A privately held company, like Revlon, would not have to worry about stockholders' reactions to diluted earnings.

Before exceptional items, interest cover was 5.5 times, and dividends are covered 2.8 times by diluted earnings.

Gucci said it expected diluted earnings per share to rise next year to $3.40.

All earnings per-share figures are for diluted earnings.

L-3 expects the deal to raise L-3's 2002 diluted earnings a share by 20 cents.

Pfizer also reports "adjusted diluted earnings," a nonstandard accounting measure that ignores many significant costs.

Pfizer also said it expected "adjusted diluted earnings" of $1.92 to $1.94 a share for all of 2005, down from a previous estimate of $1.98.

And widely published statistics on diluted earnings per share take into account any options that currently have value.

The only limit on the size of his bonus is that it cannot exceed $100,000 per penny of Cendant's diluted earnings per share.

The company said it expects diluted earnings per share to be between 24 cents and 28 cents a share, below analysts' forecasts of 38 cents.