Financial planners often suggest international mutual funds to boost the entire performance of investor's portfolio. The year's performance figures for U.S stock funds and for international stock are as follows, in percentages.
|
Year
|
U.S. Stock Funds (X)
|
International Stock Funds
|
|
1983
|
21.77
|
27.73
|
|
1984
|
-1.2
|
-4.71
|
|
1985
|
28.52
|
44.44
|
|
1986
|
14.53
|
41.4
|
|
1987
|
1.17
|
7.02
|
|
1988
|
15.75
|
17.43
|
|
1989
|
25.09
|
21.98
|
|
1990
|
-6.11
|
-12.07
|
|
1991
|
36.67
|
12.51
|
|
1992
|
9.11
|
-4.48
|
|
1993
|
9.17
|
25.65
|
a) Compute the mean, median, variance, standard deviation
b) Using part(a), explain to an investor the differences between distribution of performance figures for the two kinds of stock funds.