单选题 Comparative income statements for E Company and G Company for the year ended December 31 show the following (in $ millions):

{{I}}E Company{{/I}}
{{I}}G Company{{/I}}
Sales
70
90
Cost of Goods Sold
{{U}}(30){{/U}}
{{U}}(40){{/U}}
Gross Profit
40
50
Sales and Administration
(5)
(15)
Depreciation
{{U}}(5){{/U}}
{{U}}(10){{/U}}
Operating Profit
30
25
Interest Expense
{{U}}(20){{/U}}
{{U}}(5){{/U}}
Earnings Before Taxes
10
20
Income Taxes
{{U}}(4){{/U}}
{{U}}(8){{/U}}
Earnings after Taxes
6
12
The financial risk of E Company, as measured by the interest coverage ratio, is: A. higher than G Company's because its interest coverage ratio is less than one-third of G Company's. B. higher than G Company's because its interest coverage ratio is less than G Company's, but at least one-third of G Company's. C. lower than G Company's because its interest coverage ratio is more than G Company's but less than three times G Company's.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】E Company's interest coverage ratio (EBIT/interest expense) is (30/20=)1.5. G Company's interest coverage ratio is (25/5=)5.0. Higher interest coverage means greater ability to cover required interest and lease payments. Note that 1.5/5.0=0.30, which means the interest coverage for E Company is less than 1/3 that of G Company.