This case relates to the unethical and often illegal practice of front-running, or trading on advance information for one’s personal account prior to trading for client accounts to gain an economic advantage. CFA Institute Standard VI(B): Priority of Transactions states that investment transactions for clients must have priority over investment transactions for personal benefit. In this case, Kapadia facilitated the front-running by his friends and relatives on the trades of his employer’s mutual fund. Although Kapadia may not have directly benefited financially, he benefited personally by providing the information to those with whom he had close relationships. This practice is unethical and inappropriate even if the trades of his friends and relatives did not disadvantage the mutual fund by moving the price of the security or causing the fund to lose the price advantage or any profit from its own trades. Kapadia cannot cure this unethical behavior by disclosing his actions to his employer or the fund. Although Kapadia did not share the confidential information of individual clients or individual investors of the fund, he did share confidential information about the fund itself. Choice A is the best answer.
This case is based on a 2016 enforcement action by the Securities and Exchange Board of India.