Ratio of liabilities to stockholders$$ equity and times interest earned

The following data were taken from the financial statements of Hunter Inc. for December $31$ of two recent years:

Line Item Description Current

Year Previous

Year

Accounts payable $$382,000$ $$120,000$

Current maturities of serial bonds payable $250,000250,000$

Serial bonds payable, $10\%1,060,0001,310,000$

Common stock, $$1$ par value $60,00080,000$

Paid$-$in capital in excess of par $620,000620,000$

Retained earnings $2,140,0001,700,000$

The income before income tax expense was $$419,200$ and $$366,800$ for the current and previous years, respectively.

a$.$ Determine the ratio of liabilities to stockholders' equity at the end of each year. Round your answers to one decimal place.

Line Item Description Ratio

Current year fill in the blank $1$

$0\mathrm{.}60$

Previous year fill in the blank $2$

$0\mathrm{.}70$

b$.$ Determine the times interest earned ratio for both years. Round your answers to one decimal place.

Line Item Description Ratio

Current year fill in the blank $3$

Previous year fill in the blank $4$

$2\mathrm{.}4$

c$.$ The ratio of liabilities to stockholders' equity has fill in the blank $1$ of $4$

improved

and the number of times bond interest charges were earned has fill in the blank $2$ of $4$

improved

from the previous year. These results are the combined result of a fill in the blank $3$ of $4$

larger

income before income taxes and fill in the blank $4$ of $4$

lower

interest expense in the current year compared to the previous year.