DuPont beats 1Q profit forecasts

(AP) _ DuPont Co. (DD) on Tuesday reported first-quarter earnings of $1.11 billion.

On a per-share basis, the Wilmington, Delaware-based company said it had net income of $1.27. Earnings, adjusted to account for discontinued operations and non-recurring costs, were $1.64 per share.

The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.38 per share.

The chemical company posted revenue of $7.74 billion in the period.

DuPont shares have risen 8 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index has climbed 6 percent.