Select 4 equity stocks (from 4 different industries/sectors: scroll down for industry info) preferably from yahoo finance or google finance and answer the following questions [DO not use the stocks that I used in the example shown in YouTube video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUmjsvCtZ5s&t=3s 1. Briefly discuss each of the equity stocks that you picked for your project (a paragraph or two summary about the company profile). 2. Using daily frequency data and the following holding period (Nov 1st 2018 - Dec 4th, 2022) and calculate the average annual return for each equity stock, Use the formula: R = Pt-Pt-1 Pt-1 3. Compare the standard deviation of each individual security over the entire period. Which is the riskiest security and which is the least risky based on the Standard Deviation? 4. Paying special attention to the most recent COVID-19 pandemic, break down your data set and compare the risk and return attributes of your individual securities during the entire period i.e. Nov 1st 2018- Dec 2nd, 2022, during the pre COVID-19 period (from Nov 1st 2018-Feb10, 2020) and from Feb 11, 2020- Dec 2nd, 2022 (during COVID-19)? Comment on your findings. https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/covid19.html 5. Calculate all possible cross-correlations How has the correlation among these securities changed over time (before and during COVID-19 pandemic)? Plot each of the price series and comment paying special attention to the (Feb 11, 2020- Dec 2nd, 2022) during COVID-19 pandemic. 6. Build a portfolio and allocate weights as you wish for each portfolio. Calculate portfolio returns (based on average annual return that you calculated in question 2). (Note that the portfolio could be an equal weighted portfolio and you can assign 25% weight for each) Use the following formula : Rp = Wx R + Wx R2 + ....... + WnxRn Where Ws are the weights and Rs are the annual returns. 7. Compare the returns of the individual securities and the portfolio during the entire period, pre COVID-19 and during COVID 19 periods. Which security was most affected by the crisis and which security was least affected? Why? Please discuss the performance individual securities and the portfolio in depth paying special attention to the concept of diversification. 8. Download data for SP 500 (same time span and daily frequency). Calculate, betas of the individual stocks and the portfolio portfolio during the entire period, pre COVID-19 and during COVID 19 periods. Remember, you need to use the following formula to calculate the Beta of portfolios: =W +W + .....+ m W Note that for SP 500 you can use data from the following website: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/SP500 (Use daily frequency again) 9. Discuss your overall results as it relates to portfolio diversification benefits. Are are you better off with some of the stocks you have in your portfolio? Which stocks fared the worst overall and which stocks did not perform that badly? By any chance did you select a stock that was more or less unscathed by the effects of COVID 19?