DuPont's third-quarter earnings before one-time charges jumped 78% versus the year-ago quarter, to $655 million, as higher selling prices and favorable currency benefits more than offset higher operating and raw materials costs. Reported earnings of 69 cts/share excluding one-time items were up 73% versus the year-earlier period, and 23% above the midpoint of analysts' estimates as reported by Thomson Reuters (New York). Sales advanced 32%, to $9.2 billion, reflecting 15% higher local prices, 4% favorable currency effect, 1% higher volume and a 12% net increase from acquisition and divestiture activity, DuPont says. "Despite turbulent global economic and market conditions, we delivered solid growth through innovative products and process technologies, disciplined execution and continued productiv- ity gains," says DuPont chair and CEO Ellen Kullman. DuPont's fourth-quarter earnings forecast indicated a weaker end to 2011.
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