A sheaf of papers in her hand, your friend and colleague, Madison, steps into your office and asked the following.   MADISON: Do you have 10 or 15 minutes that you can spare?   YOU: Sure, I’ve got a meeting in an hour, but I don’t want to start something new and then be interrupted by the meeting, so how can I help?   MADISON: I’ve been reviewing the company’s financial statements and looking for ways to improve our performance, in general, and the company’s return on equity, or ROE, in particular. Xavier, my new team leader, suggested that I start by using a DuPont analysis, and I’d like to run my numbers and conclusions by you to see whether I’ve missed anything. Here are the balance sheet and income statement data that Xavier gave me, and here are my notes with my calculations. Could you start by making sure that my numbers are correct?   YOU: Give me a minute to look at these financial statements and to remember what I know about the DuPont analysis.   Balance Sheet Data Income Statement Data Cash $1,300,000 Accounts payable $1,560,000 Sales $26,000,000 Accounts receivable 2,600,000 Accruals 520,000 Cost of goods sold 13,000,000 Inventory 3,900,000 Notes payable 2,080,000 Gross profit 13,000,000  Current assets 7,800,000 Current liabilities 4,160,000 Operating expenses 6,500,000     Long-term debt 6,760,000 EBIT 6,500,000     Total liabilities 10,920,000 Interest expense 1,060,800     Common stock 1,170,000 EBT 5,439,200 Net fixed assets 7,800,000 Retained earnings 3,510,000 Taxes 1,903,720     Total equity 4,680,000 Net income $3,535,480 Total assets $15,600,000 Total debt and equity $15,600,000       If I remember correctly, the DuPont equation breaks down our ROE into three component ratios: the    , the total asset turnover ratio, and the    .   And, according to my understanding of the DuPont equation and its calculation of ROE, the three ratios provide insights into the company’s    , effectiveness in using the company’s assets, and    .   Now, let’s see your notes with your ratios, and then we can talk about possible strategies that will improve the ratios. I’m going to check the box to the side of your calculated value if your calculation is correct and leave it unchecked if your calculation is incorrect. Canis Major Veterinary Supplies Inc. DuPont Analysis Ratios Value Correct/Incorrect Ratios Value Correct/Incorrect Profitability ratios     Asset management ratio     Gross profit margin (%) 50.00      Total assets turnover 1.67      Operating profit margin (%) 20.92            Net profit margin (%) 22.66      Financial ratios     Return on equity (%) 54.11      Equity multiplier 1.43          MADISON: OK, it looks like I’ve got a couple of incorrect values, so show me your calculations, and then we can talk strategies for improvement.   YOU: I’ve just made rough calculations, so let me complete this table by inputting the components of each ratio and its value:   Do not round intermediate calculations and round your final answers up to two decimals. Canis Major Veterinary Supplies Inc. DuPont Analysis Ratios Calculation   Value Profitability ratios Numerator   Denominator     Gross profit margin (%)   /   =   Operating profit margin (%)   /   =   Net profit margin (%)   /   =   Return on equity (%)   /   =   Asset management ratio           Total assets turnover   /   =   Financial ratios           Equity multiplier   /   =       MADISON: I see what I did wrong in my computations. Thanks for reviewing these calculations with me. You saved me from a lot of embarrassment! Xavier would have been very disappointed in me if I had showed him my original work. So, now let’s switch topics and identify general strategies that could be used to positively affect Canis Major’s ROE.   YOU: OK, so given your knowledge of the component ratios used in the DuPont equation, which of the following strategies should improve the company’s ROE?    Check all that apply. Reduce the company’s operating expenses, its cost of goods sold, and/or the interest rate on its borrowed funds because this will increase the company’s net profit margin.   Increase the interest rate on its notes payable or long-term debt obligations because it will reduce the company’s net profit margin.   Decrease the amount of debt financing used by the company, which will decrease the total assets turnover ratio.   Decrease the company’s use of debt capital because it will decrease the equity multiplier.       MADISON: I think I understand now. Thanks for taking the time to go over this with me, and let me know when I can return the favor.