CFA CFA-Level-III Exam
CFA Level III Chartered Financial Analyst (Page 5 )

John Green, CFA, is a sell-side technology analyst at Federal Securities, a large global investment banking and advisory firm. In many of his recent conversations with executives at the firms he researches, Green has heard disturbing news. Most of these firms are lowering sales estimates for the coming year. However, the stock prices have been stable despite management's widely disseminated sales warnings. Green is preparing his quarterly industry analysis and decides to seek further input. He calls Alan Volk, CFA, a close friend who runs the Initial Public Offering section of the investment banking department of Federal Securities.
Volk tells Green he has seen no slowing of demand for technology IPOs. "We've got three new issues due out next week, and two of them are well oversubscribed." Green knows that Volk's department handled over 200 IPOs last year, so he is confident that Volk's opinion is reliable. Green prepares his industry report, which is favorable. Among other conclusions, the report states that "the future is still bright, based on the fact that 67% of technology IPOs are oversubscribed." Privately, Green recommends to Federal portfolio managers that they begin selling all existing technology issues, which have "stagnated," and buy the IPOs in their place.

After carefully evaluating Federal's largest institutional client's portfolio, Green contacts the client and recommends selling all of his existing technology stocks and buying two of the upcoming IPOs, similar to the recommendation given to Federal's portfolio managers. Green's research has allowed him to conclude that only these two IPOs would be appropriate for this particular client's portfolio. Investing in these IPOs and selling the current technology holdings would, according to Green, "double the returns that your portfolio experienced last year."

Federal Securities has recently hired Dirks Bentley, a CFA candidate who has passed Level 2 and is currently preparing to take the Level 3 CFA® exam, to reorganize Federal's compliance department. Bentley tells Green that he may be subject to CFA Institute sanctions due to inappropriate contact between analysts and investment bankers within Federal Securities. Bentley has recommended that Green implement a firewall to rectify the situation and has outlined the key characteristics for such a system. Bentley's suggestions are as follows:
1. Any communication between the departments of Federal Securities must be channeled through the compliance department for review and eventual delivery. The firm must create and maintain watch, restricted, and rumor lists to be used in the review of employee trading.
2. All beneficial ownership, whether direct or indirect, of recommended securities must be disclosed in writing.
3. The firm must increase the level of review or restriction of proprietary trading activities during periods in which the firm has knowledge of information that is both material and nonpublic.
Bentley has identified two of Green's analysts, neither of whom have non-compete contracts, who are preparing to leave Federal Securities and go into competition. The first employee, James Ybarra, CFA, has agreed to take a position with one of Federal's direct competitors. Ybarra has contacted existing Federal clients using a client list he created with public records. None of the contacted clients have agreed to move their accounts as Ybarra has requested. The second employee, Martha Cliff, CFA, has registered the name Cliff Investment Consulting (CIC), which she plans to use for her independent consulting business. For the new business venture, Cliff has developed and professionally printed marketing literature that compares the new firm's services to that of Federal Securities and highlights the significant cost savings that will be realized by switching to CIC. After she leaves Federal, Cliff plans to target many of the same prospects that Federal Securities is targeting, using an address list she purchased from a third-party vendor. Bentley decides to call a meeting with Green to discuss his findings.

After discussing the departing analysts. Green asks Bentley how to best handle the disclosure of the following items: (1) although not currently a board member. Green has served in the past on the board of directors of a company he researches and expects that he will do so again in the near future; and (2) Green recently inherited put options on a company for which he has an outstanding buy recommendation. Bentley is contemplating his response to Green.

According to CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct, which of the following statements related to Green's investment recommendation to the large institutional client is TRUE?

John Green, CFA, is a sell-side technology analyst at Federal Securities, a large global investment banking and advisory firm. In many of his recent conversations with executives at the firms he researches, Green has heard disturbing news. Most of these firms are lowering sales estimates for the coming year. However, the stock prices have been stable despite management's widely disseminated sales warnings. Green is preparing his quarterly industry analysis and decides to seek further input. He calls Alan Volk, CFA, a close friend who runs the Initial Public Offering section of the investment banking department of Federal Securities.

