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CFA Level I 6th Mock Exam
June, 2015
Revision 1
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CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
FinQuiz.com – 6th Mock Exam 2015 (PM Session)
Questions
Topic
Minutes
1-18
Ethical and Professional Standards
27
19-32
Quantitative Methods
21
33-44
Economics
18
45-68
Financial Reporting and Analysis
36
69-76
Corporate Finance
12
77-88
Equity Investments
18
89-94
Derivative Investments
9
95-106
Fixed Income Investments
18
107-112
Alternative Investments
9
113-120
Portfolio Management
12
Total
180
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2
CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
Questions 1 through 18 relate to Ethical & Professional Standards
1.
Janice Hart is a research analyst serving Time Associates, an investment banking
firm. She has been asked to write a research report on Blue Inc. Time was the
chief underwriter of Blue Inc.’s stock when it had undertaken an IPO two years
ago. In addition, two of Time’s directors continue to hold a significant proportion
of Blue Inc. shares.
Hart’s best course of action will be to:
A. decline writing the research report due to the presence of a conflict of
interest.
B. write the research report and disclose the special relationship to clients on
a request basis.
C. write the research report and include a disclosure of the special
relationship between Time Associates and Blue Inc.
2.
Wallace Associates is a sell-side research firm with clients primarily from the
financial services sector. Midland Trust is Wallace Associates’ most recent client.
Sarah Parker, a research analyst has been assigned Midland Trust. Parker is
compensated with a basic research fee and agent options, which allow her to
purchase 2% of her client’s common shares if the stock performs well. After
conducting thorough research using public sources, she determines that a buy
recommendation will be most appropriate. She includes a small footnote at the
end of the report that discloses the volume and expiration date of the options she
is eligible for.
According to the Standards of Practice Handbook, Parker is in:
A. violation because her disclosure is not prominent.
B. compliance because she has disclosed the extent of her participation in the
options.
C. violation because the acceptance of the agency options may impair her
independence and objectivity.
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CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
3.
Trisha Jose is a supervisor at a commercial bank. She has been informed that
particular employee has been deliberately delaying sending reminders to clients
whose accounts are overdue.
With respect to the employee, Jose’s best course of action to take is:
A. dismissal.
B. issuing a warning.
C. suspension of responsibilities.
4.
An investment manager notifies clients of a change in recommendation via email.
He then calls three of his oldest clients to discuss the change in greater detail. Not
all his clients receive the recommendation at the same time and are unhappy with
the delay in notification.
Has the investment manager dealt with his clients fairly?
A. Yes, he is only required to ensure each client is fairly dealt with.
B. No, he should have discussed the recommendation in greater detail with
all his clients.
C. No, he should have ensured each client received the recommendation at
the same time.
5.
According to the Standards of Practice Handbook, an investment manager who
learns that his client is engaged in an illegal activity should:
A. seek legal counsel.
B. inform legal authorities.
C. disclose the activity to the CFA Institute.
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CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
6.
Joyce & Monroe (J&M) is an investment bank with its own research division.
Investment banker Ron Howard serves J&M and has recently arranged corporate
financing for its client, Westdale Limited. Westdale will be using the financing to
expand production to Australia. Several weeks later J&M’s chief research analyst
issues a research report on Westdale wherein he recommends, “Westdale’s
decision to expand into Australia is an excellent move because the potential
market for its products should be vast. I am extremely confident that the company
will see a remarkable and positive difference in its earnings over the coming
months. Based on this, I recommend a strong BUY.”
According to the Standards of Practice Handbook, the analyst’s recommendation
is most likely in violation with respect to the standard concerning:
A. misrepresentation; he is guaranteeing investment performance.
B. disclosure of conflicts; he has not disclosed J&M’s relationship with
Westdale.
C. communication with clients and prospects; he has failed to separate
opinion from fact.
7.
According to the Standards of Practice Handbook, adequate compliance
procedures are least likely those that:
A. meet industry standards.
B. are uniform on a global basis.
C. can be tailored to the circumstances of a firm.
8.
When managing pooled assets to a specific mandate, investment manager (‘s):
A. actions are not governed by the suitability standard.
B. must consider the suitability of an investment for clients.
C. need not consider the suitability of an investment for clients.
9.
