Last year the price per share of Stock X increased by k percent and the earnings per share of Stock X increased by m percent, where k is greater than m. By what percent did the ratio of price per share to earnings per share increase, in terms of k and m?
A) k/m%
B) (k-m)%
C) 100(k-m)/100+k %
D) 100(k-m)/100+m %
E) 100(k-m)/100+k+m %
Original ratio:
Let the original price = 100 and the original earnings = 100.
Resulting ratio:
price/earnings = 100/100 = 1.
New ratio:
Let k=200 and m=100.
Since the price increases by k=200%, the new price = 100 + (200/100)(100) = 300.
Since the earnings increase by m=100%, the new earnings = 100 + (100/100) = 200.
Resulting ratio:
(new price)/(new earnings) = 300/200 = 1.5.
Since the old ratio = 1 and the new ratio = 1.5, the ratio increases by 50%. This is our target.
Now plug k=200 and m=100 into the answers to see which yields our target of 50.
Only
D works:
100(k-m)/(100+m) = (100)(200-100) / (100+100) = 50.
The correct answer is
D.
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