Turnover rose to £2.3 billion from £2.09 billion but earnings per share slipped to 3.5p from 3.9p.

Sales and earnings were slipping, forced downward by the continuing stiff competition in Florida.

Sybase's shares fell 40.6 percent between the beginning of the year and early October, and its earnings have slipped.

Fannie Mae said its quarterly earnings slipped 2 percent, though earnings in its core mortgage business rose.

For the nine months ended in October 1987, Grumman's earnings slipped to $39.7 million, from $53.9 million.

Last year, after two years of record profits, NCNB's earnings slipped for the first time since 1987, falling 18.2 percent, to $365.7 million.

Last fall, after sales and earnings had been slipping for eight months, Armstrong sold its carpet operations to Shaw.

For the year, the company's earnings slipped 1.6 percent.

The interim dividend has been increased to 0.92p from 0.88p while earnings per share slipped to 1.76p from 2.46p.

Net earnings per share, up 67% to $0.20 in the quarter, slipped 13% to $0.20 in the nine months.