premise: 
  Norton Co. said net income for the third quarter fell 6% to $20.6 million, or 98 cents a share, from $22 million, or $1.03 a share.
  Operating profit for the abrasives, engineering materials and petroleum services concern was $19.2 million, or 91 cents a share, up 3% from $18.7 million, or 87 cents a share.
  
  The company had a tax credit of $1.4 million. In the year-earlier quarter, the tax credit was $3.3 million. Sales rose 8% to $368.5 million from $340.7 million.
  Operating profit in the company's abrasives segment rose 16% while operating profit in the engineering materials segment rose 2%. However, the company's petroleum services segment, while profitable, was hurt by high financing costs associated with the company's buy-out of a 50% stake in Eastman Christensen Co. from Texas Eastern Corp. last June. Norton and Texas Eastern had each held a 50% stake in Eastman in a joint venture.
  Norton announced earlier this month that it was exploring the possible sale of all or part of Eastman Christensen.
   What may come of Norton exploring a business opportunity?
hypothesis: the company's buy-out of a 50% stake in Eastman Christensen Co