Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS)10 min
GIPS provides a standardized methodology for reporting investment performance to avoid misrepresentation and enable comparability. Compliance is voluntary but must be firm-wide if claimed. A 'firm' is defined as the entity held out to clients. The core of GIPS reporting is the 'composite,' which groups discretionary portfolios with similar strategies. Firms cannot cherry-pick top-performing portfolios; they must include all fee-paying discretionary portfolios in a composite. Verification is an independent process that validates the firm's policies and procedures firm-wide.

Key Points

  • Compliance is voluntary and must be firm-wide.
  • Composites include all fee-paying discretionary portfolios with similar mandates.
  • Verification is optional and performed by a third party for the entire firm.
  • Discretion implies the manager can implement the strategy without extreme client restrictions.
Ethics Application: Standards I-VII20 min
The Standards of Professional Conduct dictate ethical behavior. Standard I requires adherence to the strictest applicable law and maintaining independence. Standard II forbids trading on material nonpublic information (Mosaic theory allows combining non-material nonpublic info with public info) and market manipulation. Standard III prioritizes client interests, requiring fair dealing and suitability analysis. Standard IV addresses employer loyalty and supervisory duties; supervisors must decline responsibility if compliance systems are inadequate. Standard V focuses on diligence and record retention (recommended 7 years). Standard VI covers conflicts of interest and referral fees. Standard VII protects the integrity of the CFA Program and designation.

Key Points

  • Standard I(A): Follow the strictest law.
  • Standard II(A): Do not act on material nonpublic information.
  • Standard III(C): Assess suitability before recommendation.
  • Standard IV(C): Supervisors must detect and prevent violations.
  • Standard VI(B): Clients take priority over personal trades.
Quantitative Formulas for Investment Analysis10 min
This section lists critical formulas for evaluating investment performance. Return measures include Holding Period Return and Mean Returns (Arithmetic/Geometric). Risk is measured via Standard Deviation and Beta. The CAPM model links risk to expected return. Performance evaluation metrics include the Sharpe ratio (excess return per unit of total risk), Treynor measure (excess return per unit of systematic risk), and Jensen's alpha (abnormal return relative to CAPM).

Key Points

  • CAPM: E(Ri) = Rf + Beta * (Rm - Rf).
  • Sharpe Ratio uses standard deviation (total risk).
  • Treynor Measure uses beta (systematic risk).
  • Geometric Mean is used for compound returns over time.

Questions

Question 1

According to the GIPS standards, which of the following best defines a composite?

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Question 2

Under GIPS, if a firm chooses to pursue verification, the verification must be performed:

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Question 3

Which of the following portfolios must be included in a GIPS-compliant composite?

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Question 4

Regarding the definition of a 'firm' for GIPS compliance, which statement is most accurate?

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Question 5

Under GIPS, a portfolio is considered 'nondiscretionary' if:

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Question 6

Which of the following is a key purpose of the GIPS standards?

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Question 7

According to Standard I(A) Knowledge of the Law, if a member believes that applicable laws and regulations conflict, the member must:

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Question 8

Standard I(B) Independence and Objectivity allows members to accept issuer-paid research under which condition?

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Question 9

A member violates Standard I(C) Misrepresentation if they:

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Question 10

Under Standard I(D) Misconduct, which of the following is most likely a violation?

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Question 11

According to Standard II(A) Material Nonpublic Information, the 'Mosaic Theory' allows analysts to:

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Question 12

Which action constitutes Market Manipulation under Standard II(B)?

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Question 13

Standard III(A) Loyalty, Prudence, and Care specifies that a manager of a pension fund owes loyalty to:

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Question 14

Under Standard III(B) Fair Dealing, when a change in investment recommendation occurs:

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Question 15

Standard III(C) Suitability requires an advisor to:

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Question 16

When presenting performance history under Standard III(D), a firm should:

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Question 17

Standard III(E) Preservation of Confidentiality requires members to keep client information confidential unless:

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Question 18

Under Standard IV(A) Loyalty, a member planning to leave an employer must:

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Question 19

Standard IV(B) Additional Compensation Arrangements requires a member to:

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Question 20

If a supervisor knows that compliance procedures are inadequate and the firm refuses to correct them, Standard IV(C) requires the supervisor to:

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Question 21

Standard V(A) Diligence and Reasonable Basis requires analysts using third-party research to:

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Question 22

When communicating with clients under Standard V(B), members must:

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Question 23

Standard V(C) Record Retention recommends retaining records for a minimum of:

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Question 24

Under Standard VI(A) Disclosure of Conflicts, a member who owns shares in a company they recommend must:

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Question 25

Standard VI(B) Priority of Transactions states that:

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Question 26

Regarding Standard VI(C) Referral Fees, a member must:

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Question 27

Standard VII(A) Conduct as Participants in CFA Institute Programs prohibits:

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Question 28

Which of the following is an acceptable reference to the CFA designation under Standard VII(B)?

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Question 29

In the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), what does 'beta' measure?

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Question 30

Calculate the CAPM expected return given: Risk-free rate = 3 percent, Beta = 1.5, Market return = 10 percent.

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Question 31

The Sharpe ratio is calculated as:

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Question 32

Which risk measure is used in the denominator of the Treynor measure?

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Question 33

Jensen's alpha is defined as:

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Question 34

Calculate the geometric mean return for 3 periods with returns: 10 percent, -10 percent, 0 percent.

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Question 35

The correlation coefficient (rho) must fall within the range:

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Question 36

In the M-squared (M2) measure formula, the portfolio return is adjusted by:

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Question 37

Holding Period Return (HPR) is calculated as:

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Question 38

If a member receives a gift from a client, Standard I(B) requires:

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Question 39

Which of the following scenarios is a violation of Standard I(D) Misconduct?

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Question 40

A member posts on social media that a company has secured funding at a specific price when they know it is untrue (a 'joke'). This violates:

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Question 41

If a member learns of a company's drug trial success during a private meeting with management, this information is likely:

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Question 42

Allocating profitable trades to a personal account and losing trades to client accounts is a violation of:

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Question 43

Standard V(B) Communication with Clients requires that when a firm changes its fee calculation methodology:

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Question 44

Under GIPS, if an advertisement includes a claim of compliance, it must:

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Question 45

Total risk in a portfolio is defined as the sum of:

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Question 46

If two assets have a correlation of +1, the standard deviation of the portfolio is:

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Question 47

In the equation of the Capital Market Line (CML), the slope is represented by:

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Question 48

Standard III(A) Loyalty, Prudence, and Care requires members to:

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Question 49

Regarding Standard VI(C) Referral Fees, if a member pays a fee to a third party to secure a client:

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Question 50

Arithmetic mean return is calculated as:

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