Firms U and L Both Have a Return on Invested

Multiple Choice

Firms U and L both have a return on invested capital (ROIC) of 12% and each has the same amount of assets.Firm U is unleveraged, i.e., it is 100% equity financed, while Firm L is financed with 50% debt and 50% equity.Firm L's debt has an after-tax cost of 4.8%.Both firms have positive net income.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

A) Firm L has a lower ROA than Firm U.
B) Firm L has a lower ROE than Firm U.
C) Firm L has the higher times interest earned (TIE) ratio.
D) Firm L has a higher EBIT than Firm U.
E) The two companies have the same times interest earned (TIE) ratio.