Net sales, net income, and common stockholders' equity for Bear Utilities, Inc., for a six-year period follow.

\section*{Required}
1. Compute trend percentages for each item for \(19 \times 3\) through \(19 \times 7\). Use \(19 \times 2\) as the base year.
2. Compute the rate of return on average common stockholders' equity for \(19 \mathrm{X} 3\) through \(19 \mathrm{X} 7\), rounding to three decimal places. In this industry, rates of 13 percent are average, rates above 16 percent are considered good, and rates above 20 percent are viewed as outstanding.
3. How does Bear's return on common stockholders' equity compare with the industry?

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19X7 19X6 19X5 19X4 19X3 19X2 (amounts in thousands) Net sales $761 $714 $641 $662 $642 $634 Net income. 61 45 32 481 41 40 Ending common stockholders' equity... 386 354 330 296 272 252