Required information (The following information applies to the questions displayed below.] You have just been hired as a financial analyst for Lydex Company, a manufacturer of safety helmets. Your boss has asked you to perform a comprehensive analysis of the company's financial statements, including comparing Lydex's performance to its major competitors. The company's financial statements for the last two years are as follows: Lydex Company Comparative Balance sheet This Year Last Year Assets Current assets Cash $ 1,010,000 $1,250,000 Marketable securities 300,000 Accounts receivable, net 2,900,000 2,000,000 Inventory 3,650,000 2,000,000 Prepaid expenses 270,000 210,000 Total current assets 7,830,000 5,760,000 Plant and equipment, bet 9,620,000 9,100,000 Total assets $17.450,000 $14,860,000 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Liabilities: Current liabilities 4,060,000 $ 3,000.000 Note payable. 108 3.700.000 2.100,000 Total liabilities 7,760,000 6.180,000 Stockholders' equity: Common stock, $70 par value 7,000,000 2.000.000 Retained earnings 2.690,000 1.680,000 Total stockholdere' equity 9,690,000 8.680,000 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $17.450.000 $14,060,000 Lydex Company Comparative Income Statement and Reconciliation This Year Last Year Sales (all on account) $ 15,910,000 $ 14,000,000 Cont of goods nold 12,728.000 10,560,000 Gross margin 3,182,000 3,520,000 Selling and administrative expenses 912,000 1,628,000 Bet operating income 2,270,000 1,896,000 Interest expenso 370,000 310,000 Net income before taxes 1.900,000 1.586,000 Income taxes (301) 570,000 475,800 Net income 1,330,000 1,110,200 Common dividends 320.000 SSS 100 Net income retained 1.010,000 555,100 Beginning retained earnings 1,680,000 1,124,900 Ending retained earnings $ 2,690,000 $12.680,000 To begin your assignment you gather the following financial data and ratios that are typical of companies in Lydex Company's industry: Current ratio Acid-test ratio Average collection period Average salo period Return on assets Debt-to-equity ratio Times interest earned ratio Price-carninge ratio 2.3 1.1 32 days 60 days 9.00 0.7 5.0 10 Required: 1. You decide first to assess the company's performance in terms of debt management and profitability. Compute the following for both this year and last year. (Round your "Percentage" answers to 1 decimal place and other answers to 2 decimal places.) a. The times interest earned ratio. b. The debt-to-equity ratio. c. The gross margin percentage. d. The return on total assets. (Total assets at the beginning of last year were $13,120,000.) e. The return on equity. (Stockholders' equlty at the beginning of last year totaled $8,124,900. There has been no change in common stock over the last two years.) f. Is the company's financial leverage positive or negative? This Year Last Year % a. The times interest earned ratio b. The debt-to-equity ratio c. The gross margin percentage d. The return on total assets o The rotum on equity I. Is the company's financial loverage positive or negative? % % 49 96