Which of the following most likely to be the key feature of GIPS standards?
GIPS standards:
A. rely on the integrity of input data.
B. address every aspect of performance measurement.
C. have evolved over time to focus primarily on returns.
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CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
10.
Nelson Won, CFA, is a tax advisor at a financial services firm. His recent article,
on how tax minimization strategies can be effectively implemented for client
portfolios with high tax brackets, has increased his popularity in the industry.
Won is offered to deliver a lecture on tax minimization strategies to employees of
an investment management firm in New Zealand. The firm offers to pay for his
travel expenses and hotel accommodation. Won accepts the offer, informs his
employer, and travels to New Zealand with the trip fully paid by his employer. At
the conclusion of the lecture, Won is invited to a game of golf at an exclusive club
by the senior investment manager. He accepts the offer and informs his supervisor
of the invitation upon his return. According to the Standards of Practice
Handbook, Won is most likely:
A. in violation; he should have paid for the New Zealand trip out of his own
pocket.
B. in violation; he did not seek written permission prior to accepting the golf
game offer.
C. in compliance; details of the golf game were not available to him before
departing for New Zealand.
11.
Conduct that constitutes a violation of the CFA Institute Standards of Professional
Conduct concerning ‘Conduct as Members and Candidates in the CFA Program’
includes:
A. cheating on an MBA exam.
B. soliciting employer clients prior to departing.
C. not following security measures implemented for the CFA exam.
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CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
12.
Fredric Hart has shifted to Trust Management from Rightway Investments, both
of which are brokerage firms providing asset advisory services. At Trust
Management Hart prepares a brief introduction letter where he highlights the type
of accounts and asset classes he managed as well as the performance results
achieved at Rightway. Hart’s first client at Trust Management is Denver Sports
Inc. He will be responsible for managing the client’s pension plan. After
conducting a suitability analysis, Hart determines that direct real estate is a
suitable asset class and makes an allocation basing his decision on the following
three reasons: 1) Denver has low liquidity needs, 2) Denver has a long-time
horizon and 3) Denver is in a low capital gains tax bracket. According to the
Standards of Practice of Handbook, Hart is most likely in violation of the standard
concerning:
A. loyalty to employer; he has divulged confidential past employer
information.
B. loyalty, prudence and care; he has not acted in the best interests of his
clients.
C. client confidentiality; information concerning account types is considered
confidential information.
13.
Marie Thatcher serves the CFA Institute Board of Governors, which is
responsible for the oversight and responsibility for the Professional Conduct
Program. She also manages the investment portfolios of several friends and
family members. In a discussion with one of her clients, Thatcher states, “As a
board member, I will take additional steps to ensure that your interests are looked
after and violations of the Code and Standards are avoided at all costs.
Furthermore, as your portfolio manager I will be kept up-to-date with the latest
developments of and revisions in the Code and Standards.”
Thatcher’s statement is most likely:
A. in violation; she is guaranteeing client account performance.
B. in compliance with the CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct.
C. in violation; she is using her association with the CFA Institute to further
professional goals.
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CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
14.
15.
Two investment managers engaged in a debate that quickly turned into a conflict
disrupting the working environment of their fellow co-workers. Which of the
following has most likely been violated?
A. Code of Ethics only.
B. Standards of Professional Conduct only.
C. Both Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.
In order to comply with the CFA Institute Code of Ethics, members and
candidates must:
A. promote the integrity of the legal system.
B. maintain their duty of loyalty towards clients, prospects and employers.
C. place the integrity of the investment profession above their own personal
interests.
16.
Which of the following statements least likely highlights a benefit of claiming
compliance with GIPS standards?
A. GIPS standards eliminate the need for the investor to conduct in-depth due
diligence.
B. Investment managers can assure clients that the reported historical track
record is complete.
C. Prospective clients can easily compare the performance of their
investment managers across different firms.
17.
