Answer:
the most spend on research will be $12,000
Explanation:
given data
earn = 2% more
trading costs = 0.5%
stock portfolio = $800,000
solution
we know that here net earnings due to research is expected is
net earnings due to research = 2% - 0.5 % = 1.5 % of stock portfolio
so
spend on research is = 1.5 % of stock portfolio
spend on research is = $800,000 × 1.5%
spend on research is = $12,000
so here when we spend more than $12,000 it end up in a net loss
so the most spend on research will be $12,000