Dow Inc beat Wall Street estimates for second-quarter adjusted profit on Thursday, helped by higher prices due to supply shocks from the Middle East conflict and cost cuts. The near shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit route, disrupted oil and petrochemical flows, tightening global chemicals supply and increasing prices of plastics and polymers. Dow has been reviewing its non-product-producing assets across its portfolio, including power and steam production and pipelines, as the chemical industry struggles with higher feedstock and energy costs amid weak demand in key markets. CEO Karen Carter said the company expects to generate about US$200 million in additional benefits from the “Transform to Outperform” program this year, taking potential gains to more than US$1.3 billion for the year. Dow said the third quarter is expected to reflect the impact of lower prices in the Americas following pricing declines in June, higher maintenance at its U.S. Gulf Coast assets and normal seasonal weakness in coatings and construction markets. These are expected to be partly offset by its cost-cutting program, which should provide about US$130 million of adjusted core profit support across its three businesses. Quarterly net sales from Dow’s packaging and specialty plastics segment rose 27 per cent to US$6.4 billion in the second quarter from a year earlier, driven by higher polyethylene prices in all regions. Net sales at its industrial intermediates & infrastructure segment rose 14 per cent to US$3.2 billion and performance materials and coatings were up 11 per cent to US$2.4 billion. The Michigan-based company reported an adjusted profit of US$1.44 per share for the quarter ended June 30. Analysts on average had expected a profit of US$1.28 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG. (Reporting by Pooja Menon in Bengaluru; Editing by Joyjeet Das and Sriraj Kalluvila)
