C and S Metal Company Produces Stainless Steel Pots and Pans

C and S Metal Company produces stainless steel pots and pans. C and S can pursue either of two distribution plans for the coming year. The firm can either produce pots and pans for sale under a discount store label or manufacture a higher quality line for specialty stores and expensive mail order catalogs. High initial setup costs along with C and S's limited capacity make it impossible for the firm to produce both lines. Profits under each plan depend upon the state of the economy. One of three conditions will prevail:
growth (probability = 0.3)
normal (probability = 0.5)
recession (probability = 0.2)
The outcome under each plan for each state of the economy is given in the table below. Figures in the table are profits measured in dollars. The probabilities for each economic condition represent crude estimates.
Economic Condition Discount Line Specialty Line
Growth 250,000 400,000
Normal 220,000 230,000
Recession 140,000 20,000
a. Calculate the expected value for each alternative.
b. Which alternative is more risky? (Calculate the standard deviation of profits for each alternative.)
c. Taking into account the importance of risk, which alternative should an investor choose?