Simon Company's year$-$end balance sheets follow.

At December $31$ Current Year $1$ Year Ago $2$ Years Ago

Assets

Cash $ $25,893$ $ $29,964$ $ $29,989$

Accounts receivable, net $77,29953,49740,801$

Merchandise inventory $96,24570,69243,014$

Prepaid expenses $8,5057,7863,332$

Plant assets, net $230,930216,399191,964$

Total assets $ $438,872$ $ $378,338$ $ $309,100$

Liabilities and Equity

Accounts payable $ $108,186$ $ $63,300$ $ $41,209$

Long$-$term notes payable $81,68385,27768,311$

Common stock, $$10$ par value $163,500163,500163,500$

Retained earnings $85,50366,26136,080$

Total liabilities and equity $ $438,872$ $ $378,338$ $ $309,100$

The company$$s income statements for the Current Year and $1$ Year Ago, follow.

For Year Ended December $31$ Current Year $1$ Year Ago

Sales $ $570,534$ $ $450,222$

Cost of goods sold $ $348,026$ $ $292,644$

Other operating expenses $176,866113,906$

Interest expense $9,69910,355$

Income tax expense $7,4176,753$

Total costs and expenses $542,008423,658$

Net income $ $28,526$ $ $26,564$

Earnings per share $ $1\mathrm{.}76$ $ $1\mathrm{.}63$

Additional information about the company follows.

Common stock market price, December $31,$ Current Year $ $29\mathrm{.}00$

Common stock market price, December $31,1$ Year Ago $27\mathrm{.}00$

Annual cash dividends per share in Current Year $0\mathrm{.}22$

Annual cash dividends per share $1$ Year Ago $0\mathrm{.}11$

For both the current year and one year ago, compute the following ratios:

$1.$ Return on common stockholders' equity.

$2.$ Dividend yield.

$3$a$.$ Price$-$earnings ratio on December $31.$

$3$b$.$ Assuming Simon's competitor has a price$-$earnings ratio of $8,$ which company has higher market expectations for future growth?Return on common stockholders' equity.

Dividend yield.

$3$a$.$ Price$-$earnings ratio on December $31.$

$3$b$.$ Assuming Simon's competitor has a price$-$earnings ratio of $8,$ which company has higher market expectations for future growth?

Complete this question by entering your answers in the tabs below.

Required $1$

Required $3$A

Required $3$B

Compute the return on common stockholders' equity for each year.