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: Assets Current assets: Lydex Company Comparative Balance Sheet This Year Last Year Cash Marketable securities Accounts receivable, net Inventory Prepaid expenses Total current assets Plant and equipment, net Total assets Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Liabilities: Current 11abilities Note payable, 10% Total liabilities Stockholders' equity: Common stock, $78 par value Retained earnings Total stockholders' equity Total liabilities and stockholders' equity Lydex Company $960,000 $ 1,260,000 300,000 2,700,000 3,900,000 240,000 7,800,000 9,300,000 $ 17,100,000 $ 3,900,000 3,600,000 7,500,000 7,800,000 1,800,000 19,600,000 $ 17,100,000 Comparative Incone Statement and Reconciliation Sales (all on account) Cost of goods sold Gross margin. Selling and administrative expenses Net operating income Interest expense Net income before taxes Income taxes (30%) Net income Connon dividends Net income retained Beginning retained earnings Ending retained earnings. This Year $ 15,750,000 12,600,000 3,150,000 1,590.000 1,500,000 1,800,000 2,400,000 180,000 5,940,000 8,940,000 $ 14,880,000 $ 2,760,000 3,000,000 5,760,000 7,800,000 1,320,000 9,120,000 $ 14,880,000 Last Year $ 12,480,000 9,900.000 2,580,000 1,560,000 1,020,000 360,000 300,000 1,200,000 720,000 360.000 216.000 840,000 504,000 360,000 252,000 252,000 1,320,0001 1,068,600 $1,800,000 $ 1,320,000 To begin your assignment you gather the following financial data and ratios that are typical of companies in Lydex Company's Industry: Current ratio 2.3 Acid-test ratio Average collection period 1.2 30 days Average sale period 60 days Return on assets 9.5% Debt-to-equity ratio. 0.65 Tines interest earned ratio Price-earnings ratio. 5.7 10 3. You decide, finally, to assess the company's liquidity and asset management. For both this year and last year, compute a. Working capital. b. The current ratio. (Round your final answers to 2 decimal places.) c. The acid-test ratio. (Round your final answers to 2 decimal places.) d. The average collection period. (The accounts receivable at the beginning of last year totaled $1,560,000) (Use 365 days in a year. Round your Intermediate calculations and final answers to 1 decimal place.) e. The average sale period. (The Inventory at the beginning of last year totaled $1,920,000) (Use 365 days in a year. Round your Intermediate calculations and final answers to 1 decimal place.) f. The operating cycle. (Round your Intermediate calculations and final answers to 1 decimal place) g. The total asset turnover. (The total assets at the beginning of last year totaled $12.960,000.) (Round your final answers to 2 decimal places.) a Working capital b. The current ratio c. The acid-test ratio This Year Last Year d. The average collection period days days e. The average sale period days days f. The operating cycle days days g. The total asset turnover 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 $12.960,000.) e. The return on equity. (Stockholders' equity at the beginning of last year totaled $9,048,000. There has been no change in common stock over the last two years.) f. Is the company's financial leverage positive or negative? a The times interest eamed ratio b. The debt-to-equity ratio This Year Last Year c. The gross margin percentage % % d. The return on total assets e. The return on equity % % % f. Is the company's financial leverage positive or negative? 1