Emerging markets drive Dow Chemical's 4Q profit

[February 02, 2010]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Dow Chemical says it climbed its way back to a fourth-quarter profit, driven by strength in emerging markets.

The company that makes the basic materials for everything from diapers to cars says it expects continued improvement in emerging markets such as Asia and Latin America, while growth in the U.S. and Europe will lag due to high unemployment and uncertainty in government stimulus spending.

Dow Chemical Co., based in Midland, Mich., had a quarterly profit of $87 million, or 8 cents per share, after losing $1.55 billion, or $1.68 per share, in the year-ago period. Adjusted for one-time items, earnings were 18 cents per share.

Analysts expected an adjusted profit of 11 cents per share.

Revenue rose 15 percent to $12.47 billion.

[Associated Press]

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