Goldbrick Securities must maintain which of the following to ensure compliance regarding their trading and analyst activities?

To ensure compliance regarding trading and analyst activities, maintaining an Information Barrier is essential. An Information Barrier, also known as a "Chinese Wall," serves as a safeguard to prevent the misuse of material nonpublic information between different areas of a firm, such as the trading desk and research analysts. This separation ensures that analysts cannot unduly influence trading decisions or that traders cannot exploit privileged information about upcoming analyst reports.

This practice protects the firm from potential conflicts of interest and ensures the integrity of both trading activities and the reporting provided by analysts. In the absence of such a barrier, a firm could face regulatory scrutiny, as trading based on material nonpublic information is considered unethical and illegal under securities laws. An effective Information Barrier enhances the firm's compliance posture, ultimately supporting fair market practices.