DuPont Reports 2Q Operating EPS of $1.18

WILMINGTON, Del., July 28, 2015

Second Quarter Highlights

• Delivered second-quarter operating earnings per share of $1.18 versus $1.17 in prior year. Performance Chemicals operating earnings were down $0.11 per share from prior year. GAAP earnings per share were $1.03 versus $1.15 in prior year.
• Segment pre-tax operating earnings of $1,586 million included about $210 million, or $0.17 per share, of negative impact from currency. Excluding the impact of currency, operating EPS would have increased about 15 percent versus prior year.
• Operating margins improved in 5 of the 6 ongoing operating segments which comprise the next generation DuPont including Performance Materials, Electronics & Communications, Agriculture, Nutrition & Health, and Safety & Protection. Margin improvement was primarily driven by increased productivity.
• Cost reductions from operational redesign contributed $0.10 per share to second-quarter operating earnings; on track to deliver approximately $0.40 per share in savings in 2015.
• On a continuing operations basis, DuPont expects full-year 2015 operating earnings to be about $3.10 per share, excluding $0.80 per share in previously anticipated full year earnings from Performance Chemicals. Estimated negative currency impact expected to be approximately $0.60 per share. Prior-year operating earnings were $3.36 per share on a comparable basis.

DuPont (NYSE: DD), a science company that brings world-class, innovative products, materials, and services to the global marketplace, today announced second quarter 2015 operating earnings of $1.18 per share compared to $1.17 per share in the prior year.  GAAP¹ earnings were $1.03 per share, compared to $1.15 per share in the prior year.

Second quarter sales were $8.6 billion, down 11 percent versus prior year due to negative impacts from currency (5 percent), portfolio changes (2 percent), volume (2 percent) and local price and product mix (2 percent).  Segment pre-tax operating earnings of $1,586 million included about $210 million, or $0.17 per share, of negative impact from currency.  Operating earnings included $0.09 per share of benefit related to exchange gains and taxes, attributable to prior periods. Performance Chemicals segment operating earnings were $113 million, or $0.10 per share, a 55 percent reduction versus prior year. 

DuPont's board of directors approved a third quarter dividend of 38 cents per share, the 444^th consecutive quarterly dividend since the company's first dividend in the fourth quarter of 1904. The third quarter dividend of 38 cents per share of common stock is payable on Sept. 11, 2015, to stockholders of record at the close of business on Aug. 14, 2015. Regular quarterly dividends of $1.125 per share on the $4.50 series preferred stock and $0.875 cents per share on the $3.50 series preferred stock also were declared, both payable on Oct. 23, 2015, to stockholders of record as of Oct. 9, 2015.

The separation of Chemours was completed on July 1, 2015. In the first quarter 2015, DuPont announced its intention to buy back shares using the approximately $4 billion of distribution proceeds received from Chemours. In connection with the completion of the spin, DuPont's board has authorized the company to purchase and retire $2 billion of common stock by Dec. 31, 2015 with the remainder to be purchased and retired by Dec. 31, 2016. The company expects to use an accelerated share repurchase plan in connection with the $2 billion buyback by year end.

"We continued to improve margins across most of our ongoing businesses through our constant focus on productivity, even as we address industrywide challenges in agriculture and ongoing currency headwinds," said Ellen Kullman, DuPont Chair and CEO.  "With the separation of our Performance Chemicals segment now complete, the next generation DuPont is leveraging our innovation platform to drive greater growth and value, with a continued emphasis on cost productivity, actively managing our portfolio, and the disciplined return of capital."