will refer any high-level executives that she places locally to Ang, in exchange for one round of golf at Ang’s country club for each new client. According to the Standard concerning referral fees, Ang would be required to disclose this referral arrangement:
The rule is that the manager has to disclose the referral fee information to the stakeholders as appropriate.
Standard VI(C) Referral Fees states that members and candidates must disclose to employers and to affected prospects and clients, before entering into any formal agreement for services, any benefits received for the recommendation of services provided by the member. (Module 71.8, LOS 71.b)
Which of the following statements about a United States public corporation’s annual reports, SEC filings, and press releases is most accurate?
Besides the annual SEC filings, an analyst should examine a company’s quarterly or semiannual filings. These interim filings typically update the major financial statements and footnotes, but are not necessarily audited. Annual reports to shareholders and press releases are written by management and are often viewed as public relations or sales materials. (Module 16.2, LOS 16.e)
Annual and quarterly SEC filings should but not must have to be audited.
Incorrect: Annual reports to shareholders are typically the most factual and objective source of information about a company. (not always objective)
Which of the following is most likely a motivation for a company’s management to issue low-quality financial reports?
Motivation vs Opportunity
Meeting or exceeding its own earnings guidance is a possible motivation for management to issue low-quality financial reports. Inadequate board oversight and wide ranges of acceptable accounting treatments are more appropriately viewed as opportunities for issuing low-quality financial reports. (Module 26.1, LOS 26.e)
Haltata Turf & Sod currently uses the first in, first out (FIFO) method to account for inventory. Due to significant tax-loss carryforwards, the company has an effective tax rate of zero. Prices are rising and inventory quantities are stable. If the company were to use last in, first out (LIFO) instead of FIFO:
In the absence of taxes, there is no difference in cash flow between LIFO and FIFO. In addition, using LIFO would result in lower working capital (inventory is lower). Using LIFO would result in lower net income because of a lower gross margin (cost of goods sold is higher). (Module 22.5, LOS 22.l)
The converged standards identify a five-step process1 for recognizing revenue:
1 Identify the contract(s) with a customer.
2 Identify the separate or distinct performance obligations in the contract.
3 Determine the transaction price.
4 Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract.
5 Recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation.