A random sample of 30 companies on the Forbes 500 list was selected and the relationship between sales (in hundreds of thousands of dollars) and profits (in hundreds of thousands of dollars) was investigated using regression. A least-squares regression line was fitted to the data using statistical software, with sales as the explanatory variable and profits as the response variable. Assume that the conditions for inference are met. The output from the software is below.

Dependent variable is Profits
R-squared = 66.2%
s = 466.2 with 40 - 2 = 38 degrees of freedom
Variable Coefficient s. e. of Coefficient P-value
Constant 176.644 61.16 0.0050
Sales 0.092498 0.0075 0.0001

Which of the following is an appropriate interpretation of the number 0.092498?

a) An increase in profits of $100,000 increases predicted sales by $9,249.80, on average.
b) An increase in sales of $100,000 increases predicted profits by $9,249.80, on average.
c) Sales of $100,000 correspond to predicted average profits of $9,249.80.
d) The ratio of predicted profit to observed profit is, on average, 0.092498.
e) The ratio of predicted profits to observed sales is, on average, 0.092498.