Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, October 28, 1993                   TAG: 9310280038
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

REPORTED EARNINGS

Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday reported third-quarter net earnings of $463 million, or 79 cents per share, compared with a loss of $272 million, or 66 cents per share, in the 1992 quarter.

U.S. automotive operations posted their best third-quarter results since 1988, largely because of higher truck volume and continuing efforts to reduce costs, Ford said. U.S. earnings were $333 million, compared with a loss of $260 million a year ago.

Outside the United States, automotive operations lost $261 million, compared with a loss of $314 million a year ago, as losses in Europe more than offset earnings in other foreign markets. In total, Ford's worldwide automotive operations earned $72 million, a $646 million improvement over the third quarter of 1992.

For nine months, net earnings were $1.8 billion, or $3.24 per share, compared with $338 million, or 40 cents, in the 1992 period.

DuPont

DuPont Co., Wilmington, Del.-based chemicals maker operating a nylon plant at Martinsville, on Wednesday reported a net loss of $680 million, or $1.01 per share, for the third quarter, mainly due to a major restructuring program. This compares with income of $420 million, or 63 cents per share, in the 1992 quarter. Total sales were $9.2 billion, down 5 percent.

Excluding the restructuring and other nonrecurring items, earnings were 51 cents per share, compared with 56 cents for the 1992 period. The ongoing coal strike against its affiliate, Consol Energy Inc., lowered DuPont's earnings 7 cents per share from last year.

DuPont recorded an after-tax charge of $1.3 billion, or $1.91 per share, for the restructurings, including $375 million, or 55 cents per share, for personnel-separation costs from job reductions.

Net income for the nine months was $329 million, or 48 cents per share, compared to $1.1 billion, or $1.68 per share, in the 1992 period. Year-to-date sales totaled $27.8 billion, down 3 percent.

Hercules

Hercules Inc., Wilmington, Del., operator of the Army arsenal at Radford and a packaging plant at Covington, on Wednesday reported third-quarter income of $51.5 million, or $1.21 per share, up 19 percent from $45.9 million, or $1.02 per share, in the 1992 quarter.

For the first nine months, net income before the effect of accounting changes was $150.1 million, or $3.48 per share, compared with $126.1 million, or $2.74 per share, for the 1992 period. With the accounting changes, the company reported a loss of $88.1 million, or $2.04 per share.

Sales for the quarter were $676 million, compared with $711 million in the year-ago quarter. Sales of $2.1 billion for the first nine months compare with $2.2 billion in the 1992 period.