Stocks A and B have the following historical returns.

Year	Stock As Return, rA	Stock Bs Return, rB
2007	(24.25%)	5.50%
2008	18.50	26.73
2009	38.67	48.25
2010	14.33	(4.50)
2011	39.13	43.86

a. Calculate the average rate of return for each stock during the period 2007 through 2011. Assume that someone held a portfolio consisting of 50% of Stock A and 50% of stock B. what would the realized rate of return on the portfolio have been in each year from 2007 through 2011 ? what would the average return on the portfolio have been during that period ?

b. Calculate the standard deviation of returns for each stock and for the portfolio. Use equation 8-2a.

c. Looking at the annual returns on the two stocks, would you guess that the correlation coefficient between the two stocks is closer to +0.8 or to -0.8 ?

d. If more randomly selected stocks had been included in the portfolio, which of the following is the most accurate statement of what would have happered to o_p ?

Op would have remained constant.

Op would have been in the vicinity of 20 %.

Op would have declined to zero if enough stocks had been included.