Hollard Associates manages two funds, a diversified fund and a fixed-income
fund. The diversified fund is three years old while the fixed-income fund is as old
as the firm (five years old). The performance records of both funds are GIPScompliant. The firm is now considering claiming compliance to the GIPS
standards. Which of the following statements most accurately highlights what
Hollard Associates should do in order to claim compliance? Hollard Associates
should:
A. wait for at least two years to claim compliance.
B. only claim compliance for the fixed-income fund.
C. can claim compliance by presenting performance since both composites’
creation dates.
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CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
18.
Which of the following is not a section of the Global Investment Performance
Standards?
A. Hedge funds
B. Private equity
C. Wrap fee portfolios
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CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
Questions 19 through 32 relate to Quantitative Methods
19.
A limitation most likely associated with IRR is that it:
A. is sensitive to the external discount rate.
B. it does not represent an achievable rate of return on an investment.
C. cannot be calculated for projects with an unconventional cash flow
pattern.
20.
Tara Gibbons would like to ensure she lives comfortably during her retirement,
which will commence thirty years from now. Her financial manager, Raul
Peterson, advises that she should save a fixed amount each year for the next
twelve years and determines that her savings will grow to $45,155 by the end of
the twelfth year if she does so. Peterson also determines that the present value of
the funds required for retirement will amount to $250,878 at t = 12. Funds are
invested to generates 6% annual rate of return.
For the savings to grow from $45,155 to $250,878, Gibbons will need to make an
annual investment of:
A. $19,000.
B. $19,635.
C. $35,042.
21.
A desirable property of an estimator includes:
A. consistency.
B. universality.
C. independence.
22.
Mona Patel has invested a portion of her savings in a fund with a stated annual
rate of 4%, which is compounded quarterly.
If Patel’s fund was continuously compounded, the fund’s stated annual rate of
return would have been closest to:
A. 3.98%.
B. 4.00%.
C. 4.06%.
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CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
23.
Which of the following cycles is most likely a component of the Kondratieff
Wave?
A. 18-year cycle
B. Presidential cycle
C. Decennial pattern
24.
The National Fund is managed by Douglas Webb and is used to finance equity
purchases on behalf of firm client accounts. The exhibit below demonstrates the
movement in the fund over a four year period:
Beginning value
Investment
Ending value
1 ($)
5,000,000
1,000,000
6,250,000
2 ($)
6,250,000
2,250,000
8,120,000
3 ($)
8,120,000
1,050,000
11,050,000
4($)
11,050,000
(2,000,000)
9,230,000
The annualized time-weighted rate of return for the National Fund is closest to:
A. 16.56%.
B. 23.74%.
C. 38.15%.
25.
Howard Briggs is conducting a hypothesis test to determine whether the
difference in mean returns between two asset classes is statistically significant.
Briggs is using a 95% confidence interval. A decision to decrease the level of
confidence to 90% will most likely:
A. increase the probability of a Type I error.
B. increase the probability of a Type II error.
C. decrease the probability of a Type I and Type II error.
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CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
26.
A portfolio is fully invested in an index fund tracking the S&P500. The returns
earned by the index over the past three years are highlighted in the exhibit below:
Year 1: Return
Year 2: Return
Year 3: Return
Mean Return
Sample variance
S&P 500 Equity Index (%)
18.5
15.1
22.2
18.6
3.6
The portfolio’s coefficient of variation is closest to:
A. 0.10.
B. 0.19.
C. 5.17.
27.
When a short term moving average crosses from above the longer term moving
average it is called a:
A. dead cross.
B. golden cross.
C. neutral cross.
28.
Lindsay Thomas, an independent investor, has been following the price of a stock
for the previous eight months observing a head and shoulders pattern. After
peaking at $67, Thomas forecasts a decline in share price. She estimates the
neckline at $50. The closing price of the stock at the end of the current trading
day is $59.
If Thomas undertakes a short sale, her expected profit on the transaction will be
closest to:
A. $9 per share.
B. $26 per share.
C. $33 per share.
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CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
29.
Priori probabilities are based on:
A. logical analysis.
B. data from prior periods.
C. relative frequencies of occurrence.
30.
Walsh Enterprises, a web based books delivery system, has been in existence for
30 years and always maintained an inventory turnover ratio of 140 times. Using
inventory information from the firm’s inception, Celia Young estimates Walsh
Enterprises’ annual mean inventory turnover ratio as 130 times with an annual
population standard deviation of 50 times. Young is attempting to determine
whether the slowdown in inventory movement is statistically significant. She is
using a 90% confidence interval for her analysis.
