This case involves CFA Institute Standard II(A): Material Nonpublic Information, which prohibits trading or causing others to trade on material nonpublic information. Information is considered “material” if it is likely to affect the price of a security. It is considered “nonpublic” if is not widely disseminated. But under the mosaic theory, those who work to uncover and piece together nonmaterial and/or public information to form an opinion about a security can trade based on significant conclusions derived from that analysis. In this case, the fact that a company has defaulted on its commercial paper commitment would likely be a material fact that a reasonable investor would like to know. It is also likely that information regarding the default, at least initially, is not publicly known. The CP is privately traded, and this information may be available only to the holders of the CP.
Eaton becomes aware of the default because his hedge fund owns the CP, and thus he becomes immediately aware of the default when it occurs. The fund is in a unique position to be the first to be aware of the cash flow problems of the company. Does the fund have to wait to trade on the information until it becomes publicly known? This situation is similar to the case in which a customer orders goods from a manufacturer who does not deliver on time. The customer is in the best position to know that the manufacturer defaulted on the contract and thus have an early understanding of the difficulties the company is having. The informational advantage arises from a learned fact as a result of the proximity to the company, not because of any inside information. Intrepid analysts are likely to discover the information eventually. Eaton’s hedge fund is the first to do so given their relationship with the company. But even if Eaton’s hedge fund is able to trade on the information, Eaton’s investment action for his personal account is likely in violation of the standards because he is taking inside information that is confidential to the hedge fund and using for personal gain. The best choice in this case is B.
This case was submitted to CFA Institute by an “Ethics in Practice” participant.