Shares of chemical maker EI DuPont de Nemours & Co. (NYSE: DD) are trading slightly higher in the premarket after the company reported a rise of 26% in its first quarter. The chemical maker also affirmed its second-quarter and full-year earnings outlooks, but warned about a weak domestic demand that is likely to put pressure on growth outside the country through the rest of 2008.

For its most recent quarter, the giant chemicals maker said its profit climbed to $1.19 billion, or $1.31 a share, compared with $945 million, or $1.01 a share reported in the same period a year ago. Analysts had expected DuPont show earnings of $1.29 a share, according to Reuters Estimates.

Looking at revenue, DuPont saw a growth of 9% to $8.58 billion, inline with analysts' predictions. The third-biggest U.S. chemical maker had to face continued economic worries such as higher fuel prices and declining housing markets that put a curb on consumer spending. However, the company was able to successfully surpass those obstacles, helped by the weak dollar and higher selling prices that offset flat domestic sales.

Shares of chemical maker EI DuPont de Nemours & Co. (NYSE: DD) are trading higher this morning despite the fact that the company announced fourth-quarter profit slipped 37% from a year earlier.

For its most recent quarter, the chemical giant reported net income of $545 million, or 60 cents a share, down from $871 million or 94 cents a share in the year-ago period. Excluding one-time items, however, the company said its earnings rose 27% to 57 cents a share from last year.

Analysts had been looking to see DuPont show earnings of 49 cents per share, according to Thomson Financial.

The company's results showed revenue growth of 11% to $6.98 billion, beating analysts' expectations for $6.67 billion in sales. The rise in revenue came from increased volumes and higher local selling prices. DuPont posted a gain of 10% for volumes in the Asia-Pacific region and a growth a 5% in Canada and Latin America. In the U.S., volumes figures were flat, while Europe brought a slightly decline in its numbers.

Shares of chemical maker EI DuPont de Nemours & Co. (NYSE: DD) are trading higher this morning after the company lifted both its 2007 and 2008 earnings outlook, citing strength in its agriculture and nutrition business and higher raw material prices.

The company said it expects to show a rise of 11% or more for its 2007 profit, based on better-than-predicted fourth-quarter numbers. According to Charles O. Holliday Jr. , the company's Chief Executive Officer, DuPont's quarterly sales came in above analysts' expectations, lifted by "science-driven innovations and market differentiation."

The third-biggest U.S. chemical maker now anticipates 2007 earnings per share of $3.20, excluding special items. That's at the upper end of its earlier forecast for earnings per share in a range of $3.15 and $3.20. DuPont's predictions for 2007 exclude $0.09 per share of charges and a net benefit of $.02 per share. Analysts, on average, forecast a profit of $3.19 per share.