Volk tells Green he has seen no slowing of demand for technology IPOs. "We've got three new issues due out next week, and two of them are well oversubscribed." Green knows that Volk's department handled over 200 IPOs last year, so he is confident that Volk's opinion is reliable. Green prepares his industry report, which is favorable. Among other conclusions, the report states that "the future is still bright, based on the fact that 67% of technology IPOs are oversubscribed." Privately, Green recommends to Federal portfolio managers that they begin selling all existing technology issues, which have "stagnated," and buy the IPOs in their place.

After carefully evaluating Federal's largest institutional client's portfolio, Green contacts the client and recommends selling all of his existing technology stocks and buying two of the upcoming IPOs, similar to the recommendation given to Federal's portfolio managers. Green's research has allowed him to conclude that only these two IPOs would be appropriate for this particular client's portfolio. Investing in these IPOs and selling the current technology holdings would, according to Green, "double the returns that your portfolio experienced last year."

Federal Securities has recently hired Dirks Bentley, a CFA candidate who has passed Level 2 and is currently preparing to take the Level 3 CFA® exam, to reorganize Federal's compliance department. Bentley tells Green that he may be subject to CFA Institute sanctions due to inappropriate contact between analysts and investment bankers within Federal Securities. Bentley has recommended that Green implement a firewall to rectify the situation and has outlined the key characteristics for such a system. Bentley's suggestions are as follows:
1. Any communication between the departments of Federal Securities must be channeled through the compliance department for review and eventual delivery. The firm must create and maintain watch, restricted, and rumor lists to be used in the review of employee trading.
2. All beneficial ownership, whether direct or indirect, of recommended securities must be disclosed in writing.
3. The firm must increase the level of review or restriction of proprietary trading activities during periods in which the firm has knowledge of information that is both material and nonpublic.
Bentley has identified two of Green's analysts, neither of whom have non-compete contracts, who are preparing to leave Federal Securities and go into competition. The first employee, James Ybarra, CFA, has agreed to take a position with one of Federal's direct competitors. Ybarra has contacted existing Federal clients using a client list he created with public records. None of the contacted clients have agreed to move their accounts as Ybarra has requested. The second employee, Martha Cliff, CFA, has registered the name Cliff Investment Consulting (CIC), which she plans to use for her independent consulting business. For the new business venture, Cliff has developed and professionally printed marketing literature that compares the new firm's services to that of Federal Securities and highlights the significant cost savings that will be realized by switching to CIC. After she leaves Federal, Cliff plans to target many of the same prospects that Federal Securities is targeting, using an address list she purchased from a third-party vendor. Bentley decides to call a meeting with Green to discuss his findings.

After discussing the departing analysts. Green asks Bentley how to best handle the disclosure of the following items: (1) although not currently a board member. Green has served in the past on the board of directors of a company he researches and expects that he will do so again in the near future; and (2) Green recently inherited put options on a company for which he has an outstanding buy recommendation. Bentley is contemplating his response to Green.

According to CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct, which of the following statements regarding Green's recommendation to Federal Securities' clients is TRUE?

John Green, CFA, is a sell-side technology analyst at Federal Securities, a large global investment banking and advisory firm. In many of his recent conversations with executives at the firms he researches, Green has heard disturbing news. Most of these firms are lowering sales estimates for the coming year. However, the stock prices have been stable despite management's widely disseminated sales warnings. Green is preparing his quarterly industry analysis and decides to seek further input. He calls Alan Volk, CFA, a close friend who runs the Initial Public Offering section of the investment banking department of Federal Securities.

Volk tells Green he has seen no slowing of demand for technology IPOs. "We've got three new issues due out next week, and two of them are well oversubscribed." Green knows that Volk's department handled over 200 IPOs last year, so he is confident that Volk's opinion is reliable. Green prepares his industry report, which is favorable. Among other conclusions, the report states that "the future is still bright, based on the fact that 67% of technology IPOs are oversubscribed." Privately, Green recommends to Federal portfolio managers that they begin selling all existing technology issues, which have "stagnated," and buy the IPOs in their place.

After carefully evaluating Federal's largest institutional client's portfolio, Green contacts the client and recommends selling all of his existing technology stocks and buying two of the upcoming IPOs, similar to the recommendation given to Federal's portfolio managers. Green's research has allowed him to conclude that only these two IPOs would be appropriate for this particular client's portfolio. Investing in these IPOs and selling the current technology holdings would, according to Green, "double the returns that your portfolio experienced last year."

