Question

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	$	920,000	$	1,160,000
Marketable securities		0		300,000
Accounts receivable, net		2,540,000		1,640,000
Inventory		3,560,000		2,100,000
Prepaid expenses		250,000		190,000
Total current assets		7,270,000		5,390,000
Plant and equipment, net		9,440,000		9,010,000
Total assets	$	16,710,000	$	14,400,000
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity
Liabilities:
Current liabilities	$	3,970,000	$	2,900,000
Note payable, 10%		3,640,000		3,040,000
Total liabilities		7,610,000		5,940,000
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, $75 par value		7,500,000		7,500,000
Retained earnings		1,600,000		960,000
Total stockholders' equity		9,100,000		8,460,000
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$	16,710,000	$	14,400,000

Lydex Company Comparative Income Statement and Reconciliation
	This Year		Last Year
Sales (all on account)	$	15,820,000	$	13,180,000
Cost of goods sold		12,656,000		9,885,000
Gross margin		3,164,000		3,295,000
Selling and administrative expenses		1,400,000		1,588,000
Net operating income		1,764,000		1,707,000
Interest expense		364,000		304,000
Net income before taxes		1,400,000		1,403,000
Income taxes (30%)		420,000		420,900
Net income		980,000		982,100
Common dividends		340,000		491,050
Net income retained		640,000		491,050
Beginning retained earnings		960,000		468,950
Ending retained earnings	$	1,600,000	$	960,000

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	1.1
Average collection period	40	days
Average sale period	60	days
Return on assets	8.8	%
Debt-to-equity ratio	0.7
Times interest earned ratio	5.8
Price-earnings ratio	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 $1,630,000.) (Use 365 days in a year. Round your intermediate calculations and final answer to 2 decimal place.)

e. The average sale period. (The inventory at the beginning of last year totaled $1,990,000.) (Use 365 days in a year. Round your intermediate calculations and final answer to 2 decimal place.)

f. The operating cycle. (Round your intermediate calculations and final answer to 2 decimal place.)

g. The total asset turnover. (The total assets at the beginning of last year totaled $14,570,000.) (Round your final answers to 2 decimal places.)

Answer 1