Your dad said that he was curious to know why there is so much fluctuation in the value of common stocks- In 1997 the prospects for Sun Industries became more uncertain and investors began to view it as a more risky investment than they had previously- To compensate for this added risk, investors increased their required rate of return on Sun Industries stock, resulting in a decline in its market value- This explains the factor of

What is a a stock?

A stock represents an ownership stake in a company as a common shareholder.

Common stocks allow shareholders to vote on company issues, with most companies granting one vote per share.

Some companies also offer stockholders dividend payouts, giving investors a stream of income on top of the market value of the stock.