Which term describes information that could influence an investor's decision and is not yet public?

• A. Material non-public information.
• B. Public information.
• C. Non-material public information.
• D. Insider tips with public release.

Answer: (A)

Material non-public information describes something an investor would consider important to a decision, but which has not yet been disclosed to the public. Material means the information could influence a reasonable investor’s view of the stock, potentially affecting the decision to buy, hold, or sell. Non-public means it isn’t available to everyone in the market yet, so trading on it could give an unfair advantage and may be illegal. In contrast, public information is already available to all investors and wouldn’t shift decisions in the same way, and non-material public information isn’t significant enough to influence a decision. The idea of insider tips with public release isn’t a standard term and would imply information that has already become public, losing its insider status.