Final answer:
a. The stock's beta is 1.75. b. If the market risk premium increased, the stock's required rate of return would also increase.
Step-by-step explanation:
a. Beta is a measure of a stock's sensitivity to changes in the overall market. In this case, the required return of 11% is the expected return on the stock. The risk-free rate of 7.5% and the market risk premium of 2% are used to calculate the required return.
To calculate the beta, we can use the formula: Beta = (Required return - Risk-free rate) / Market risk premium. Substituting the values: Beta = (0.11 - 0.075) / 0.02 = 1.75. Therefore, the stock's beta is 1.75.
b. If the market risk premium increases, it would mean that investors require a higher return for taking on the risk of investing in the stock market. As a result, the stock's required rate of return would also increase. The risk-free rate and the beta remain unchanged in this scenario.