DuPont Earnings Fall 61 Percent

Wilmington, DE, July 21, 2009--Chemical maker DuPont Co. says its earnings dropped 61 percent in the second quarter on lower sales volumes and restructuring charges.

DuPont on Tuesday reported net income of $417 million, or 46 cents per share, for the three months ended June 30. That is down from $1.08 billion, or $1.18 per share, a year ago.

Excluding one-time items, DuPont says its earnings were 61 cents per share, beating Wall Street's estimate of 53 cents a share.

It says overall revenue fell to $7.0 billion, down 24 percent and just below analaysts' forecast of $7.1 billion.

However, DuPont reaffirmed its 2009 earnings outlook range of $1.70 to $2.10 per share, excluding significant items.