Excluding the charge, Borden's third-quarter net income fell by 26 percent from last year.

He said in early October that third-quarter income would be about 80 cents a share.

When those special items are included, Pfizer's third-quarter net income was $1.4 billion, a 23 percent increase over that last year.

"It is certainly disconcerting to see the significant drop we saw in third-quarter net income."

The move would cut third-quarter net income by about $18 million after taxes, Chase said.

The company's third-quarter net income was $1.19 billion, or $1.37 a share, beating analysts' average estimates by 5 cents.

The insurance company Aegon reported an 8.2 percent increase in third-quarter income.

Allstate, the insurance division, said that third-quarter income rose 45 percent before the tax charge.

American International Group reported yesterday that its third-quarter net income rose 33 percent from a year earlier.

Deere & Company today reported a 72 percent drop in its third-quarter net income.