Paul Sabin organized Sabin Electronics 10 years ago to produce and sell several electronic devices on which he had secured patents. Although the company has been fairly profitable, it is now experiencing a severe cash shortage. For this reason, it is requesting a $700,000 long-term loan from Gulfport State Bank, $200,000 of which will be used to bolster the Cash account and $500,000 of which will be used to modernize equipment. The companys financial statements for the two most recent years follow:

Sabin Electronics
Comparative Balance Sheet
	This Year		Last Year
Assets
Current assets:
Cash	$	150,000	$	350,000
Marketable securities		0		17,000
Accounts receivable, net		737,000		500,000
Inventory		1,145,000		795,000
Prepaid expenses		38,000		42,000
Total current assets		2,070,000		1,704,000
Plant and equipment, net		2,300,800		1,530,000
Total assets	$	4,370,800	$	3,234,000
Liabilities and Stockholders Equity
Liabilities:
Current liabilities	$	900,000	$	420,000
Bonds payable, 12%		900,000		900,000
Total liabilities		1,800,000		1,320,000
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, $20 par		890,000		890,000
Retained earnings		1,680,800		1,024,000
Total stockholders equity		2,570,800		1,914,000
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$	4,370,800	$	3,234,000

Sabin Electronics
Comparative Income Statement and Reconciliation
	This Year		Last Year
Sales	$	6,000,000	$	4,950,000
Cost of goods sold		4,075,000		3,650,000
Gross margin		1,925,000		1,300,000
Selling and administrative expenses		693,000		588,000
Net operating income		1,232,000		712,000
Interest expense		108,000		108,000
Net income before taxes		1,124,000		604,000
Income taxes (30%)		337,200		181,200
Net income		786,800		422,800
Common dividends		130,000		109,000
Net income retained		656,800		313,800
Beginning retained earnings		1,024,000		710,200
Ending retained earnings	$	1,680,800	$	1,024,000

2. You decide next to assess the companys profitability. Compute the following for both this year and last year:

a. The gross margin percentage.

b. The net profit margin percentage.

c. The return on total assets. (Total assets at the beginning of last year were $3,194,000.)

d. The return on equity. (Stockholders equity at the beginning of last year was $1,904,000.)

e. Is the companys financial leverage positive or negative?