Operating earnings from Process Technologies increased 5% to $33 million. Sales rose 4% to $167 million. Demand remained strong for new catalyst and additive technologies for petroleum refining as well as polyolefin catalysts. Demand from core chemical-process markets was below a strong year-ago quarter. Operating earnings from Appearance and Performance Technologies declined 29% to $14 million. Sales were down 2% to $153 million. The declines were primarily the result of lower volumes of mineral-based products sold to the paper market plus higher energy costs. Operating earnings from Materials Services declined to $1 million as expected, while sales were up 26% to $500 million. In spite of higher volumes, the low earnings resulted from reduced margins in sourcing metals for customers and a less favorable mix of metals in refining services. Earnings from equity investments were $12 million, compared with $4 million a year ago, primarily reflecting gains from assets sold under favorable market conditions as part of the liquidation of the company’s investment in a French-based, precious-metal-fabrication venture. The company also benefited in the quarter from a lower than anticipated tax rate due to the favorable resolution of certain state income tax issues. Performance Outlook “Our business plan calls for modest growth in 2004 with net earnings per share in the range of $1.80 to $1.90,” Mr. Perry said. “We expect to overcome the absence of 15 cents per share of earnings delivered in 2003 by the French joint venture as well as continued weakness in several of our served markets. Growth from new technologies and our ongoing focus on productivity in our technology segments provide a strong underlying financial base, and we look ahead to the resumption of double-digit earnings growth beyond 2004.” Engelhard Corporation is a surface and materials science company that develops technologies to improve customers’ products and processes. AFortune 500 company, Engelhard is a world-leading provider of technologies for environmental, process, appearance and performance applications. For more information, visit Engelhard on the Internet atwww.engelhard.com. Forward-looking statements: This document contains forward-looking statements in management’s comments. There are a number of factors that could cause Engelhard’s actual results to vary materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For a more thorough discussion of these factors, please refer to page 26 of Engelhard’s 2002 Form 10-K, dated March 25, 2003. # # #
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