BUSINESS MEMO: RECORD EARNINGS

A.G. Edwards has reported record revenues and earnings for 1997.

For the fiscal year that ended Feb. 28, net earnings were $269,297,000, up 23 percent from the 1996 fiscal year of $219,057,000. Total revenues for the year were $2,004,000,000 versus $1,696,000,000 in 1996.

Earnings per share rose to a record $2.785 diluted and $2.81 basic, compared to respective figures of $2.24 and $2.29 last year.

For the fourth quarter, the company reported net earnings of $73.1 million, on revenues of $527.6 million, or 75 cents per diluted share and 76 cents per basic share. Those figures are up from the $59.3 million during the final quarter of the 1996 fiscal year, on revenues of $456.4 million.