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Please need help asap with the attached question.

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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 Assets Current assets: Cash Marketable securities Accounts receivable, net Inventory Prepaid expenses 980,000 0 2,780,000 3,620,000 260,000 $ 1,220,000 300,000 1,880,000 2,200,000 200,000 7,640,000 9,560,000 5,800,000 9,070,000 Total assets $17,200,000 $14,870,000 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Liabilities: Current liabilities Note payable, 10% $ 4,030,000 3,680,000 $ 3,020,000 3,080,000 Total liabilities 7,710,000 6,100,000 Stockholders' equity: Common stock, $75 par value Retained earnings 7,500,000 1,990,000 7,500,000 1,270,000 Total stockholders' equity 9,490,000 8,770,000 $17,200,000 $14,870,000 Total current assets Plant and equipment, net Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ Last Year Lydex Company Comparative Income Statement and Reconciliation This Year Last Year Sales (all on account) Cost of goods sold $15,880,000 12,704,000 $ 13,780,000 10,335,000 Gross margin Selling and administrative expenses 3,176,000 1,208,000 3,445,000 1,612,000 Net operating income Interest expense 1,968,000 368,000 1,833,000 308,000 Net income before taxes Income taxes (30%) 1,600,000 480,000 1,525,000 457,500 Net income Common dividends 1,120,000 400,000 1,067,500 533,750 Net income retained Beginning retained earnings 720,000 1,270,000 533,750 736,250 $ 1,990,000 $ 1,270,000 Ending retained earnings To begin your assigment 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 sale period Return on assets Debt-to-equity ratio Times interest earned ratio Price-earnings ratio 2.4 1.1 32 days 60 days % 9.5 .68 5.8 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 intermediate calculations and final percentage answers to 1 decimal place. i.e., 0.123 should be considered as 12.3%. Round the rest of the intermediate calculations and final 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 $13,090,000.) e.The return on equity. (Stockholders' equity at the beginning of last year totaled $8,236,250. There has been no change in common stock over the last two years.) f. Is the company's financial leverage positive or negative