DuPont Reaffirms Full-Year Outlook, Focus Shifts to Agriculture

U.S. chemical giant DuPont affirmed its recently upgraded full-year outlook on Tuesday. Despite weakness in its agriculture segment, the company met earnings expectations in the second quarter. Looking ahead to the second half of the year, CEO Ellen Kullman said earnings should be better than the first as DuPont shifts away from the slowl growing commodity business and focuses on nutrition related products. Kullman said, "We continue to see strong science-driven growth in this segment over the long term. We are steadily advancing DuPont's strategy to build and strengthen world-leading positions in agriculture and nutrition, bio-based industrials and advanced materials." The company recently updated its 2014 full-year outlook and said operating earnings are expected to be between $4.00 and $4.10 a share, which represents a 3% to 6% increase from 2013. The company is most optimistic about the third quarter and expects between $1.25 to $1.35 in operating earnings, which would make up roughly 40% of the full-year guidance. TheStreet's Julia Sun reports from New York.