Which of the following scenarios describes activities that are disallowed under the NASAA Model Rules?
I. Broker-dealer Anon observes that a client placed a stop loss order to sell her 1,500 shares of Amazon.com stock for $131 when the stock was selling for $134. Anon sold the stock for $133 when it started to fall during the day and credited the client’s account with $131 per share when stock dropped further to $129 a share.
II. Penny is an agent with Broker-dealer Anon. She recently recommended that a client buy a stock that Penny thought would do well. As it turned out, Penny was wrong, and she offers to refund the commission that the client paid her.
III. Broker-dealer Anon is part of the selling group of a hot new IPO. As such, the firm purchases 50% of the shares for its own portfolio and sells the remainder to the public.
Explanation
Answer: D - Selections I, II, and III are all disallowed under the NASAA Model Rules. In Selection I, Broker-dealer Anon has made an unauthorized transaction and has also stolen from his client. The stop order indicated that the client’s Amazon.com order should be effected only if the stock dropped to $131 a share or less. Anon jumped the gun and sold it for $133, but only gave the client the specified price of $131 a share. In the scenario described in Selection II, Penny’s intentions might have been good, but an agent is not allowed to refund commissions. Anon is also in violation in Selection III’s scenario. A member of the selling group is expected to make “bona fide” public offerings of the securities allotted him. To purchase some of the securities for itself is prohibited.
