(Measuring risk and rates of return)

a. Given the holding-period returns shown

MONTH ZEMIN CORP. MARKET 1 6% 5% 2 3% 3% 3 2% 0% 4 -2% -1% 5 6% 1% 6 2% 1%

, compute the average returns and the standard deviations for the Zemin Corporation and for the market.

b. If Zemin's beta is 0.98 and the risk-free rate is 7 percent, what would be an appropriate required return for an investor owning Zemin?

(Note: Because the returns of Zemin Corporation are based on monthly data, you will need to annualize the returns to make them compatible with the risk-free rate. For simplicity, you can convert from monthly to yearly returns by multiplying the average monthly returns by 12.)

c. How does Zemin's historical average return compare with the return you believe to be a fair return, given the firm's systematic risk?