Young will most likely conclude that the slowdown in inventory movement
(assuming normal distribution) is:
A. statistically insignificant.
B. statistically significant; the mean ratio exceeds the higher critical value.
C. statistically significant; the mean ratio falls below the lower critical value.
31.
A financial analyst is evaluating the liquidity position of a manufacturing concern.
For the purposes of analysis, he has compiled various financial measures such as
the cash, quick and current ratios and cash operating cycles over a ten-year
period. The data used by the analyst can most likely be classified as:
A. panel.
B. time-series.
C. longitudinal.
32.
Which of the following is most likely a step in hypothesis testing?
A. Stating the confidence level
B. Identifying the sampling error
C. Identifying potential sampling biases
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CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
Questions 33 through 44 relate to Economics
33.
Grace Corp. is seeking to expand its existing production facilities. Its
management is debating on whether to automate production or maintain manual
procedures. Automation will require purchasing machinery units while manual
procedures will require employing additional labor. The projected marginal
product per day and price of each factor for the first four months following
expansion is illustrated in the exhibit below:
Month
1
2
3
4
Exhibit
Marginal Product
per Day
Labor
Machinery
200
600
320
760
400
820
480
1,080
Price of Input
($ per unit of input)
Labor
Machinery
100
245
100
245
120
250
110
255
Given the independence of the two decisions, during which month will Grace
favor manual over automated procedures?
A. 2
B. 3
C. 4
34.
Excess demand and supply in the automobile industry is given by the following
respective equations:
Qxd = 15,000 – 300Px
Qxs = - 2,000 + 400Px
There will be excess demand if the unit price of each automobile is:
A. less than $24.29.
B. less than $130.00.
C. greater than $24.29
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CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
35.
Which of the following competitive market structures is most likely characterized
by a large number of potential buyers and sellers, low barriers to entry, and firms
with pricing power?
A. Oligopoly
B. Perfectly competitive
C. Monopolistically competitive
36.
The economic activity in a developing country has started to accelerate resulting
in higher domestic inflation. In order to maintain its exchange rate target, the
government’s actions will most likely lead to a (n):
A. increase in domestic money supply.
B. decrease in foreign currency reserves.
C. decrease in the cost of short-term borrowing.
37.
A South African company undertook the following transactions, translated into
the South African Rand (ZAR), in the financial year 2013:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Borrowed ZAR 50 million from a U.S. bank
Purchased machinery worth ZAR 1.4 million from Japan
Received ZAR 2.5 million interest income on Dutch fixed income
investments
Issued ZAR 0.5 million worth of its corporate bonds to an investor in
Brazil.
Acquired financial leases worth ZAR 1.1 million during the year.
Total sales proceeds received on foreign sales amounted to ZAR 48.8
million.
The total value of the transactions reflected in the current account is closest to (in
ZAR millions):
A. 51.3.
B. 51.8.
C. 99.3.
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CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
38.
Grace Singh is a research analyst based in Australia. She is attempting to forecast
exchange rate movements using data collected in the exhibit:
AUD/GBP
GBP/EUR
GBP/MXN
Spot rate
1.8255
0.8141
0.0460
Expected Spot
Rate in One Year
1.8010
0.8350
0.0602
Based on the data in the exhibit, the expected appreciation in the EUR against the
MXN over the next year is closest to:
A. – 21.63%.
B. + 2.57%.
C. + 34.23%.
39.
Firms operating in perfectly competitive markets will maximize profits if:
A. total revenues at least cover total costs.
B. marginal revenues exceed marginal costs.
C. total revenues at least cover variable costs.
40.
A-Tech is the sole software developer in its country’s market. The total revenue,
marginal revenue and cost functions of the developer are as follows:
Total revenue = 1,500QD – 12.5Q2D
Marginal revenue = 1,500 – 25QD
Marginal cost = 650 + 10QD
A-Tech’s profit will be maximized if its level of output equals:
A. 2 units.
B. 24 units.
C. 57 units.
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CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
41.
