DuPont Posts 7% Increase in Earnings

Updated from 12:43 p.m. EDT

DuPont (DD Quote) reported a 7% increase in its second-quarter earnings Wednesday, exceeding Wall Street's estimates. The chemical company also reiterated that it would meet profit expectations for the year, although high energy and raw material costs would weigh on its results.

For the second quarter ended June 30, DuPont's earnings excluding several one-time items, totaled $949 million, or 90 cents a diluted share, up from $886 million, or 84 cents a diluted share a year earlier. A consensus of analysts polled by First Call/Thomson Financial predicted earnings of 88 cents a share in the latest quarter for the Wilmington, Del.-based company.

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