The company said that without legal and professional costs of 13 cents a share, or $17.6 million, in fighting Air Products' takeover attempt and an interest penalty of 2 cents a share, its third-quarter earnings would have been 80 cents a share.
In last year's fiscal third quarter, Airgas earned $46.9 million, or 56 cents a share.
Sales for the most recent quarter rose 9.5 percent from a year ago to $1.0 billion
McCausland said the company was seeing sales improvement nationwide, with particular strength among its manufacturing, utilities, and petrochemical customers. However, there has so far been no "meaningful" recovery in its sales to energy and infrastructure construction customers.
The company's overall performance "reinforces our confidence in Airgas' long-term prospects and allows us to raise the dividend while funding our growth strategies," he said.
The company also projected earnings for its fourth quarter in a range of 82 cents to 86 cents a share, excluding charges such as for the takeover fight and for withdrawing from a multiemployer pension plan. That would be an increase of 19 percent to 25 percent over the same quarter last year.
Airgas supplies industrial, medical, and specialty gases.
Air Products and Airgas have been engaged in a public battle since last February, with Air Products in December boosting its takeover bid to $70 a share. Airgas contends it is worth at least $78 a share.
Airgas shares rose 30 cents, or 0.5 percent, to close at $63.85.
