Chapter 5 Presents Evidence That the Average Annual Rate of Return

question 16

Essay

Chapter 5 presents evidence that the average annual rate of return on common stocks over many years has exceeded the return on government bonds in the United States,while returns on common stocks have also exhibited more volatility than returns on U.S.government bonds.Suppose that last year,the realized rate of return on government bonds exceeded the return on common stocks.Your colleague suggests that "last year shows us that investors are now willing to settle for lower returns on stocks than on bonds." How would you interpret this result?

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Definitions:

Future

The time or period that is to come which has not occurred yet.

Intimacy or Isolation

A stage in Erik Erikson's psychosocial development theory focusing on young adults' ability to form close relationships versus experiencing loneliness and isolation.

Young Adults

Young adults are individuals in the age group that follows adolescence, typically considered to be between the ages of 18 and 25.

Erik Erikson

A developmental psychologist known for his theory on the psychosocial development of human beings.