Final answer:
The average rate of return for Spill Oil Company's stock over the last three years is calculated by summing the rates of -8%, 11%, and 24% and then dividing by 3, resulting in an average of 9%.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the average rate of return for Spill Oil Company's stocks over the past three years, we need to average the three given rates of return: -8%, 11%, and 24%. The sum of the rates is -8 + 11 + 24, which equals 27. To find the average, we divide this sum by the number of values, which is 3.
The calculation for the average rate of return is as follows:
27% รท 3 = 9%
Therefore, the average rate of return for Spill Oil Company's stock over the last three years is 9%, which corresponds to Option 1.