DuPont Company is a company made up of many business segments and has the challenge of how to manage the diverse set of businesses operating under the control of the DuPont management team. In its 2008 annual report, DuPont described its business segments as follows:

The company has six reporting segments. Five of the segments constitute the company's growth platforms: Agriculture & Nutrition; Coatings & Color Technologies; Electronic & Communication Technologies; Performance Materials; and Safety & Protection. The Pharmaceuticals segment is limited to income from the company's interest in two drugs, Cozaar and Hyzaar.

Summary segment results for 2008 are as follows:

1. Using segment pretax operating income as a substitute for total company net income, tell which segment has the highest return on sales? The lowest?
2. Which segment has the highest asset turnover? Thelowest?

Transcribed Image Text:

Electronic & Communication formance Pharma- Agriculture & Coatings Per- Safety & Materials ceuticals Protection Others & Color Nutrition Technologies Technologies 2008 $6,551 326 $3,867 436 Total segment sales . . $5,631 829 $142 (181) $7,952 $6,386 128 1,087 1,025 Pretax operating income (loss). Segment net assets 5,972 3,598 2,518 3,619 3,560 201 145