Green Alliance operates in an industry in which an increase in product demand
has led to an increase in short-run economic profits. Cost of production has
increased as a consequence of an increased demand for resources by companies
entering the industry. The recent industry changes have forced industry
participants to revise product prices upwards in light of output expansion.
The slope of Green Alliance’s supply curve in the long run is most likely:
A. flat.
B. positive.
C. negative.
42.
Which of the following factors will most likely influence the success of a
collusive agreement?
A. Degree of regulation
B. Severity of retaliation
C. Availability of substitutes
43.
The sustainable growth rate of potential GDP is calculated as the sum of the
growth rates in labor, capital and:
A. real GDP.
B. technology.
C. natural resources.
44.
In December 2011 the value of the Fisher and Paasche index was 115.6 and 125.1
respectively. The value of the price index when the consumption basket is held
constant was closest to:
A. 106.82.
B. 120.26.
C. 135.38.
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CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
Questions 45 through 68 relate to Financial Reporting and Analysis
45.
An equity investor is utilizing the following metrics to screen stock investments:
•
•
•
P/BV < 0.69.
Dividend yield ≥ 3.5%
NI/Sales ≥15%
Given the screening criteria, the equity investor is most likely a:
A. Value investor.
B. Growth investor.
C. Market-oriented investor.
46.
TS Associates issues $1,000,000 face value of ten-year bonds dated January 1,
2010. The total interest expense on the bonds for the ten-year period is $653,123
while the annual coupon rate is 6%.
Using the straight-line method, the interest expense for the fiscal year 2012 is
closest to:
A. $54,877.
B. $60,000.
C. $65,312.
47.
Which of the following ratios will least likely be affected by a company’s choice
of the fair value over cost model for reporting long-lived assets (assuming fair
value is always higher than carrying value) over the long-term?
A. Debt-to-equity
B. Interest coverage
C. Cash flow to revenue
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CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
48.
On January 1, 2012 TRX Associates purchased a component. Tim Rubin, TRX
Associates’ chief financial analyst, is of the option that the component’s balance
sheet value may need to be reduced. Rubin collects relevant financial information
in the exhibit below:
Exhibit: Relevant Financial Information for the Component
Carrying amount
£423,000
Undiscounted expected future cash flows
£420,000
Present value of expected future cash flows
£415,000
Fair value
£455,000
Costs to sell
£28,000
If TRX prepares and presents its financial statements in accordance with IFRS,
Rubin is most likely:
A. Incorrect.
B. correct; the component will be valued at £415,000.
C. correct; the component will be valued at £420,000.
49.
The notes to a company’s financial statements disclose the present value of lease
payments relating to the next five years as $35,000. These payments concern an
operating lease,which the company had entered into two years ago. If the
company’s total assets and equity are $450,000 and $300,000, respectively, the
debt-to-equity ratio after capitalizing the effect of the lease transaction equals:
A. 50.0%.
B. 61.7%.
C. 74.4%.
50.
One of Silvex Corp.’s assembly machines was revalued upwards giving rise to
deferred tax effects. The company will most likely classify the associated tax
effects as an adjustment to total:
A. assets.
B. equity.
C. liabilities.
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CFA Level I Mock Exam 6 – Questions (PM)
51.
An analyst has collected information for two companies in the paint
manufacturing industry, Violet and Technard.
Exhibit: Selective Financial Information for
Violet and Technard
Violet
Technard
ROE
14.5%
13.3%
Asset turnover
1.6
1.8
EBIT margin
7.7%
6.1%
Which of the following reasons most likely justifies why Violet has a higher
ROE? Higher:
A. efficiency.
B. return on assets.
C. financial leverage.
52.
The write-off of a particular account receivable is reflected by reducing:
A. bad debt expense.
B. sales returns and allowances.
C. allowance for doubtful accounts.
53.
TSO Limited reported the following information for the fiscal year 2013:
Exhibit
Beginning retained earnings
Cash dividends paid
Equity
Contributed capital
Operating income
Taxes paid
$45,550
$1,200
$85,350
$36,155
$7,520
$2,140
Based on the information presented, reported net income for 2013 is closest to:
A. $2,445.
B. $4,845.
C. $5,380.
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