1.   DuPont attributed the profit drop to acquisitions, the strike at General Motors and lower prices for oil, fibers and chemicals used in crop protection.

2.   ICI said the profit drop largely reflected lower prices in its titanium dioxide and polyester divisions -- two of the divisions it said it will sell to DuPont.

3.   Importers will see their profits drop, although their losses will be somewhat diminished by a reduction in import tariffs on consumer goods.

4.   In its third quarter last year, Gillette recorded its first quarterly profit drop in eight years.

5.   South Korean automakers saw their profits drop during the first six months of this year as strikes in June cut into their earnings.

6.   The profit drop came amid a decline in military and aerospace spending worldwide as governments cut defense budgets in response to the end of the Cold War.

7.   The profit drop came amid a drop in military and aerospace spending worldwide as governments cut defense budgets in response to the end of the Cold War.

8.   The profit drop reflects an aging product line that requires higher rebates to lure skeptical consumers, analysts said.

9.   The profit drop was just about what the company predicted in early September.

10.   Despite the profits drop, the figures were better than analysts had expected.