The following data were extracted from the 2010 financial statements of Penske Automotive Group, Inc. This company operates automobile dealerships, mostly in the United States and the United Kingdom. The company had 323 dealerships as of the end of 2010.
Required:
a. Compute Penske's gross margin percentage for 2010 and 2009.
b. Compute Penske's average days to sell inventory for 2010 and 2009.
c. How much higher or lower would Penske's earnings before taxes have been in 2010 if its gross margin percentage had been the same as it was in 2009? Show all supporting computations.