From the four options lettered A to D, choose the word that is the most...

WAEC 2013

In recent times, more and more people have become aware of the -76- of the stock market and the possibility of making huge profits from investing in stocks and shares. The process is quite easy: a person either buys the shares directly during a public -77- or does so through professional institutions or experts known as stock -78- . Thereafter, the buyer is issued with a share -79- to show that he owns shares in a company.
Investing in stocks and shares can be for a long or short term. A long-term investor does not hurry to sell his shares at any slight increase in price but instead is satisfied with the -80- which the company sends to him and other -81- annually from the -82- it declares. This is usually paid according to the number of -83- the investor holds. Those who invest for a short-term, on the other hand, sell their shares as soon as they can make reasonable profit from their investment.
However, it is advisable to be cautious because the stock market can be very -84- and occasionally there are -85- .

From the four options lettered A to D, choose the word that is the most suitable to fill the number 77 in the passage.