Exxon’s Earnings Decline 22%

Exxon Corp., the world’s largest industrial company, said today that its earnings fell 22% in the third quarter, reflecting falling world oil prices, a decline in the dollar and the expense of closing two plants in West Germany.

Profits declined to $995 million from $1.275 billion in the third quarter of 1984. A stock buy-back program, which reduced the number of outstanding shares, somewhat reduced the impact of the drop in profit on earnings per share, which declined 15.8% to $1.33 from $1.58.