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  #1  
Old 12-02-2007, 03:39 AM
Jason Strasser (strassa2) Jason Strasser (strassa2) is offline
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Default Re: I Think I Have A Partial Answer

the terrorist example is vague enough where it might not be insider trading, but it is definitely unethical. whether it fits strictly under insider trading or not, i guess you might have a legal bone to pick, but there is no question that acting on this information is wrong. there is no rule that you are free from getting in trouble of insider information even if your inside information is bad... i'd say if you got a tip from a CEO but he turned out to actually be wrong (or lied to you), you'd definitely still be guilty of insider trading because your intent was to trade on information you knew was nonpublic.


hot nurse by the way david!
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  #2  
Old 12-02-2007, 03:51 AM
bills217 bills217 is offline
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Default Re: I Think I Have A Partial Answer

[ QUOTE ]
the terrorist example is vague enough where it might not be insider trading, but it is definitely unethical. whether it fits strictly under insider trading or not, i guess you might have a legal bone to pick, but there is no question that acting on this information is wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]

If we're not talking about legality, then why is acting on the information unethical? Who is harmed?

Frankly, I don't see any moral reason why insider trading should be illegal. It is simply in the best interest of everyone in the financial industry for the markets to be as transparent as possible (or at least create an image of transparency) to ensure investor confidence. But as far as morality goes, I can't think of any reason that insider trading is immoral. It's not fraudulent or aggressive in any way.

Maybe you can make an argument that insider trading is unethical (if not immoral) for someone who works in the financial industry, since they directly benefit from the image of transparency that the markets have created and their action might potentially harm that image. But I see no reason why Average Joe on the street in David's terrorist example is doing anything wrong by trying to profit from his knowledge, any more than I am doing something wrong when I bet against Kentucky's football team because a friend who's a manager tells me our best wide receiver has looked gimpy in practice.
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  #3  
Old 12-02-2007, 04:25 AM
David Sklansky David Sklansky is offline
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Default Re: I Think I Have A Partial Answer

"i'd say if you got a tip from a CEO but he turned out to actually be wrong (or lied to you), you'd definitely still be guilty of insider trading because your intent was to trade on information you knew was nonpublic."

It would be illegal. But not because the information was "non public". It would be because the information "knowingly" was disclosed from the "inside".

Oh well. Obviously the market is just like poker was thirty years ago. I had to ask a few qustions at first to get the hang of things. Then I quickly realized that if I wanted more complex answers, I'd have to ask myself.
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