Net sales of the Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corporation for the period beginning in 1975 and ending in 1984 were:
Year Net Sales
1975 1.3
1976 1.7
1977 2.0
1978 2.3
1979 2.7
1980 3.0
1981 2.7
1982 2.5
1983 2.5
1984 3.2
a) Plot the data and use the least square-coded method to compute the trend equation.
b) Is the trend linear? Give the reasons for your opinion.
c) Forecast the 1987 sales.
d) According to many researchers, upto how many years you can predict on the basis of the above data.