Professionalism in Ethical Decision-Making

Maria is a financial analyst working for a boutique investment firm. She has been asked by her supervisor to provide a report on potential investment opportunities in a specific sector. During her analysis, Maria finds significant data that suggests a specific company in that sector is financially unstable due to undisclosed liabilities. Maria's supervisor instructs her to omit this information from the report, believing that it could negatively impact client relations and firm profits.

As Maria, how should you approach this situation considering the Ethical and Professional Standards outlined in the CFA Institute's Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct? Discuss the importance of professionalism in your decision-making process.