The Economic Statistics Bureau has recorded the number of company liquidations over 27 time periods as follows:
Period
|
Liquidations
|
Period
|
Liquidations
|
Period
|
Liquidations
|
1
|
246
|
10
|
273
|
19
|
234
|
2
|
243
|
11
|
284
|
20
|
162
|
3
|
269
|
12
|
305
|
21
|
240
|
4
|
357
|
13
|
293
|
22
|
298
|
5
|
163
|
14
|
348
|
23
|
264
|
6
|
154
|
15
|
423
|
24
|
253
|
7
|
109
|
16
|
291
|
25
|
293
|
8
|
162
|
17
|
320
|
26
|
302
|
9
|
222
|
18
|
253
|
27
|
188
|
(a) Use Excel to compute both a three-period and a five-period moving average time series of company liquidations.
(b) Plot the original time series of company liquidations and the three-period and five-period moving average values on the same graph. Use Excel's Line graph option in the Insert > Chart tab.
(c) Comment on the pattern of company liquidations over this time period.