DuPont de Nemours raises 2026 outlook after profit beat and revenue miss

The company plans a further $250m of share buybacks in the fourth quarter, after a third quarter in which sales fell short of forecasts.

DuPont de Nemours earned $2.09 a share in the third quarter, $0.17 more than expected, but revenue of $1.87bn fell short of the $1.90bn forecast.

The gain therefore leans more on margins and capital return than on sales. Chief Executive Officer Lori Koch credited mid-single-digit organic growth, strong operating leverage, meaning profit growing faster than sales, and disciplined capital allocation. A revenue miss sits uneasily with that account.

Share repurchases are a large part of the picture. DuPont completed a $250m accelerated share purchase and bought roughly $100m of stock on the open market in the third quarter. It intends to repurchase another $250m in the fourth quarter, which takes the total to roughly $600m across the two quarters.

The company also raised its full-year outlook. It now expects net sales of about $7.19bn, operating EBITDA of about $1.785bn and adjusted EPS of $7.47 to $7.52. That is management's own forecast, and the EPS range rests on the sales figure. If the third-quarter revenue shortfall carries into the fourth quarter, the guidance gets harder to reach.