Strider Outfitters declared and paid a cash dividend of $$8,100$ in the current year. Its comparative financial statements, prepared at December $31,$ reported the following summarized information:

Current Year Previous Year

Income Statement

Sales Revenue $ $185,000$ $ $159,000$

Cost of Goods Sold $82,00078,000$

Gross Profit $103,00081,000$

Operating Expenses $51,00045,000$

Interest Expense $5,5005,500$

Income before Income Tax Expense $46,50030,500$

Income Tax Expense $(30\%)13,9509,150$

Net Income $ $32,550$ $ $21,350$

Balance Sheet

Cash $ $89,075$ $ $23,000$

Accounts Receivable, Net $32,00027,000$

Inventory $40,00053,000$

Property and Equipment, Net $110,000120,000$

Total Assets $ $271,075$ $ $223,000$

Accounts Payable $ $57,000$ $ $33,500$

Income Tax Payable $1,3751,250$

Notes Payable $($long$-$term$)55,00055,000$

Total Liabilities $113,37589,750$

Common Stock $($par $$10)99,00099,000$

Retained Earnings $58,70034,250$

Total Liabilities and Stockholders$$ Equity $ $271,075$ $ $223,000$

Required:

Compute the gross profit percentage in the current and previous years. Are the current$-$year results better, or worse, than those for the previous year?

Compute the net profit margin for the current and previous years. Are the current$-$year results better, or worse, than those for the previous year?

Compute the earnings per share for the current and previous years. Are the current$-$year results better, or worse, than those for the previous year?

Stockholders$$ equity totaled $$115,000$ at the beginning of the previous year. Compute the return on equity $($ROE$)$ ratios for the current and previous years. Are the current$-$year results better, or worse, than those for the previous year?

Net property and equipment totaled $$125,000$ at the beginning of the previous year. Compute the fixed asset turnover ratios for the current and previous years. Are the current$-$year results better, or worse, than those for the previous year?

Compute the debt$-$to$-$assets ratios for the current and previous years. Is debt providing financing for a larger or smaller proportion of the company$$s asset growth?

Compute the times interest earned ratios for the current and previous years. Are the current$-$year results better, or worse, than those for the previous year?

After Strider Outfitters released its current year$$s financial statements, the company$$s stock was trading at $$33.$ After the release of its previous year$$s financial statements, the company$$s stock price was $$30$ per share. Compute the P$/$E ratios for both years. Does it appear that investors have become more $($or less$)$ optimistic about Strider$$s future success?