Federal Securities has recently hired Dirks Bentley, a CFA candidate who has passed Level 2 and is currently preparing to take the Level 3 CFA® exam, to reorganize Federal's compliance department. Bentley tells Green that he may be subject to CFA Institute sanctions due to inappropriate contact between analysts and investment bankers within Federal Securities. Bentley has recommended that Green implement a firewall to rectify the situation and has outlined the key characteristics for such a system. Bentley's suggestions are as follows:
1. Any communication between the departments of Federal Securities must be channeled through the compliance department for review and eventual delivery. The firm must create and maintain watch, restricted, and rumor lists to be used in the review of employee trading.
2. All beneficial ownership, whether direct or indirect, of recommended securities must be disclosed in writing.
3. The firm must increase the level of review or restriction of proprietary trading activities during periods in which the firm has knowledge of information that is both material and nonpublic.
Bentley has identified two of Green's analysts, neither of whom have non-compete contracts, who are preparing to leave Federal Securities and go into competition. The first employee, James Ybarra, CFA, has agreed to take a position with one of Federal's direct competitors. Ybarra has contacted existing Federal clients using a client list he created with public records. None of the contacted clients have agreed to move their accounts as Ybarra has requested. The second employee, Martha Cliff, CFA, has registered the name Cliff Investment Consulting (CIC), which she plans to use for her independent consulting business. For the new business venture, Cliff has developed and professionally printed marketing literature that compares the new firm's services to that of Federal Securities and highlights the significant cost savings that will be realized by switching to CIC. After she leaves Federal, Cliff plans to target many of the same prospects that Federal Securities is targeting, using an address list she purchased from a third-party vendor. Bentley decides to call a meeting with Green to discuss his findings.

After discussing the departing analysts. Green asks Bentley how to best handle the disclosure of the following items: (1) although not currently a board member. Green has served in the past on the board of directors of a company he researches and expects that he will do so again in the near future; and (2) Green recently inherited put options on a company for which he has an outstanding buy recommendation. Bentley is contemplating his response to Green.
According to Standard 11(A) Material Nonpublic Information, when Green contacted Volk, he:

Shirley Riley, CFA, has just been promoted, from vice president of trading to chief investment officer (CIO) at Crane & Associates, LLC (CA), a large investment management firm. Riley has been with CA for eight years, but she has much to learn as she assumes her new duties as CIO. Riley has decided to hire Denny Simpson, CFA, as the new compliance officer for CA, Riley and Simpson have been reviewing procedures and policies throughout the firm and have discovered several potential issues.

Communications with Clients
Portfolio managers are encouraged to communicate with clients on a regular basis. At a minimum, managers are expected to contact clients on a quarterly basis to review portfolio performance. Each client must have an investment policy statement (IPS) created when their account is opened, specifying the objectives and constraints for their portfolio. IPSs are reviewed at client request at any time. Any time market conditions dictate a change in the investment style or strategy of a client portfolio, the client is notified immediately by phone or email.

Employee Incentive Program
CA offers several incentive programs to employees. One of the most popular of these programs is the CA IPO program. Whenever CA is involved in an initial public offering (IPO), portfolio managers are allowed to participate. The structure is simple—for every 100 shares purchased on behalf of a client, the manager is awarded five shares for his own account. The manager is thus rewarded for getting an IPO sold and at the same time is able to share in the results of the IPO. Any¬time shares are remaining 72 hours before the IPO goes public, other employees are allowed to participate on a first-come, first-serve basis. Employees seem to appreciate this opportunity, but CA does not have exact numbers on employee participation in the program.

Private Equity Fund
CA has a private equity fund that is internally managed. This fund is made available only to clients with more than $5 million in assets managed by CA, a policy that is fully disclosed in CA's marketing materials. Roughly one-third of the fund's assets are invested in companies that are either very small capitalization or thinly traded (or both). The pricing of these securities for monthly account statements is often difficult. CA support staff get information from different sources—sometimes using third party services, sometimes using CA valuation models. In some instances, a manager of the private equity fund will enter an order during the last trading hour of the month to purchase 100 shares of one of these small securities at a modest premium to the last trade price. If the trade gets executed, that price can then be used on the account statements. The small size of these trades does not significantly affect the fund's overall position in any particular company holding, which is typically several thousand shares.

