Nov 2 (Reuters) - Resolute Forest Products Inc RFP.N
* Resolute reports preliminary third quarter 2017 results
* Q3 earnings per share $0.26
* Q3 sales $885 million
* Q3 earnings per share view $0.05 -- Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S
* Q3 earnings per share $0.34 excluding items
* Resolute Forest Products Inc - do not believe that tissue business segment will contribute to co's results until middle of 2018
* Resolute Forest Products Inc - in tissue, our sales effort continues to progress, but qtrly results were negatively impacted by hurricane irma