Diana Fairbanks, CFA, is married to an auditor who is employed at a large accounting firm. When her husband mentions that a computer firm he audits will receive a qualified opinion, she thinks nothing of it. Later that week, when she reviews a new client account, she notices there are substantial holdings of this computer firm. When she does a thorough internet search for news on the company, she does not find anything about its most recent audit or any other adverse information. Which of the following actions concerning the computer stock should Fairbanks most likely take to avoid violating the CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct?
The information concerning the qualified opinion is material. It is also nonpublic because it has not been released and is not available online, so the mosaic theory would not hold up in this case. As a result, she would be in violation of Standard II(A)-Material Nonpublic Information if she took investment action based on this information. She should also make reasonable efforts to achieve public dissemination of the information.