Wolfram Hitchwalker is a money manager with Armadillo Investments. He currently manages a few retirement accounts, clients who have a steady current income need and are averse to capital loss. Wolfram recently read a research report which concluded that the stock of HighFly, Inc. was a great buy because of a pending expansion plan into Southeast Asia which would double the profits of HighFly from foreign operations. Wolfram decided that the analysis was sound and that his clients could gain significantly if he bought the HighFly stock now and sold it once the price run-up occurred. Accordingly, he sold some of the fixed income securities in his client accounts and bought shares of HighFly. After two weeks, he sold the shares at a substantial profit and reinvested the funds back in fixed income securities. Wolfram has
I. not violated any code of ethics since the investment was wise and made his clients better off.
II. has violated Standard IV (A.1) - Reasonable Basis & Representations.
III. has violated Standard IV (B.1) - Fiduciary Duties.
IV. has violated Standard IV (B.2) - Portfolio Investment Recommendations and Actions.
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A. B. C. D. E. F.A
Even though the transaction turned out to be profitable for the clients ex post, the decision to invest in the stock was unwise ex ante. Wolfram should have recognized that his clients do not have the risk appetite for speculative securities, given their need for current income and preservation of the principal. Clearly, speculation in stocks is not an appropriate investment for these clients.