Oscar bought shares in four different stocks. The chart below shows the changes in the stocks’ values over the past week. Which stock is closest to its purchase price?

Question

Oscar’s Stocks
Stock
Change
ABC Toys
–$3
Golden Grains
+$4
Fast Cars
–$8
XYZ Clothing
+$1

ABC Toys
Golden Grains
Fast Cars
XYZ Clothing

Answer 1

To determine which stock is closest to its purchase price, we need to assess the absolute values of the changes for each stock:

• ABC Toys: Change of -$3 (absolute value = 3)
• Golden Grains: Change of +$4 (absolute value = 4)
• Fast Cars: Change of -$8 (absolute value = 8)
• XYZ Clothing: Change of +$1 (absolute value = 1)

Now we compare these values:

• ABC Toys: 3
• Golden Grains: 4
• Fast Cars: 8
• XYZ Clothing: 1

The smallest absolute change is for XYZ Clothing, which has an absolute value change of 1. Therefore, XYZ Clothing is closest to its purchase price.