Chapter 5 Presents Evidence That the Average Annual Rate of Return

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?