Topic: How To Invest

Pat: What is your opinion of E.I. DuPont de Nemours? It pays a nice dividend.

Article Excerpt

E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., $52.72, symbol DD on New York (Shares outstanding: 935.0 million; Market cap: $49.3 billion; www.dupont.com), makes a wide range of materials and technologies for customers in a number of industries, including automotive, construction, agricultural, electronics and nutrition Products include high-performance materials, electronics, safety and security, and biotechnology. DuPont operates around the world. In 2011, the company’s revenue rose 20.5%, to $38.0 billion from $31.5 billion a year earlier. Sales in emerging markets rose 27%. Earnings per share rose 19.8%, to $3.93 from $3.28. DuPont holds cash of $4.0 billion, or $4.29 a share. Its long-term debt of $11.7 billion is a reasonable 23.7% of its market cap. DuPont is now auctioning off its car-paint business. This sale could bring in more than $4 billion, and has attracted early interest from a number of private equity firms. The company stands to gain from several trends, including a rising global population and an expanding middle class in developing markets. DuPont needs…