Soft Dollar Usage
Several different managers at CA use independent research in developing investment ideas. One of the more popular research services among CA managers is "Beneath the Numbers (BTN)," which focuses on potential accounting abuses at prominent companies. This service often provides early warnings of problems with a stock, allowing CA managers the opportunity to sell their clients' positions before a negative surprise lowers the price. Stocks covered by BTN are typically widely held in CA client accounts. Managers at CA have been so happy with BTN that they have also subscribed to a new research product provided by the same authors —"Beneath the Radar (BTR)." BTR recommends small capitalization securities that are not large enough to attract much attention from large institutional investors. The results of BTR's recommendations are mixed thus far, but CA managers are willing to be patient.
As they discuss these issues, Riley informs Simpson that she is determined to bring CA into full compliance with the CFA Institute's "Asset Manager Code of Professional Conduct." The following questions should be answered with the Asset Manager Code as a guide.

Simpson has verified that CA has adequate disclosures of its soft dollar usage. Given that full disclosure is made to clients, indicate whether CA's use of soft dollars for BTN and BTR are consistent with the Asset Manager Code of Professional Conduct.

Robert Keith, CFA, has begun a new job at CMT Investments as Head of Compliance. Keith has just completed a review of all of CMT's operations, and has interviewed all the firm's portfolio managers. Many are CFA charterholders, but some are not. Keith intends to use the CFA Institute Code and Standards, as well as the Asset Manager Code of Professional Conduct, as ethical guidelines for CMT to follow.

In the course of Keith's review of the firm's overall practices, he has noted a few situations which potentially need to be addressed.

Situation 1:
CMT Investments' policy regarding acceptance of gifts and entertainment is not entirely clear. There is general confusion within the firm regarding what is and is not acceptable practice regarding gifts, entertainment and additional compensation.

Situation 2:
Keith sees inconsistency regarding fee disclosures to clients. In some cases, information related to fees paid to investment managers for investment services provided are properly disclosed. However, a few of the periodic costs, which will affect investment return, are not disclosed to the clients. Most managers are providing clients with investment returns net of fees, but a few are just providing the gross returns. One of the managers stated "providing gross returns is acceptable, as long as I show the fees such that the client can make their own simple calculation of the returns net of fees."

Situation 3:
Keith has noticed a few gaps in CMT's procedure regarding use of soft dollars. There have been cases where "directed brokerage" has resulted in less than prompt execution of trades. He also found a few cases where a manager paid a higher commission than normal, in order to obtain goods or services. Keith is considering adding two statements to CMT's policy and procedures manual specifically addressing the primary issues he noted.

Statement 1:
"Commissions paid, and any corresponding benefits received, are the property of the client. The benefit(s) must directly benefit the client. If a manager's client directs the manager to purchase goods or services that do not provide research services that benefit the client, this violates the duty of loyalty to the client.”

Statement 2:
"In cases of "directed brokerage," if there is concern that the client is not receiving the best execution, it is acceptable to utilize a less than ideal broker, but it must be disclosed to the client that they may not be obtaining the best execution."

Situation 4:
Keith is still evaluating his data, but it appears that there may be situations where proxies were not voted. After completing his analysis of proxy voting procedures at CMT, Keith wants to insert the proper language into the procedures manual to address proxy voting.

Situation 5:
Keith is putting into place a "disaster recovery- plan," in order to ensure business continuity in the event of a localized disaster, and also to protect against any type of disruption in the financial markets. This plan includes the following provisions:
• Procedures for communicating with clients, especially in the event of extended disruption of services provided.
• Alternate arrangement for monitoring and analyzing investments in the event that primary systems become unavailable.
• Plans for internal communication and coverage of crucial business functions in the event of disruption at the primary place of business, or a communications breakdown.
Keith is considering adding the following provisions to the disaster recovery plan in order to properly comply with the CFA Institute Asset Manager Code of Professional Conduct:

Provision 1: "A provision needs to be added incorporating off-site backup for all pertinent account information." Provision 2: "A provision mandating testing of the plan on a company-wide basis, at periodical intervals, should be added."

Situation 6:
Keith is spending an incredible amount of time on detailed procedures and company policies that are in compliance with the CFA Institute Code and Standards, and also in compliance with the CFA Institute Asset Manager Code of Professional Conduct. As part of this process, he has had several meetings with CMT senior management, and is second-guessing the process. One of the senior managers is indicating that it might be a better idea to just formally adopt both the Code and Standards and the Asset Manager Code of Conduct, which would make a detailed policy and procedure manual redundant.

Indicate whether Keith's statements in Situation 3 involving soft dollars / client brokerage are correct or incorrect.