Bristol-Myers announced after-tax earnings grew 12.2% in...

Bristol-Myers announced after-tax earnings grew 12.2% in its third quarter and SmithKline Beckman Corp. posted a 2% increase in net income. Bristol-Myers, based in New York, reported net earnings of $149.9 million on sales of $1.17 billion in the three months ended Sept. 30, compared to a year earlier when net income was $133.6 million and sales hit $1.06 billion. Chairman Richard L. Gelb said Bristol-Myers’ sales growth was held back by the strength of the dollar during the third quarter. For the first nine months of the year, Bristol-Myers had after-tax profit of $400.5 million and sales totaled $3.33 billion. In the same 1984 period, the company earned $354.7 million after taxes on sales of $3.18 billion.

In its financial statement, SmithKline Beckman said after-tax earnings totaled $131.6 million on sales of $820.7 million in the three months ended Sept. 30. Net income amounted to $129 million and sales were $740.8 million in the corresponding 1984 quarter. Henry Wendt, president and chief operating officer of the Philadelphia-based company, said clinical laboratory services, eye- and skin-care products and the bio-analytical systems unit showed the best sales gains during the quarter. SmithKline Beckman reported net earnings of $384.8 million on sales of $2.36 billion during January-September of this year. By comparison, net income was $383 million and sales were $2.18 billion in the same nine months of 1984.