Suppose that in August 1997 you purchased shares in Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS). It is now five years later and you decide to evaluate your holdings to see if you have done well with this investment. The table below shows the market prices of SPLS.

a. Enter the data, as shown, into a worksheet and format the prices to display as fractions in sixteenths.

b. Create a formula to calculate your rate of return for each year.

c. Create a line chart showing the stock price from August 1997 to August 2002. Make sure to title the chart and label the axes.

d. Experiment with the formatting possibilities of the chart.

For example, you might try changing the line to a three dimensional line and fill the plot area with a marble background.

Staples, Inc. Stock Prices*

Date Price August 1997 12.3125 1998 29.1250 1999 20.7500 2000 11.8125 2001 18.6875 2002