DuPont forecasts strong 2026 sales and profit on healthcare gains, restructuring

By Pooja Menon

Feb 10 (Reuters) - Industrial materials maker DuPont DD.N forecast full-year net sales and adjusted profit above analysts' expectations after beating fourth-quarter earnings estimates on Tuesday, helped by stronger healthcare segment sales and ongoing business restructuring.

Shares of the company rose 2.3% in morning trading.

DuPont has streamlined operations as higher production costs in Europe and tighter environmental regulations push global chemicals makers to reassess their strategies.

Last year, its board approved the previously announced separation of its electronics business, Qnity Electronics Q.N, which includes semiconductor technologies and interconnect solutions.

Net sales at DuPont's healthcare and water technologies segment rose 4% to $821 million in the quarter, driven by growth in medical packaging and devices, as well as strength in industrial water markets.

That offset a 3% drop in diversified industrials segment sales to $872 million, as weakness in construction, printing and packaging markets weighed on results.

Executives on a post-earnings call said that order trends in its industrial technologies business signaled stabilization in markets that struggled last year.

The company added it does not expect significant headwinds in 2026 and sees a year-on-year improvement in gross margins from productivity initiatives.

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.

"DuPont's 2026 guidance for solid growth is driven by their healthcare and water end markets, which we expect will be the key growth drivers for the company going forward," said Seth Goldstein, analyst with Morningstar.

On an adjusted basis, the company posted a profit of 46 cents per share for the three months ended December 31, beating analysts' estimate of 43 cents per share.