Answer:
As the required rate of return of the Merchants bank (7.131%) is more than its expected return of (7%), the Merchants Bank is overvalued/overpriced.
Explanation:
Using the CAPM, we can calculate the required rate of return on a stock. This is the minimum return required by the investors to invest in a stock based on its systematic risk, the market's risk premium and the risk free rate.
The formula for required rate of return under CAPM is,
r = rRF + Beta * rpM
Where,
r = 0.021 + 0.78 * 0.0645
r = 0.07131 or 7.131%
As the required rate of return of the Merchants bank (7.131%) is more than its expected return of (7%), the Merchants Bank is overvalued/overpriced.