CLAIRE JONES, CFA, IS AN ANALYST FOLLOWING NATURAL GAS COMPANIES I...
17. Claire Jones, CFA, is an analyst following natural gas companies in the United States. At an industry energy conference, the chief financial officer of Alpine Energy states that the company is interested
in making strategic acquisitions. At a separate event, Alpine's head of exploration commented that
he is bullish on natural gas production prospects within northeastern Pennsylvania. Jones is aware
that Alpine currently has very little exposure to this region. She also knows another company in her
universe, Pure Energy, Inc. is based in northeastern Pennsylvania and controls significant assets in
the area. Pure Energy is highly leveraged, and Jones believes it will need to raise additional capital
or partner with another firm to move to the production phase with their assets. Jones attempts to
contact Alpine's chief executive officer with an unrelated question and is told he is unavailable
because he is on a business trip to northeastern Pennsylvania. Jones updates her research on Pure
Energy and then recommends the stock to Lisa Wong, CFA, a portfolio manager, who purchases
significant positions in client accounts. The following week, Pure Energy announces it has entered
into an agreement to be purchased by Alpine for a significant premium. Has either Jones or Wong
most likely violated standards with regard to the integrity of capital markets?
A. No
B. Yes, both Jones and Wong have acted on insider information
C. Yes, Jones' recommendation is based on insider information