Boxplots of earnings per share (EPS) data for a sample of retail company stocks and a sample of energy company stocks are shown below. Which of the following statements
Is correct?
A) The median EPS is higher for energy stocks compared to retail stocks.
B) The median EPS is higher for retail stocks compared to energy stocks.
C) The IQR for the EPS data is larger for retail stocks than for energy stocks.
D) The EPS data are more variable for retail stocks than for energy stocks.
E) The mean is higher for energy stocks compared to retail stocks.

Question

Boxplots of earnings per share (EPS) data for a sample of retail company stocks and a sample of energy company stocks are shown below. Which of the following statements
Is correct? 
A) The median EPS is higher for energy stocks compared to retail stocks. 
B) The median EPS is higher for retail stocks compared to energy stocks. 
C) The IQR for the EPS data is larger for retail stocks than for energy stocks. 
D) The EPS data are more variable for retail stocks than for energy stocks. 
E) The mean is higher for energy stocks compared to retail stocks.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The median EPS for retail stocks is approximately 2.5, while the median EPS for energy stocks is approximately 1.8. Therefore, the median EPS is higher for retail stocks compared to energy stocks. Option A is incorrect. The IQR for retail stocks is approximately 1.8-2.9=1.1, while the IQR for energy stocks is approximately 0.6-2.0=1.4. Therefore, the IQR for EPS data is larger for energy stocks than for retail stocks. Option C is incorrect. The boxplots show that the range of EPS data for retail stocks is wider than for energy stocks. Therefore, the EPS data are more variable for retail stocks than for energy stocks. Option D is incorrect. The mean is not provided in the given boxplots. Therefore, option E cannot be determined.

Boxplots of Earnings Per Share (EPS) Data for a Sample