• The company reported third quarter 2006 earnings of $.52 per share versus a prior-year loss of $.09 per share.
• Excluding significant items, earnings per share were $.49, up 48 percent from the $.33 per share earned in the prior year.
• Revenues grew 7 percent reflecting 3 percent higher local prices, 3 percent higher volume, and a 1 percent currency effect. Asia Pacific volume grew 11 percent.
• Raw material costs were $180 million higher than third quarter last year despite lower market prices for U.S. natural gas, but were fully offset by selling price increases.
• Fixed costs were lower than last year and continued the company’s trend of decreasing fixed costs as a percentage of sales.
• Segment pretax operating margin, excluding significant items, increased 1.6 percentage points versus last year, principally reflecting the benefits of higher average prices and lower fixed costs.

“We delivered strong results by executing our growth strategies and productivity initiatives,” said Charles O. Holliday, Jr., DuPont chairman and chief executive officer. “Continued pricing momentum, customer driven
product innovations, and cost control generated revenue gains, profit growth and margin expansion. We are on track for a strong second half.”

Full report in PDF format:
http://www2.dupont.com/Media_Center/en_US/assets/downloads/pdf/earnings3Q06.pdf