medium · CFA Level I ethics

Caldera Glass, a specialized industrial manufacturer, is undergoing a debt restructuring. James Vane, an analyst at Lumen Credit, has been asked by his firm's investment banking department to 'soften' his credit rating on Caldera to facilitate a new bond issuance that Lumen is underwriting. James refuses. Shortly after, James is offered an all-expenses-paid trip to Caldera's flagship factory in a remote region, reachable only by Caldera's private jet. James accepts the trip and, upon returning, issues a favorable research report citing 'unique operational insights' gathered during the tour. James does not disclose the travel arrangement to his clients. By accepting the issuer-paid travel and private jet transport, James has primarily violated:

  1. Standard VI(A) Disclosure of Conflicts, only because he failed to mention the jet transport in the final research report.
  2. Standard III(A) Loyalty, Prudence, and Care, because the travel costs will ultimately be borne by Caldera's shareholders.
  3. Standard I(B) Independence and Objectivity, as the lavish nature of the travel could compromise his judgment.

Sign up free to see the explanation and track your rank →

More CFA Level I ethics practice

KomFi: Test Prep Made Easy

KomFi: Test Prep Made Easy — free adaptive practice for GMAT, GRE, SAT, ACT, National Real Estate Exam, Investment Banking, and finance with full explanations.

KomFi Academy is free GMAT prep and personalized GMAT help built as a training platform: 83,400+ practice questions, 28,500+ flashcards, on-demand video lectures, podcasts, and 4K slide decks. Flagship tracks: Free GMAT Prep, Free GMAT Resources, National Real Estate Exam Prep, Investment Banking Prep, Finance Prep, GRE, SAT, ACT, LSAT, MCAT, Financial Accounting, Private Equity, Private Credit, and Quantitative Finance.

Free GMAT Prep & Personalized GMAT Help

What's inside

Topics

View pricing · Read testimonials