Earnings of household companies

Details of Wednesday's earnings reports by household consumer and food products companies:

COLGATE-PALMOLIVE CO.

_The Quarter: The maker of toothpaste and dish soap said first-quarter earnings fell 4 percent, as the New York-based company took restructuring charges and a higher provision for income taxes.

Profits fell to $466.5 million, or 86 cents per share, from $486.6 million, or 89 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding restructuring charges in both periods and other one-time items, earnings came to $487.7 million, or 90 cents per share, compared with $421.1 million, or 77 cents per share, a year ago.

Sales grew 16 percent to $3.71 billion, from $3.21 billion in the first quarter of 2007.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial, who typically exclude one-time items, had forecast first-quarter earnings of 89 cents per share on revenue of $3.57 billion.

_The Outlook: The company continues to expect double-digit earnings per share growth in 2008.

KELLOGG CO.

The Quarter: The cereal and snack company said earnings fell 2 percent to $315 million, or 81 cents per share, in the quarter from $321 million, or 80 cents per share, a year ago. Battle Creek, Mich.-based Kellogg saw revenue rise 10 percent to $3.3 billion from $3 billion.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial had predicted a profit of 76 cents per share on sales of $3.2 billion.

The Outlook: Reaffirmed that it expects full-year 2008 earnings in a range of $2.92 to $2.97 per share.

KRAFT FOODS INC.

The Quarter: The maker of Oscar Mayer hot dogs and Oreo cookies said third-quarter profits dropped 13 percent from a year earlier, when earnings were helped by a one-time benefit related to Kraft's spinoff from the Altria Group Inc.

Earnings came to $608 million, or 40 cents per share, down from $702 million, or 43 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding certain items, adjusted earnings were 44 cents per share, topping analysts' estimate of 40 cents a share.

Revenue at the Northfield, Ill.-based company rose to $10.37 billion from $8.59 billion, with an 8 percent boost from acquisitions and 5 percent from currencies.

The Outlook: Reaffirmed full-year adjusted earnings guidance of $1.90 per share.

PROCTER & GAMBLE CO.

The Quarter: The maker of Crest toothpaste and Tide detergent said its fiscal third-quarter profit rose 8 percent to $2.71 billion, or 82 cents per share, from $2.51 billion, or 74 cents per share, a year ago.

Revenue rose 9 percent to $20.46 billion from $18.69 billion last year.

Analysts had predicted a profit of 81 cents per share on revenue of $20.43 billion.

The Outlook: The Cincinnati-based company lifted fiscal 2008 earnings guidance to $3.48-$3.50 per share, up from the previous forecast of $3.46 to $3.50 per share.