Dupont

said on Tuesday it expects 2012 earnings per share to rise 12 to 17 percent from 2011 levels, not including pension charges, and sales rising to a range of $40 billion to $42 billion.

Earnings per share are expected to be between $4.20 and $4.40, including a 17-cent per share expense for pensions, the company said.

As of Monday, analysts had been expecting 2012 earnings of $4.35 per share, although that figure fell to $4.23 on Tuesday, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Shares in Dupont rose 1.6 percent in premarket trading to $44.60.

DuPont