Examine the financial performance of Apple and Samsung using the following data for the fiscal year 2019:

($ millions)	Apple	Samsung
Net sales	$260,174	$200,652
Cost of goods sold	$161,782	$120,392
Gross profit	$98,392	$80,260
Operating expenses	$42,379	$39,110
Operating income	$56,013	$41,150
Interest and other (income) expense	$500	$600
Earnings before provision for income taxes	$55,513	$40,550
Provision for income taxes	$14,500	$10,140
Net earnings	$41,013	$30,410

Required: a. Compute the gross profit margin, operating profit margin, and net profit margin for each company. b. Calculate the return on equity (ROE) and return on assets (ROA) for each company. Assume Apple's equity is $90,000 million and total assets are $323,888 million, while Samsung's equity is $85,000 million and total assets are $305,000 million. c. Determine the debt-to-equity ratio for each company. d. Discuss which company appears more profitable based on your calculations and provide reasons for your conclusion. e. Perform a trend analysis for net earnings by comparing 2018 and 2017 data, which are $45,687 million and $39,782 million for Apple and $32,450 million and $28,300 million for Samsung, respectively.