Feb 10 (Reuters) - Industrial materials maker DuPont forecast full-year net sales and adjusted profit above analysts' expectations after it beat fourth-quarter earnings estimates on Tuesday, helped by higher sales in its healthcare segment and by business restructuring.
Shares of the company rose 4.6% in premarket trading.
The company has undergone a strategic reorganization as it attempts to streamline operations, as escalating production costs in Europe and increasingly stringent environmental regulations have compelled the global chemicals industry to reassess strategies.
Last year, DuPont said it would sell its heat-resistant fiber business, Aramids, which houses brands such as body armor maker Kevlar, to peer Arclin for $1.8 billion.
The company's board also greenlit the previously announced separation of its electronics business, Qnity Electronics, a segment that includes semiconductor technologies and interconnect solutions, in 2025.
Net sales at its healthcare and water technologies segment rose 4% to $821 million in the reported quarter, compared with a year ago, driven by growth in medical packaging and medical devices, as well as strength in industrial water markets.
Quarterly net sales at its diversified industrials segment fell 3% to $872 million as ongoing weakness in construction, printing and packaging markets weighed on results.
The Wilmington, Delaware-based company expects adjusted profit to be between $2.25 and $2.30 per share in 2026, compared with analysts' average estimate of $2.17 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG.
It forecast net sales in 2026 to be between $7.08 billion and $7.14 billion, the midpoint of which is above analysts expectations of $7.06 billion.
"Our full year net sales guidance assumes about 3% organic growth and a currency tailwind of about 1% versus last year," said CFO Antonella Franzen.
On an adjusted basis, the company posted a profit of 46 cents per share for the three months ended December 31, compared with analysts' estimate of 43 cents per share.
Reporting by Pooja Menon in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid
Source: Reuters