DEAN FOODS <DF> SEES STRONG 4TH QTR EARNINGS
Dean Foods Co expects earnings for the
fourth quarter ending May 30 to exceed those of the same
year-ago period, Chairman Kenneth Douglas told analysts.
    In the fiscal 1986 fourth quarter the food processor
reported earnings of 40 cts a share.
    Douglas also said the year's sales should exceed 1.4
billion dlrs, up from 1.27 billion dlrs the prior year.
    He repeated an earlier projection that third-quarter
earnings "will probably be off slightly" from last year's 40
cts a share, falling in the range of 34 cts to 36 cts a share.
    Douglas said it was too early to project whether the
anticipated fourth quarter performance would be "enough for us
to exceed the prior year's overall earnings" of 1.53 dlrs a
share.
    In 1988, Douglas said Dean should experience "a 20 pct
improvement in our bottom line from effects of the tax reform
act alone."
    President Howard Dean said in fiscal 1988 the company will
derive  benefits of various dairy and frozen vegetable
acquisitions from Ryan Milk to the Larsen Co.
    Dean also said the company will benefit from its
acquisition in late December of Elgin Blenders Inc, West
Chicago.
    He said the company is a major shareholder of E.B.I. Foods
Ltd, a United Kingdom blender, and has licensing arrangements
in Australia, Canada, Brazil and Japan.
    "It provides ann entry to McDonalds Corp <MCD> we've been
after for years," Douglas told analysts.
 Reuter
