ROCHESTER, N.Y., July 31 -- Eastman Kodak Company today reported second-quarter earnings from continuing operations of $200 million, or $0.66 per share, on sales of $2.485 billion. Kodak's revenue from digital businesses rose 10% to $1.636 billion, driven by strong year-over-year increases in most of its digital businesses.

"Our second quarter represents another step in our journey to create a growing, profitable Kodak," said Antonio M. Perez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Eastman Kodak Company. "The digital franchise that we have built performed well during the quarter. Customer acceptance of our digital plates, digital cameras, digital picture frames, retail printing systems, and consumer and commercial inkjet products remains strong.

"In our traditional business, entertainment imaging revenue improved, but unprecedented commodity cost increases across the business are presenting a headwind that we are aggressively addressing," Perez said.

"We delivered another quarter of growth, which reinforces our confidence in the promise of our digital franchise," Perez said. "As a result, we have decided to increase our investment in a number of product lines. In just two examples, we are increasing the projected volumes for our consumer inkjet printers for 2009 and pulling forward by three to six months the delivery date of our new Stream inkjet technology for commercial printers. The more we develop these opportunities, the more we see the value in investing to accelerate growth."

For the second quarter of 2008:

- Sales totaled $2.485 billion, an increase of 1% from $2.468 billion in the second quarter of 2007. Revenue from digital businesses totaled $1.636 billion, a 10% increase from $1.487 billion in the prior-year quarter. Film, Photofinishing, and Entertainment Group revenue totaled $847 million, a 14% decline from $980 million in the second quarter of 2007.

- The company's second-quarter earnings from continuing operations, before interest expense, other income (charges), net, and income taxes improved by $207 million to $18 million, compared with a loss on the same basis of $189 million in the year-ago quarter.

On the basis of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), the company reported second-quarter earnings from continuing operations of $200 million, or $0.66 per share, compared with a loss on the same basis of $154 million, or $0.53 per share, in the year-ago period. Items of net benefit that impacted comparability in the second quarter of 2008 totaled $245 million after tax, or $0.79 per share. The most significant item included a $270 million gain, or $0.88 per share, from interest earned on a tax settlement with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, partially offset by other items of net expense totaling $0.09 per share. Items of net expense that impacted comparability in the prior-year quarter totaled $266 million after tax, or $0.92 per share, primarily due to restructuring charges, partially offset by gains on sales of assets and businesses.

Other second-quarter 2008 details:

- Gross Profit margin was 23.5% for the quarter, down from 26.1% in the year-ago period, primarily attributable to product mix and significant year-over-year increases in silver, aluminum, petroleum-based and other raw material costs.

- Selling, General and Administrative expenses were $435 million in the second quarter, unchanged from the year-ago quarter. As a percentage of revenue, SG&A was 17.5%, compared with 17.6% in the year-ago quarter.

- Second-quarter cash generation before dividends, including the refund from the IRS settlement, was $389 million, a $640 million increase from the year-ago period. This corresponds to net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations on a GAAP basis of $158 million in the second quarter, compared with net cash used of $298 million in the second quarter 2007. This increase in cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations on a GAAP basis is due primarily to $275 million of cash received for interest associated with the previously announced IRS settlement, lower restructuring cash payments, and improvements in working capital.

- The company's debt level stood at $1.355 billion as of June 30, 2008, a reduction of $242 million as compared to the year-end 2007 debt level of $1.597 billion.

- Kodak held $2.308 billion in cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2008.

Segment sales and results from continuing operations before interest, taxes, and other income and charges (segment earnings from operations), are as follows:

- Consumer Digital Imaging Group sales for the second quarter were $756 million, a $109 million, or 17% increase from the prior-year quarter. Loss from operations for the segment was $49 million, compared with a loss of $51 million in the year-ago quarter. This loss was driven by increased investments in the consumer inkjet and image sensor businesses, partially offset by continued earnings improvement in digital cameras and devices. Kodak continues to expand its innovative consumer product portfolio. Earlier this month, the company introduced the KODAK Theatre HD Player and the KODAK Zi6 Pocket Video Camera, the latest in a series of product innovations. In June, Motorola announced the MOTOZINE ZN5, the first camera phone to offer KODAK Imaging Technology. Kodak also introduced two new breakthroughs in image sensor technology, including the world's first one-quarter inch, 1.4 micron, 5-megapixel CMOS sensor, which enables a new level of image resolution and low-light performance in a small optical format. The company also recently introduced the world's first 50-megapixel CCD sensor, which will power the new Hasselblad H3DII-50 digital camera and will enable professional photographers to capture digital images with unprecedented resolution and detail.

- Graphic Communications Group sales for the second quarter were $880 million, a $40 million, or 5%, increase from the year-ago quarter, led by increased sales of digital plates. Earnings from operations for the segment totaled $13 million, compared with earnings of $29 million in the year-ago quarter. This earnings decline was primarily driven by higher aluminum costs, seasonality in equipment and workflow sales associated with drupa, and increased investment in the company's digital printing businesses. These include costs to develop and commercialize KODAK Stream technology, a continuous inkjet printing system that provides offset class reliability, productivity, cost and quality with the full benefits of variable data digital printing. Stream technology was among 25 new products that the company successfully introduced at drupa and which generated a significant order volume that the company is now beginning to fulfill.

- Film, Photofinishing and Entertainment Group second-quarter revenue was $847 million, down from $980 million in the year-ago quarter, representing a decrease of 14%, reflecting decreased sales volume of consumer photographic film and photofinishing, partly offset by increased entertainment imaging sales. Earnings from operations for the segment were $54 million, compared with $121 million in the year-ago quarter. These results reflect product cost increases driven by significantly increased silver and other raw material costs, combined with the effects of lower sales volumes, partly offset by decreased SG&A costs and lower depreciation expenses related to the company's change in useful life assumptions regarding its traditional manufacturing assets.

"We have built a great portfolio of digital businesses and we have exciting new product introductions planned for the remainder of the year," Perez said. "While we face challenges today from rising raw material prices and a soft economy, our view of the future remains confident and optimistic. Our Board's recent decision to repurchase up to $1.0 billion of our own outstanding shares and the increased investment in our most promising digital businesses underscore the confidence we have in our ability to create significant value for our shareholders."