George Stephenson’s current portfolio of $2 million is invested as follows:

Summary of Stephenson’s Current Portfolio Value Percent of Total Expected Annual Return Annual Standard Deviation Short-term bonds $ 200,000 10% 4.6% 1.6%

Domestic large-cap equities 600,000 30 12.4 19.5 Domestic small-cap equities 1,200,000 60 16.0 29.9 Total portfolio $2,000,000 100% 13.8 23.1 Stephenson soon expects to receive an additional $2 million and plans to invest the entire amount in an index fund that best complements the current portfolio. Stephanie Coppa, CFA, is evaluating the four index funds shown in the following table for their ability to produce a portfolio that will meet two criteria relative to the current portfolio: (1) maintain or enhance expected return and (2) maintain or reduce volatility Each fund is invested in an asset class that is not substantially represented in the current portfolio.
Index Fund Characteristics Index Fund Expected Annual Return Expected Annual Standard Deviation Correlation of Returns with Current Portfolio Fund A 15% 25% +0.80 Fund B 11 22 +0.60 Fund C 16 25 +0.90 Fund D 14 22 +0.65 Which fund should Coppa recommend to Stephenson? Justify your choice by describing how your chosen fund best meets both of Stephenson’s criteria. No calculations are required. P-968