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

DATE: THURSDAY, July 29, 1993                   TAG: 9307290074
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

REPORTED EARNINGS

DuPont Co., Wilmington, Del.-based chemicals maker operating a nylon plant at Martinsville, on Wednesday reported second-quarter net income of $516 million, or 76 cents per share, compared with $277 million, or 41 cents, in the 1992 quarter. Sales were $9.5 billion, down $199 million or 2 percent from $9.7 billion.

Net income for the first six months was $1 billion, or $1.49 per share, compared to $716 million, or $1.05 per share, in the 1992 period. Excluding nonrecurring items, net income was 15 percent higher than the prior year, even though sales declined 2 percent, from $18.9 billion to $18.6 billion.

Hercules Inc.

Hercules Inc., Wilmington, Del., operator of the Army arsenal at Radford and a packaging plant at Covington, on Wednesday reported second-quarter net income of $54.7 million, or $1.26 per share, up 27 percent from $43.2 million, or 93 cents per share, in the 1992 quarter.

For the first six months, net income before the effect of accounting changes was $98.6 million, or $2.27 per share, compared with $80.1 million, or $1.72 per share, a year ago. With the accounting changes, the company reported a net loss of $140 million, or $3.22 per share.

Sales for the quarter were $711 million vs. $713 million in the 1992 period. For the six months, sales were $1.4 billion compared with $1.5 billion.

The board of directors declared its regular quarterly dividend of 56 cents per share, payable Sept. 24 to shareholders on Sept. 3.