Chemicals maker Chemours expects higher second-quarter sales on refrigerants demand

June 18 (Reuters) - Specialty chemicals maker Chemours CC.N on Wednesday forecast second-quarter sales at the high end of its earlier range, driven by strong demand for its climate-friendly refrigerants.

The growth reflects the impact of the U.S. AIM Act, which is accelerating the industry shift toward low global warming potential products, helping companies such as Chemours tap into long-term demand in the cooling sector.

Chemours said net sales at its thermal and specialized solutions segment — which focuses on providing high-performance products for thermal management and other specialized requirements across various industries, including cleaners and fire suppressants — are expected to rise about 25% sequentially.

Consolidated net sales of the company is expected to rise by a mid-teen percentage from the first quarter, compared with an earlier projection of a low to mid-teen increase.

It reported net sales of $1.37 billion in the quarter ended March 31. Analysts estimate sales of $1.57 billion for the second quarter, according to data compiled by LSEG.

Shares of the company, however, fell 1.5% in premarket trading, after it forecast adjusted core earnings below Wall Street expectation.

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization is expected to range between $215 million and $225 million during the second quarter, while analysts' estimate $236 million.

The chemicals maker also said it expects adjusted core profit at its titanium technologies segment to fall about 15% from the preceding quarter due to a rail disruption that led to the use of higher-cost ore feedstock.

The disruption resulted in incremental costs of roughly $15 million in the current quarter, it said.