Cover
 Financial Highlights
Letter to Shareholders
Our Success is Clear
Making the Most
  Sum of Our Parts
The Deeper We Dig
Genetic Opportunities
Meet the Officers
Corporate Information
           
  Financial Highlights
2000
1999
increase


 
Adjusted financial results (A):
($ in thousands, except per share data)		 - - -
Net sales
$ 795,071
$ 704,400
13%
Operating income
$ 210,827
$ 176,509
19%
Percentage of sales
26.5%
25.1%
-
Income from operations before income taxes
$ 210,962
$ 167,561
26%
Net income available to common stockholders (A)
$ 156,113
$ 121,876
28%
Net income per basic common share
$ 1.22
$ .99
23%
Net income per diluted common share
$ 1.14
$ .92
24%
Return on average assets
24.5%
21.1%
-
Return on average equity
41.4%
53.1%
-
-
-
-
-
At year end:  
-
-
Total assets
$ 692,345
$ 586,345
-
Stockholders’ equity
$ 451,781
$ 292,162
-
Employees
3,158
2,968
-
- - - -
 
 

(A) Adjusted financial results for 2000 reflect reported results of operations excluding a $10,771 charge for the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle. All per share amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect a two-for-one common stock split distributed in the form of a 100% stock dividend on August 25, 2000.