Make use of the financial statement data provided in Question 2 for Safety-First, Inc., and answer the following questions:

a. Calculate the operating profit margins and the NOPAT margins in 2018 and 2019 for Safety-First, Inc. What changes occurred?

b. Calculate the operating return on assets (or the ventures basic earning power) using year-end balance sheet information for both 2018 and 2019. Describe what happened in terms of operating return performance.

c. Did the venture benefit from using interest-bearing debt in the form of bank loans and long-term debt in 2018 and 2019?